Fans taking part in Incheon Pentaport Music Festival enjoy a performance of rock band Se So Neon at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon, Friday. Newsis

The Incheon Pentaport Music Festival, held over the weekend in the port city's southwestern Songdo, called on fans to cease overnight queuing for better spots to ensure audience safety, the event organizer said Saturday.

The festival organizer announced a policy prohibiting attendees from staying overnight or creating their own waiting lists in an attempt to secure better positions to see their favorite artists up close.

"There are safety concerns due to overnight queuing. In accordance with the festival's operating policy, we strictly prohibit overnight queuing and do not recognize any waiting lists. We ask for the cooperation of all audience members to ensure a safe and enjoyable festival for everyone," the event organizer said.

Since its inaugural event in 2006, the festival has been one of the nation's major rock festivals, along with Busan International Rock Festival. This year's music festival was held at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park from Aug. 2 to 4.

Concerns about audience safety arose as fans began creating their own queues for Sunday's performances, staying overnight from early Saturday morning and creating their own waiting lists for better spots, which prompted organizers to issue the announcement.

Sunday's lineup includes DAY6, a rock band under the K-pop agency JYP Entertainment, as well as Jannabi and Japanese band Ryokuoushoku Shakai.

The organizers made the decision to ensure better safety management at the event attended by thousands live music enthusiasts amid the ongoing heat wave.

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said the city would also closely monitor the three-day rock festival to ensure safety amid the oppressive summer heat, in cooperation with relevant agencies such as the fire department and police.

"Given the great concern about heat-related illnesses in this hot summer, we have made thorough preparations," the mayor said during the first day of the festival. "We have prepared to prevent heat-related illnesses by placing shade structures throughout the venue."

Since the 2022 Itaewon disaster where 159 people died in a tragic crowd crush, there have been continued calls for thorough preparation and management of events where large numbers of people gather.

On July 28, at the Boiler Room Seoul 2024 music festival held in Seoul's trendy Seongsu-dong, organizers were moved to cancel the event to avert a possible disaster as an overwhelming number of ticket holders rushed into the venue, pushing it to over double its maximum safe capacity.

Fire authorities reported that approximately 4,500 people crowded into the venue built to accommodate 2,000. Five attendees who experienced breathing difficulties amid the incident required medical attention.