A series of disturbances and stampedes early Wednesday morning put a damper on the popular Ghetto Splash concert.

Staged at the Waterhouse Mini-stadium in St Andrew by Shocking Vibes boss-cum-politican Patrick Roberts, the free event attracted a stellar line-up as well as a capacity audience. But just after 4:00 am, what was an enjoyable event threatened to turn ugly.

Dancer-turned-artiste Ding Dong was on stage. His set comprised numerous dance-related tracks — Siva, Shampoo, Wul Up, and Holiday — and the audience was enjoying the vibe when out of nowhere there was a clash of bodies — pushing and shoving, flipping of chairs, people fell and were trampled. The artiste tried to maintain a level of composure and encouraged the hundreds gathered to remain calm, but the first wave already had the audience on edge.

The show continued.

Dexta Daps was up next. Despite the agitation, fans began to warm to the singjay from Seaview Gardens as he dropped his hit songs, including Seven/11, Chinese Jordan and Jealous Ova. He shared his set with other acts including Bugle; at that point came at least two more stampedes, one of which brought down the fence separating the VIP and general areas.

By then a large segment of the audience had exited the venue and therefore missed heightened performances from Tommy Lee, Aidonia and recent MOBO Award winner Popcaan. All shared the stage with a throng of emerging acts in a frenzied, free-flowing set which would ultimately brought down the curtains.

Over the years Ghetto Splash has become a standard on the entertainment calendar. Artistes give their time and talent in the spirit of the season.

As a result, acts such as Dre Island, Versatile, Louie Culture, Wayne J, Harry Toddler, Tarrus Riley, Iba Mahr, Danny English, Bling Dawg, Zagga, Chronixx and Internet sensation Stylex — with Love My Fatty — delighted the audience.

There were some noteworthy moments. Macka Diamond invited MC Sample Man to demonstrate the Cow Foot dance, and within seconds he fell to the floor, taking Macka’s wig with him. This had patrons reeling.

Mr Real Rich, aka Tanto Blacks, can always be counted on to provide his brand of entertainment. And so, when he took the stage with his fellow Magnum Kings alum — Poor & Boasey, Pink Boss and Idol — a good set was assured. He later brought on producer/artiste Teetimus; he too brought life to the stage.

Stampedes aside, Ghetto Splash 2016 provided another entertainment opportunity for Kingston’s inner-city communities.