Khalid Twilight Concert's Massive Crowd Raises Safety Concerns

Editor's Note: Since this story was originally published, Santa Monica Pier officials downsized crowd size estimates from 60,000 to 25,000 based on the analysis by a firm specializing in crowd estimation.

SANTA MONICA, CA — The first Twilight Concert of the year raised safety concerns when an unexpected 25,000 arrived to see Khalid perform last Thursday. While the free concerts have become increasingly popular, Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks now considers the concert series a safety hazard, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.

The pier deck, which can hold 5,000 to 7,500 people per event, reached capacity quickly and the crowd soon overflowed onto nearby beaches. Only eleven minutes after the concert started, the Santa Monica Police Department began instructing visitors to "avoid the pier due to overcrowding," according to Curbed Los Angeles.

After the concert Khalid tweeted "Around 60,000 people came out to Santa Monica to see me last night at the free show. The Staples Center holds around 21,000 people." Jay Farrand, Executive Director of the Pier told Santa Monica Daily Press that Khalid was booked months ago, but he's experienced a recent surge in popularity which could be the explanation for the crowd's size. According to social media RSVPs, none of the remaining Twilight Concerts have anywhere near the size of the response that Khalid received, Farrand said.

For future Twilight Concerts, "we're going to be making some changes to how the crowds get in through the gates, but, otherwise, I cannot comment on the security changes," Santa Monica Police Lieutenant and Public Information Officer Saul Rodriguez told LAist.

Seabrooks requested that the Department of Homeland Security perform a security analysis on the event in preparation for future shows, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. She said a team of experts attended the show and were not happy with what they saw, and a full report from the inspection team will be provided to SMPD in the coming weeks. The contents of the report may be kept confidential if they contain information which could expose public safety weaknesses.

There are seven remaining Twilight Concert Series shows happening every Thursday aside from July 6. The series will feature artists such as Lemaitre, Miami Horror, and Warpaint.

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