More than 26,000 people are expected to attend the Ed Sheeran concert at JN Stadium, Polo, on Wednesday, raising concerns for the district administration.
In response, East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner RM Kurbah convened a press conference today where she was joined by not one but two senior police officers – Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, and SP (Traffic) Kamakhya Prasad, besides the event organisers.
While the police have announced traffic arrangements, authorities remain concerned about potential congestion due to the limited number of entry-exit points. The concert is set to begin at 6:15pm but Kurbah stated that gates will open at 4pm. However, with only two entry points, attendees are urged to arrive early to avoid crowding. After the event, three exit gates have been arranged to facilitate dispersal.
Children below the age of 5 will not be allowed at the concert. Attendees are permitted to carry only three items – mobile phones, keys and wallets. Security measures will include three checkpoints before entering the stadium, with police handling the outer periphery alongside the event’s security team.
Syiem outlined traffic restrictions for the day, with no entry allowed at several locations, including Lumjingshai Junction towards CRPF Junction, Lumjingshai towards Police Colony, Lawmali Junction towards Polo, Golflinks Trijunction towards Polo, City Hut Dhaba Junction towards Polo, BJP Office towards Oakland, BK Bajoria towards Fourth Furlong and the Gurudwara towards St Anthony’s College.
Parking for the general public will be available at Red Field, Golflinks, roadside parking from Tiara Restaurant to CM Connect Office, roadside parking around Golflinks area, FCI Junction to Lumjingshai Junction, the State Central Library campus and the State Convention Centre campus. Only vehicles with passes will be allowed to park in the Polo parking lot and only VIPs with passes can park at the Second and Third Grounds adjacent to the JN Stadium.
The concert’s opening performance is scheduled to begin at 6:15pm. Addressing concerns about school closures, Kurbah clarified that the district administration has no plans to shut down schools for the concert (as which happened for the Bryan Adams gig in December and Durand Cup opening match in the summer) but emphasised the need to prevent students from being stranded, stating that the advisory serves as a precautionary measure.
