Akon is scheduled to perform in Sydney tonight. His Melbourne show degenerated into a brawl which has embarrassed a top official. Photo / Getty Images
US rapper Akon leapt off stage to break up brawlers during his wild Melbourne concert in which two security guards were bashed.
One person is being questioned by police after more than 50 people stormed the entrance to the concert at Melbourne Park last night.
One security guard suffered lacerations
and bruising and the other suffered facial injuries, Victoria Police spokesman Senior Constable Adam West said on Tuesday.
"Police are questioning a 21-year-old man over the assaults to the security guards," he said.
Fighting broke out both inside and outside the concert.
Snr Const West said 18 people required medical treatment, six were hospitalised and six others had come forward to police saying they were assaulted.
Film footage on YouTube shows Akon offstage and in among the crowd as he tried to put an end to the fighting.
Akon is due to perform at Sydney's Acer Arena tonight.
Ambulance Victoria ferried six people to hospital during the night including a 21-year-old woman suffering from nausea who had vomited inside the arena.
A spokeswoman said three men, aged between 22 and 54, were taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital with injuries incurred in assaults including one man with a bleeding eye.
Another man, aged 25, fractured his ankle when he tried to jump a barrier inside the arena.
The spokeswoman said St John's Ambulance staff inside the arena treated a lot more people.
One man, who went with his 18-year-old wheelchair-bound brother, said he had wanted to leave the stadium after the situation became unsafe but was stopped by security staff.
"It was in lockdown," he told Fairfax Radio.
"A couple of fights had broken out and younger kids - drinking, over age but 18-19 and can't handle it - they've got into a few scuffles."
Shadow attorney-general Robert Clark said the incident was another example of violence spiralling out of control in Melbourne.
"People can't even go to a concert without violence breaking out," he told reporters.
"It's now getting to the stage where overseas visitors are remarking on the fact that Melbourne's not safe."
- AAP
