DJs who stopped their shows because of crowd behavior

With an unbelievable slate of shows and residencies set to take place for the summer, here is a look back at moments when the headlining DJ had to stop their show to address the crowd behavior.

As the summer concert season kicks off and cities across the world begin to be populated by thousands of tourists coming to see shows, it’s important to remember that crowd etiquette is as crucial as ever to ensure a fun and safe environment for everyone attending. However, there are instances when things get out of hand, and the only way to de-escalate the situation is for the DJ to step in. Below is a look back at some of the few moments when a DJ had to stop their show because of crowd behavior.

Martin Garrix

Taking place just last year at his Ushuaïa Ibiza residency, Garrix had to pause the show during the drop of one of his newer tracks to stop a fight. Usually, Garrix’s shows have always been known as a place where peace and love thrive. You rarely see a problem in the crowds at his shows, but unfortunately, this time was different. Garrix cut out of the song to address two men at the front of the show saying, “Yo stop fighting. I’m not going to play any more songs if you guys are fighting. Chill the fuck down, please. We are here to party together.” The crowd responded by applauding Garrix for diffusing the moment before he brought the music back up, and the show continued.

Fisher

At the height of his career, Hardwell’s shows were considered some of the most energetic audience experiences one could have. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the crowd always gets along, and in 2016, at 808 Festival Yangon, Hardwell had to remind a few members of the gallery why they were all there and that there was no room for fighting at his show. Stopping the music abruptly, Hardwell jumped on the mic to say, “Yo dude, what the fuck is going on there? If you want to fight, take the fight out of the fucking party. We are here to party, not to fight. Get your ass out of the fucking festival, we’re here to party, we’re not fighting. It’s all peace and love tonight.”

Skrillex

Another blast from the past as Skrillex was still on the rise in the industry and was playing a show at NeverSayNever Music Festival in 2011 in Mission, Texas. Skrillex quickly stopped the show and stood in disbelief after someone in the crowd threw an object at him on the stage. “I love you guys, but whoever threw that is a fucking piece of shit,” Skrillex said. He then went on to identify the person and explained that the object caused a bruise on his ribs. The rest of the audience reacted by booing the person, demanding they kick him out of the show, to which Skrillex responded by saying, “Please don’t beat him up on my behalf. I don’t like violence, but just say fuck you, you fucking asshole.”

Carl Cox

One of the godfathers of dance music even once had to set the crowd straight at a show. Playing a show in Athens, Greece, at Techniques Festival in 2019, Cox used his calm demeanor to stop a fight in the middle of the show. He started by questioning why the fight even needed to take place in the middle of the great party and that nobody wanted to see it. Cox then demanded that they take it outside and asked the two if they were finished. However, from the looks of the video, it sounds like tempers were still high, so Cox then asked for the two to be removed from the show.

As you begin to share these experiences this summer with your friends and thousands of strangers, remember that everyone else is also wanting to have just as much fun. Treat others with respect and love, and consider how your actions will impact those around you. Crowd behavior is just as important for you as it is for the artists. In the end, our only goal is to celebrate music together.