Try and understand the facts on the sticky subject of concert in this story – New York police shut down free Drake concert

New York police shut down free Drake concert

A free outdoor show in New York City featuring Drake and Hanson was shut down when a crowd of nearly 20,000 fans became too much to control, PopEater reports. Yeah, that’s right, Hanson’s still got it. Watch your back, Justin Bieber.

Organizers of the concert, which was presented by Paper magazine, had expected 10,000 or so people to gather at Manhattan’s South Street Seaport for the evening show. But as police told PopEater, nearly twice that number crammed themselves into the outdoor venue — leading to a scene worthy of a Bieber autograph signing.

In the crush, six people were slightly injured, PopEater reports. And adding to the scene of minor mayhem, some fans reportedly scaled buildings and began smashing bottles from the rooftops. Police were called to the scene by concert organizers around 7 p.m. — an hour after the concert’s opening act took the stage.

Drake was on Twitter Tuesday night to alert fans of the fracas, writing, “Police are shutting down the show at South Seaport! I’m on my way anyways.”

However, the Toronto rapper did not get the chance to play. “I am humbled by the crowd that showed up in support of my performance and the release of Thank Me Later,” Drake later said in a statement.

“I love performing for my fans, but unfortunately, the show was cancelled by the NYPD due to overcrowding, leaving me without the chance to give my fans a real show. I’m thankful for the support that the fans have been giving me. … I thank you now.”

Drake will have another chance to incite a riot this Sunday, when the rapper returns to his hometown of Toronto for a performance on the MuchMusic Video Awards. Hanson, sadly, will not be present.