No chances with security on Backstreet Boys tour
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With popular US pop group Backstreet Boys set to tour Vietnam this month, authorities are taking no chances with security after last year’s fiasco when the arrival of a Korean band set off stampedes.
The organizers, Water Buffalo Production Company, the Ministries of Public Security and Culture, Sport and Tourism and Hanoi people’s committee, who discussed security at a meeting at the Hilton Hotel Monday, decided to limit the number of spectators in each area at the concert venue.
The Backstreet Boys are scheduled to perform at the My Dinh national stadium on March 26, two days after performing at Ho Chi Minh City’s Military Zone 7 stadium.
When popular Korean band Super Junior arrived in Vietnam last March, spectators surged towards them at Noi Bai Airport and at the concert venue, crushing many underfoot. Many people fainted though, thankfully, there were no deaths or serious injuries.
For the Backstreet Boys concert, tickets can be booked at www.bsb.com.vn.
A slew of contests have been announced ahead of the band’s arrival.
On “Backstreet Boys Wannabe” at www.bsb.com.vn, fans have to perform the band’s songs with the winner getting a ticket to the show and a VND 10 million (US$ 500) cash prize.
Another contest offering tickets, at www.me.zing.vn, requires bloggers to share their feelings about the band and its music.
The Backstreet Boys debuted in 1996 and have sold over 130 million records worldwide, making them one of the biggest selling artists of all time.
