A large crowd turned out for the show on Saturday night in Hastings. Photo / Ian Cooper
A large crowd turned out for the show on Saturday night in Hastings. Photo / Ian Cooper
Organisers of the LAB concert in Hastings where a man was stabbed in the crowd say some concertgoers headed along with the sole intention of causing trouble.
Police are investigating the stabbing which happened shortly after 7pm on Saturday, after a large crowd gathered to enjoy the pop-reggae concert at Showgrounds Hawke’s Bay Tomoana.
“Emergency services were called to the showgrounds at 7.05pm after reports that a person had been stabbed in the crowd,” a police spokeswoman said.
“The person was transported to Hawke’s Bay Hospital in a serious condition.
“Police are working to establish exactly what happened and who was involved.”
About 10,000 people attended the show.
The show attracted a crowd of about 10,000 people. Photo / Ian Cooper
Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay (formerly the Hawke’s Bay DHB) confirmed the injured man, aged in his 20s, was discharged from Hawke’s Bay Hospital on Sunday afternoon by hospital staff.
The event promoter, Loop, released a statement and said they were “devastated about the isolated incident at our concert.
“The safety of patrons is our key priority when planning an event,” the statement read.
“In the lead-up to our Hastings concert, we worked extremely closely and had multiple planning meetings with the Hastings police, the Hastings District Council and our two security companies.
“The district police and local council are in agreement that all elements of the event that we could control were managed effectively, including but not limited to the presence of 142 security guards, ample police presence, plus bag searches and wanding of all patrons upon entry.
“In a crowd of 10,000, a number of attendees turned up to this event with the sole intention of creating trouble.
“Police and security responded immediately, and the incident did not escalate.”
Another concertgoer took to Facebook, after the show, and blasted the poor behaviour she witnessed by some people.
“I seen woman being punched in the face from young thugs [and] there was a man with a knife obviously on some kind of drugs,” she wrote.
“How about making 2023 your goal to give up drinking if you can’t handle your booze and leave it for us oldskool folks that know how to enjoy concerts and have a great time.”
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said having an internationally-recognised band performing in the city was incredible, and it was disappointing to hear of the violence.
“It is very disappointing that one person has clouded what was essentially a wonderful night.”
