SOCA 5.0 Rescheduled for Today at National Botanical Gardens, Barbados: Tickets Honored

SOCA 5.0 is on today, same time, same place and all tickets will be honoured.

The National Cultural Foundation’s (NCF) event, which was scheduled to be held at the National Botanical Gardens, Waterford, St Michael, had to be postponed after an Orange alert was instituted when Barbados was placed under a severe thunderstorm watch.

On Sunday night, De Unit band had started to play and entertainers

Lorenzo, Serenader, Mr Dale, Biggie Irie and Barry had performed two songs each. The crowd was building up, with hundreds outside the gate to enter.

Inside the venue, the ground was saturated because of persistent showers throughout day from a tropical wave that affected the island. Vendors were making brisk sales and patrons were having a good time. Up next was Natahlee, who did not get to sing a note as she encountered mic issues.

While that issue was being rectified, chief executive officer (CEO) of the NCF, Carol Roberts, came onstage at 8:45 p.m. and announced the show would be postponed because of adverse weather that was to affect the island.

She played a recording of Barbados Metereological Office director Sabu Best, who spoke of a “freak system” which was expected to affect the island around 10 p.m. and end sometime after midnight.

Given its nature, the “freak system” could not have been predicted before and therefore earlier consultations between the NCF and the Met Office about the staging of the event did not take into account this unforeseen weather system, said Roberts, also telling the disgruntled crowd that to protect the spectators, the five bands and the performers, the stakeholders decided to postpone until yesterday.

The watch was still in place and was to be updated midnight Monday.

Yesterday, with many people flooding social media to inquire about the staging of the show and or refunds, the NCF later issued a release that the show would instead be held tomorrow [today].

Machel Montano, one of the five bands slated to perform on Sunday, posted on his Instagram page in a picture with Rihanna on the road during the FLOW Grand Kadooment parade, that the show would be held on Tuesday and he was ready to perform.

In the release the NCF said tickets for Sunday were still valid for those who did not enter the venue.

For those who did gain entry to the event and wanted to attend the show today, they were to either present their stubs, the wristband received if they exited the event on Sunday for re-entry or if they had a complimentary ticket, they would need to present the ID at the gate.

Those who bought tickets online and wanted refunds needed to email [email protected]. For box office purchases at the National Botanical Gardens on the night of the event, they must return to the box office and present their ticket and for other box office purchases, return to the original box office of purchase and present the ticket.

If individuals gained entry and wanted a refund the same applied.

The Soca 5.0 show was to celebrate Crop Over’s 50th year with bands De Unit, Coalishun, Machel Montano and De Monk Band, Square One and krosfyah, along with supporting acts. (NS)