PROSPECT HEIGHTS — Barclays Center was forced to hastily shut its doors during a concert Thursday night as “a group of disruptive people” tried to force their way inside the Brooklyn arena, the venue said in a statement published on its website.
The Power 105.1’s Powerhouse 2014, a Hip-Hop and R&B live music event featuring superstars like Chris Brown, French Montana, J.Cole and a surprise performance by Jay-Z, started around 7 p.m. on Thursday at the 620 Atlantic Ave. complex in Brooklyn.
At around 9:30 p.m, a horde of people tried gain entry to the venue, which led center security to shut its doors and call the NYPD for help, according to Barclays Center's statement.
“We apologize for the inconvenience to any tickets holder who was unable to enter the arena. We made the decision to close the doors to preserve the safety of our guests and our building,” the center’s statement read.
The NYPD was called for “crowd control because people were not in line and were pushing”, a spokeswoman for the NYPD said, adding no arrests were made. The Fire Department said it had no record of the incident.
It was unclear who the “disruptive” people were, how many there were, and if they had concert tickets. Several people qualified them as “a mob” on social media.
“Mob rushed Barclays center and almost got pepper sprayed but hey, TI is killing it,” @JulianaGioffre tweeted, referring to the American rapper who was performing at the event.
Many disgruntled concertgoers who were turned away after the doors were shut took their dissatisfaction to social media.
“Wow just wasted $220 dollars on Powerhouse tickets and they aren't letting people in! No explanation or any communication from any staff! So disappointed in @power1051 @barclayscenter and all those involved! Horrible! “ Stephanie Uhrig commented on Barclays Center’s Facebook page, giving the center one star out of five.
“I was crazy (,) concert attendees & staff both need to do better,” Takiyah Newton posted on the page.
Barclays Center would not say if it would reimburse patrons that had tickets but had not been able to enter the venue. A spokesperson for the center said anyone with questions or inquiries should refer to the company’s statement.
