As power cuts hit Sri Lanka, a music festival lights up Colombo and ignites local anger

 

28 March 2022

In the midst of Sri Lanka’s worst financial crisis in living memory, a massive music festival with international acts, pyrotechnics and thousands of people was held in Colombo on Saturday, even as locals endured power cuts and hours-long queues for basic supplies.

The ‘Road to EMF’ Festival took place in the Chinese-constructed Port City Colombo on March 26, with thousands of people in the audience and tickets reportedly going for up to US$300 each.

As photographs and videos from the festival were posted on social media over the weekend - showcasing the sound systems and stage set up complete with dozens of flames shooting from the platforms, fireworks bursting into the sky and an elaborate light display – a backlash quickly ensued.

Locals complained that holding a festival that few could afford to attend, at a time when power cuts had led many to endure hours without electricity and basic supplies in their homes, was an egregious display of inequality. Many areas are now having power cuts twice per day.

“Let's all celebrate while the poor of this country starve to death or are beaten to death for stealing something as simple as daily necessities,” posted one user on Twitter.

“Sri Lanka a country of extremes, where the many starve so the few can live like Kings,” posted another.

The festival comes whilst Sri Lanka continues to suffer from an economic crisis that has led to soaring prices for basic goods and malnutrition warnings as many across the island slip into poverty.

Locals in Mannar queue for fuel earlier this month as the island's crisis worsened.

Queues for fuel and gas stretched for hours in various parts of the island, with at least two deaths reported whilst waiting in line, with Sri Lanka even deploying the military to petrol stations across the island.

The organiser of the festival, ‘Thorz’ of Event Master Academy, has yet to respond to criticism of the event. Instead, his social media accounts were full of praise for the festival.

Instagram @mr__thorz

On Instagram, where he has photographs with Sri Lankan minister Namal Rajapaksa and regime-supporting cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan, Thorz posted photographs of the preparation for the festival, which he said took place with the assistance of former army and navy officers.

“Undoubtedly this is the most famous festival to ever happen in Sri Lanka,” he posted on Facebook. “I was able to make my dream, the dream of 20 million Sri Lankans.”