After Bengaluru, French DJ David Guetta’s concert here has been cancelled with the Mumbai Police saying that the organisers Sunburn did not complete the “mandatory requirements and legal formalities”.
Today’s event was rescheduled at Reliance Jio Garden at BKC, where it was shifted from earlier decided venue of Mahalaxmi Racecourse after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) denied permission. The organisers had earlier claimed the event will happen as per schedule tonight.
Organisers had approached Mumbai Police for granting permission for the event, but it has been rejected.
“We have rejected permission to organisers of Sunburn Arena event today for not completing the mandatory requirements and legal formalities,” said Mumbai Police spokesperson and DCP Ashok Dudhe.
Approximately 4000 people were expected to attend the event.
“Organisers of the Sunburn event came to us for permissions at the last moment. They did not inform or discuss plans about safety and security of the people who were going to attend the event. They did not show us maps of the event venue and traffic management plans as well,” Dudhe said.
The DCP claimed that they are capable of providing protection to even “3-4 lakh people” but need time to mobilise manpower which the organisers did not give them time to do.
In Bengaluru, Guetta was scheduled to headline a special gig yesterday, kickstarting his four-city tour to Mumbai, Hyderabad and New Delhi. However, it was cancelled in the morning with organisers and authorities citing different reasons.
The organisers claimed that authorities asked them to not hold the concert due to the law and order issue in the wake of the molestation incident during New Year’s Eve, while authorities later rubbished it saying, they denied permission due to local polls.
The organisers are yet to come out with a statement and there is no clarity about Guetta’s two other concerts in Hyderabad and Delhi.
