What was anticipated as a joyous festival took a sharp turn towards a “medical matter.” Many attendees of Yuga Labs‘ ApeFest in Hong Kong on November 4 found themselves reporting eye damage and discomfort.
“Woke up in the middle of the night after ApeFest with so much pain in my eyes that I had to go to the hospital,” CryptoJune, an attendee, shared in a November 5 X (formerly Twitter) post.
“Doctor told me it was due to the UV from stage lights,” he added.
A surge of posts on social media reported similar eye issues during the same night, with some stating the pain was severe enough to warrant a hospital visit.
Notably, those closest to the main stage, where the lighting was most intense, seemed to be the most affected.
In a recent announcement on its official Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) X account, Yuga Labs acknowledged the “eye-related issues that affected some of the attendees of ApeFest” and stated, “we have been proactively reaching out to individuals” to address this matter.
While a number of attendees have reported experiencing improved conditions, the statement also emphasized, “we encourage anyone who experiences such issues to promptly seek medical attention just as a precaution.”
ApeFest, an annual event hosted by the BAYC team for Bored Ape and Mutant Ape NFT holders, marked its third edition, and for the first time, it ventured beyond US borders. However, this year’s event was marred by these unforeseen issues, which were a first for ApeFest.
This incident isn’t the first time Hong Kong partygoers have raised concerns about medical issues stemming from exposure to unsafe UV lighting. Back in 2017, attendees of a Hypebeast party in Hong Kong on October 20 reported similar eye injuries.
Notably, it was later revealed that the lights used at that event emitted UVC radiation and were primarily intended for disinfection, not for entertainment purposes.
This post has been updated to include additional information.
