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    28/02/2008 11:40 AM - (SA)
    'Concert was ruined'
    29/02/08


    Jim Yeomans writes on the Celine Dion concert: What a brilliant show and what a superstar! However, the evening was ruined by the following:

    Inadequate queuing and entrance arrangements - we got there at around 15:30 - no entrance signage on the roads, no queue control, and when the gates eventually opened, there was a huge stampede to enter the arena.

    Three entrances only for the masses were not enough and we ended up at the back of the mob and ended being seated on grass at the rear of the Golden Circle, eventually getting inside the arena around 19:30.

    I do not wish to enter the debate about the "picnic style" seating requirements, which was a disaster - particularly when you consider the prices - R866 to sit on grass and then you still had to stand for Celine Dion. The entrance crews knew very little of what to do, body searches, bag searches and then the further queues for arm bands took forever.

    It was a 1,5 kilometre walk at least from the designated parking - not 150 metres and the shuttle service could hardly move.

    This deserve to be brought to the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority for such misleading information in promoting the event!

    The location of the facilities inside the arena was not practical; long walks to the toilets and drink (wine at crazy expensive prices) and the drink tent was well away from the food tent.

    After the show it took us over an hour to leave the arena through the masses at the three exits, and when we got to our car we were gridlocked for almost a further two hours. We eventually got to our home in the Helderberg at 01:45.

    The traffic police were totally our of control and all they wanted, and seemed, to do was drive around in their cars with their blue lights flashing, creating further traffic congestion. Like all practical police forces they should have been out of their cars, on their feet, directing cars at the many intersections. To have a venue located where there is no through traffic, and everything and everybody had to go back exactly the same way they came, does not make practical sense.

    The venue itself is totally inadequate for such an event.

    I was going to see Josh Groban at the same venue, but there is no way that we are prepared to go through another obstacle course of this nature. My wife and I are pensioners and quite frankly, even though it was Celine Dion, our evening was a let down for the above reasons.




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