Drake’s second-night performance at the Apollo theater in Harlem was interrupted after a concert attendee fell off a top-floor balcony.
Drake’s first performance for 2023 was at the Apollo Theater, where fans were treated to a very intimate performance by the rapper, who was mere feet away from fans. The event was produced and hosted by Sound 42 and SiriusXM on two nights back to back on Saturday and Sunday as Drake performed 41 songs from his extensive record-breaking No. 1 catalog.
The first night went off well, with Drake bringing Dipset and the Diplomats on stage as he paid homage to their music and era, and later 21 Savage, who performed several hit songs from their recent joint project.
However, Sunday’s event was not as smooth as Drake stopped in the middle of his performance at someone came hurtling down from a balcony. Reports are that the rapper was just welcoming 21 Savage to the stage to perform singles from their ‘Her Loss’ album when someone fell off the balcony.
Videos shared by attendees showed the moment a shoe came down while a body came next, with the person falling headfirst.
It’s not clear if the person is fine or how they came to fall off of the balcony. However, Drake appeared stunned and immediately paused the show in concern for the attendees.
The OVO Sound rapper is seen pointing to the crowd and talking to Savage. He then speaks into his mic while a production assistant approaches him.
“Alright, just gotta make sure somebody’s ok,” the rapper said as he and 21 Savage walked off the stage momentarily. The show was paused for 15 minutes as the production crew ensured that the venue remained safe, fans shared on social media.
There are reports that cords hanging over the balcony were cut, as that might have been the reason for the fall.
In the meantime, the incident brought back reminders of the Astroworld incident in 2021, where more than a dozen people died due to massive overcrowding and a stampede.
However, the situation at the Apollo was far from Astroworld, and the venue’s team quickly stepped in to ensure the person that fell received medical attention.
During the break, someone from the theatre’s production team said, “Everybody is absolutely OK,” on the loudspeakers. “They are being checked on. Nobody’s hurt. But I got even better news for you: We’re at the Apollo so the show must go on.”
Meanwhile, Drake addressed the incident on his return to the stage.
“Let’s just make some noise that everybody’s OK,” Drake said. “I feel like they had to wait like 10 minutes, we should go up a little more,” he said, extending the concert end time, so fans received the full performance.
The show went on without any more hitch, with Dipset also appearing as a guest again on Sunday night.
Apollo Theater has since issued a statement on the incident saying a full investigation has been launched.
“Unfortunately, last evening an incident occurred with an audience member who landed in the orchestra from the lower mezzanine,” the statement posted on Instagram reads. “Drake, Apollo and SiriusXM halted the show immediately when learning of a potential fan injury and standard protocols were taken. They were seen immediately by EMS on site. The fan and other audience members reported that they were OK. No major injuries have been reported. The Apollo is investigating the situation further.
Drake had to stop the concert after someone jumped from the balcony at the Apollo Theater New York pic.twitter.com/Hn9lZAuauP
— ITSBIZKIT (@itsbizkit) January 23, 2023
Drake & 21 Savage stopped their performance after someone reportedly fell from the balcony during his show at the Apollo pic.twitter.com/rizX2YYwwM https://t.co/p4pqZIt7Gm
— Tony M. Centeno (@_tonyMC) January 23, 2023
