Wembley Stadium criticised over a fireworks display hours after a wildfire alert

Wembley Stadium was criticised after a fireworks display at a show by The Weeknd went ahead just hours after a UK government emergency alert warned of a "severe" wildfire risk across England and Wales, NME reported. The alert told residents and visitors not to undertake any activity that could start a fire, including barbecues, firepits or fireworks: "Even a small flame can rapidly develop into a major wildfire placing lives, homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk," the message read.

The Canadian pop superstar began a five-night run at the London stadium on August 14, and a large fireworks display accompanied the closing track of his set, "Moth to a Flame." The timing prompted criticism online, with one person writing that stadium organizers "didn't get tonight's Government alert."

A Wembley representative told LADbible that venue officials met with on-site police and fire brigade members after the alert came through, and called the display "a controlled performance, delivered within the Wembley Stadium footprint and subject to the stadium's established safety procedures." The spokesperson added that all pyrotechnics at Wembley are "designed, operated and managed by specialist professionals" under the stadium's own policy, with a team of fire safety experts stationed on site for every event. The government alert introduced a temporary ban on disposable barbecues but not on fireworks.

The same alert caused a stir at Boomtown Festival, where phones across the campsite sounded the siren simultaneously, prompting laughter and cheering from festivalgoers rather than panic.

The Weeknd played the second of his five Wembley shows the following night and was due back for two more performances on August 18 and 19. The run is part of his After Hours Til Dawn Tour, which recently passed $1 billion in gross revenue, the highest total ever for a male solo artist's tour, capping a huge year in pop touring.

The Wembley run comes just after Abel Tesfaye said he no longer plans to retire the stage name, telling fans in Stockholm, "I'll never disappear. I love this too much to ever disappear. Imma be here forever with you." He'd previously signaled he was stepping back from retiring the name before confirming outright that he isn't retiring it after all.