[Event Coverage] WANNA ONE 1st Fan Meeting in Kuala Lumpur successfully ended despite a glitch

January 20, 2018March 28, 2019 Jiji

Wanna One 1st fan meeting in Kuala Lumpur on last Friday, Jan 19, probably left either good or bad memories for Wannables (Wanna One fans). Living up to their nickname as monster rookies, Wanna One gathered a strong 6,000 crowd, coming from all over the world at Stadium Negara for their 1st ever fan meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

The event which was supposed to be filled with fun and excitement turned chaotic as soon as Wanna One members appeared on stage at 8pm sharp. Fans in the rock zones seemed to run towards the stage to get a closer view, accidentally causing a commotion in the rock zones. The pushing scenes were clearly seen by the other fans, guests and members of media who were seated on another level.

Not distracted by those moments, Wanna One kicked off the night with their hit songs, ‘Energetic’ and ‘Beautiful’. When it was time for the members to greet the crowd, the commotion got out of control. Some fans were spotted fainting and injured by the pushing incidents, putting their safety at risk. Shocked and confused by the situation, Wanna One members stopped the introduction by asking fans to calm down and stop pushing. “Your safety is our priority,” said the members concernly. They were finally sent to the backstage as the situation was not getting any better.

Concert staff, security and paramedics immediately rushed to the area to attend to those in need. Security tried hard to get everyone seated and moved to the back so everyone had better space to breathe. Concert staff was seen giving water and helped to cool the fans to avoid them from fainting, while paramedics lent their hands to those injured and fainted. The police also got involved and warned to cancel the concert if the fans did not co-operate. Kindly note that the police have solid right to cancel shows if it involves security threats.

It was hard to get thousands of people to co-operate, but finally everything was under control after an hour and half, with the organizer decided to resume the show with everyone seated properly in the rock zones. But it clearly dampened the mood of most fans, who were tired of the long waiting time and still shocked by the incident. But still they did not want to give up as they are not sure when they can see Wanna One as 11 members again.

Still, the show must go on. The boys got back onstage to greet the crowd properly and apologized for the inconvenience caused. Thank goodness, the fan meeting went smoothly until the end after that!

Wanna One had a few Q&A and game sessions. In the Q&A, the MC asked did Wanna One liked the weather of Malaysia, they replied due to the winter days in Korea, they really enjoyed the Malaysian warmth. Then the MC asked, did Wanna One have any unforgettable memories while they were in Malaysia for a few days, They replied with sweetest words that “This moment (which is the moment with Wannables) is their most unforgettable memory in Malaysia.” They were really appreciative and thankful for all the support from their fans!

Wannables also prepared a surprise event for Daehwi, who celebrate his birthday this month. They sang his birthday song in English and Korean. Good job Wannables! Wanna One also performed ‘Wanna Be’ and ‘Pick Me’ before sending off their last greetings.

Well, it’s not over till it’s over. The boys came back looking slick in black suits, serenading the crowd with ‘Always’, and soon after they killed the encore stage with ‘Never’ and ‘Burn It Up’.

It was unfortunate that incidents like this happened this time. The organizer had issued an apology on their Facebook soon after the show end, they considered fans’ security as their first priority, therefore the show was forced to delay, and they were also appreciative to all fans for co-operating. We hope everyone will never experience something like this in the future. Let’s enjoy our idols’ concerts safely!