SIGMA event ft. Akon cancelled for violating COVID rules

Added: November 18, 2021

On Wednesday night, the ‘SIGMA Night’ event featuring musician Akon was canceled once it was discovered to be in violation of COVID-19 guidelines.

Attendees were informed that police acted to interrupt the celebration at St Julian’s nightclub Skyclub because of too many people in the space.

The ‘SiGMA Night’ was part of the World iGaming Festival, taking place in Malta this week. It promised to “Celebrate the industry’s strength and desire to preserve its position on the world stage… by giving out 500 bottles of the greatest champagne at midnight.”

Akon, who is recognized for songs such as “Beautiful” and “Lonely,” was the event’s celebrity guest, taking part in it to promote Akon, a blockchain platform and digital currency that he runs. However, the evening was canceled before he could perform, much to the dismay of supporters who had paid from €35 to €50 for tickets.

One woman described how she got to the party around 9.30 p.m. after purchasing a €35 ticket a few weeks prior. The music was turned off two hours into the celebration. She described:

“I was expecting the show to begin. But then there were police urging us to leave since there were so many people… at approximately midnight, some of my pals were detained at the door to tell them they couldn’t get in before all of it was closed down. Even if you have tickets.”

Seated concerts can hold a maximum of 500 people, whereas standing performances are limited to 100 people, according to COVID guidelines. The woman stated that the gathering was not seated, despite the presence of a few tables.

It’s unclear whether the Malta Tourism Authority or the police issued the order to cancel the event.

By the time this article was written, questions sent to both organizations had gone unanswered. Sky Club and SiGMA coordinators were also contacted for comment by the Times of Malta.

Akon, SIGMA Night, World iGaming Festival