Hundreds involved in burglary incident at Solomun’s show in Hayarkon Park

Music TLV confirms the forced entry of approximately 400 youths into Hayarkon Park at what they claim to have been ‘the largest event in Israel on the 74th Independence Day’

Last Wednesday was Independence Day in Israel and the expectations for the celebrations were sky-high. The honours of the party in Tel Aviv were in the hands of Mladen Solomun with another of his time-defying DJ sets, scheduled for the 4th of May at night, on the grounds of Hayarkon Park. But not everything went according to plan on Solomun’s show.

Solomun is one of the dance scene’s most acclaimed players, having cemented his reign over the last decade with his almost hypnotic power. Whether it’s the biggest stages or the most spacious festivals, from the moment Mladen Solomun presses play the space shrinks and you receive an intimate show, designed to the size of your emotions. In Tel Aviv, he is considered king and is extremely cherished, so it’s no surprise then that it’s Solomun headlining such an important night for the city and Israel. The artist’s arrival was long overdue, after the great hiatus caused by the pandemic. After three years of waiting, King Solomun returns to Hayarkon Park for the most powerful Independence Day event in Israel, organised by Music TLV. His high demand resulted in the sale of 25,000 tickets, which sold out quickly. As a result, the organisation put together a megalomaniacal event, with all the necessary arrangements including task forces in proportion to the show. The fact that many people were known to have been unable to get tickets, and that some tickets were being sold at unaffordable prices, raised some concerns among the organisers, who feared an incident. With only minutes to go before Solomun’s show started, about 400 youths burst into the Hayarkon Park, breaking down the barriers placed at the venue. Footage captured shows the hundreds of people running furiously through the grass, endangering the safety of the ticket holders already present at the grounds. In response to the incident, Music TLV stated that:

‘Music Tel Aviv is proud to be behind the largest event in Israel on the 74th Independence Day of the country and to host DJ Solomon in the Yarkon Park with the participation of tens of thousands of entertainers. Music Tel Aviv considers the safety and security of those who spend time a top value, the event operated with a full license and met all the strictest and higher standards. The force that accompanied and approved the incident (policing, security, MDA, etc.) was huge and unusual by any Israeli standard and above any defined standard in order to maintain this value. (…)

Unfortunately, the illegal break-in of the emergency gate was caused by a group of young people who chose to celebrate Independence Day in this way and it was dealt with spot and immediate on the spot, with many efforts to prevent any harm to tens of thousands of spenders. We wish a happy Independence Day and thank security forces In particular and to the large audience who came to enjoy good music and a one-time event.’

In the past, in 1994, Israel had witnessed a disaster involving a crowd of young people who pushed into the entrance to the Arad Festival. Fortunately, this time the outcome was not so tragic, leaving one in awe at the images captured on-site that you can now see here

המונים פרצו את הגדר בהופעה של דיג׳יי סולומון אתמול בפארק הירקון ורמסו אחד את השני בדרך פנימה. שלושה-ארבעה מאבטחים ניסו לעצור מאות אנשים. לא היה רחוק מאסון pic.twitter.com/1BCYugqUE6

— אורי סלע Uri Sela (@uri_sela) May 5, 2022

Image Credit: Solomun (Press), Solomun Event (via בוקי נאה)