A concert at the Enmore Theater in Sydney’s central west had to be scrapped last night after part of the dance floor collapsed amid a sold-out performance by singer Genesis Owusu.
Key points:
- No injuries were reported in the crowd
- Genesis Owusu announced that the concert will be postponed
- The Enmore Theater had only recently reopened after being closed during COVID-19
Hundreds of people were dancing in the Newtown hall when the middle of the floor gave way under the weight.
No one was injured and the concert was abruptly interrupted.
“The ground just crumbled,” tweeted audience member Joe Hardy.
People could be seen jumping up and down as they walked across the mat that spanned a cavity that had opened up below.
A witness described it as being “like a cross between a water bed and a trampoline”.
“No one hurt, too much excitement, jumps, massive crack,” another viewer wrote on social media.
Security guards moved people to the edges of the dance floor and placed wheelie bins and a barricade above the collapsed area.
Site officials then arrived to assess the damage.
ARIA-winning artist Owusu then announced to the audience that the show would have to be postponed.
“There’s like a really big drop below, so it’s really, really dangerous,” he told the crowd.
“We’re going to have to reschedule the show, unfortunately.”
This morning, Genesis Owusu told the triple j that he initially thought the crowd was breaking up to prepare for mosh.
“My perspective of all of this is that we were doing the second song, everything is going well, I see people like in the middle of the crowd starting to form a circle.
“Then the side of the stage hits me in my headset saying, ‘Hold up the show! Hold the show! and I think there are like technical difficulties, so I think he means holding on to the song while we work this out.
“But he meant…there’s a hole in the ground [and] immediately we had to pause the song.”
After the show, he posted a message saying, “All nonsense aside, everyone is safe and in good spirits.
“It was nice to feel like things were back to normal for a second there.
“Soon the second round?”
A statement from the Enmore Theater said the incident was caused by the “relentless rain” that hit Sydney this week.
“Last night we made the decision to discontinue the Genesis Owusu show due to three pillars at the point where the theater tilts under the carpet creating an uneven floor,” the statement read.
“The theater floor has been assessed and remediation work has begun.
“We have sealed off the section that was impacted by the water and are further reinforcing the surrounding areas as an added precaution.”
The historic Enmore Theater had only recently reopened after being closed for two years due to COVID-19.
The art deco venue underwent a major restoration and renovation in 2020.
The theater has yet to announce whether Brisbane artist Young Franco’s concert tonight will have to be cancelled.
Genesis Owusu continues its tour of Australia and performs tonight at the Adelaide Festival.
