KATHMANDU, Feb 14: With more than 20,000 people expected to attend the first ever international concert in the city, the organizers are leaving no stone unturned to provide foolproof security.
There will be an arm of about 1,200 Nepali security personnel and 200 local volunteers mobilized at the Bryan Adams concert to be held in Kathmandu on February 19.
In a press conference organized by JPR and ODC Events, the organizers urged concert-goers to keep their security fears aside. They also mentioned that the protests by Nepal Sports Council will not harm the concert in any way.
“The ratio of concert attendee to security personnel is five to one,” mentioned Simant Gurung, Director of ODC Events. “The concert has been organized by the approval of the Bryan Adams concert management team. They have approved the security design and concert-goers have nothing to worry.”
On the day of the concert, four closely monitored main gates of the stadium will open, which will lead to other 13 gates. Two of those gates will lead to Platinum and Gold seating while 11 other gates will lead to the Silver area.
“Although the stadium can manage a crowd of 35,000 to 45,000, we are only allowing 20,000 people to enter the concert by taking security into consideration,” Gurung said. There will be 64 close circuit cameras monitoring the crowd.
He also mentioned that the tickets were selling briskly, but there will be no sales on the concert day. The last day for tickets sale is Feb 18.
Attendees of the event will not be allowed to carry backpacks and/or professional cameras to the venue. They can carry their mobile phones, and food, water and other necessities will be available at the stadium itself.
As for the parking space, Vishwa Niketan School in Tripureshwor, Boys Union ground and Khulamanch are the designated spots. But the organizers recommended using public transportation for ease.
Samden Sherpa, spokesperson for the event, said that the event will be of international standards.
“The sound quality of the concert has not been compromised. We must mention it’s the same equipment and sound in New York and London alike,” he said.
Sherpa, who is also a tourism entrepreneur, added that events as such can only benefit the country’s economy.
“These days I’m using Adams’ concert as a leverage to promote tourism. When somebody asks me, ‘Is Nepal a safe destination?’, I fire back, ‘If Bryan Adams can come, so can you.’”
The gates will open at 2 pm and close at 5:30 pm. Though Adams will start performing from 7 pm, locals artists like DJ Raju, Namaste Band, Robin and the New Revolution, Raju Lama and the Mongolian Hearts, and 1974 AD will warm up the crowd.
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