A highly anticipated “sky lantern festival” event in Sentosa left hundreds of attendees feeling disappointed and confused when the advertised sky lantern release failed to materialize. Instead of the promised spectacle of lanterns lighting up the night sky,
attendees were given battery-operated LED candles and lanterns that were never intended to fly freely.
The event had been promoted since November of the previous year, with attendees expecting to see the lanterns released in five separate batches from 7:30pm onwards. However, on the day of the event, organizers cited guidelines from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) as the reason why the sky lantern release could not go ahead as planned.
Adding to the confusion, attendees were not informed of the changes to the event prior to their arrival. The collection of lanterns and LED candles was also a chaotic process, involving a single long queue for hundreds of attendees.
Aside from the lack of sky lantern releases, the event was also supposed to feature a music festival and performances starting from 3pm. However, attendees arrived at the venue to find it fenced up and gates not open until 6:10pm. Some attendees speculated that the organizers may not have obtained permits for F&B vendors.
Organizers were initially nowhere to be found, and it was left to a vendor to inform attendees that they could apply for a refund. The vendor also offered free services and apologized to the crowd.
Attendees were eventually told that the lanterns would not be able to fly and that the candles had been replaced with LED lights. The “music festival” then began, featuring one violinist and one DJ.
Despite the confusion, workers at the event told attendees that the event was still happening, although the sky lanterns would not be able to fly. However, there was some confusion over the collection of lanterns, with some attendees being told that collecting the lantern would affect their eligibility for a refund.
Overall, the event was a disappointment for attendees who were expecting to see sky lanterns light up the night sky. The lack of communication and transparency from the organizers only added to the confusion and frustration of those in attendance.