15+ Sober Pool Party In Singapore Cancelled After Widespread Online Backlash Over Safety Concerns For Youths

An event that welcomes party-goers from age 15 and above has drawn widespread attention online, but not for the right reasons, and has since been rebranded into a trivia night event. 

Organised by Party With Mythic, the event “Flow State” was meant to be a 15+ sober pool party featuring a DJ set, and was set to take place on April 18 from 2pm till late at the rooftop pool of El Chido, a Mexican cocktail bar located at Pullman Singapore Hill Street hotel.

However, both online users and influencers have voiced strong opinions on the pool party, sharing reasons as to why they think the event should be avoided at all costs. 

Among the top concerns: Putting minors below 18 years old in a setting where, even without alcohol, there’s still a risk of older individuals, including those with bad intentions, mingling with people who are below the legal age in a party setting. 

One TikToker who shared his thoughts on the event is Sheldon (@ruggerbud47), who said he was speaking to his audience in the role of a “big brother”.

“If you’re somebody who’s thinking about attending the party, please don’t go. You’re going to an event with no guarantees of your safety, and the organisers themselves have nothing on their minds other than profit. Any adult that you meet there that is 18+ is not a good person, it is not normal for someone that’s an adult to want to be mingling with people who are underage,” he said.

He also called on his adult followers to discourage anyone they know who is underage from attending the party.

Adding that the event creates a situation where impressionable teens could end up meeting adults in a legally permitted setting, he said that events like these are still allowed as long as alcohol isn’t sold.

He continued: “There’s nothing stopping people from pre-drinking before the event, or bringing water bottles with alcohol in them. And it’s not just the alcohol, it’s the fact that we have a lot of sexual assault cases between minors and adults in Singapore.”

He also added that the concern isn’t just about alcohol, pointing out cases of sexual assault involving minors and adults in Singapore. He believes that hosting events like these could make it easier for “child predators” to meet “children” in a club-like setting.

While party organisers have stated that there will be no alcohol served, netizens are still concerned that they have not put in place enough measures to ensure the safety of minors who may attend. 

“What are the safety measures that will be taken to ensure that everyone is truly sober? Will there be breathalyser tests at the door? Will you be patting everyone down to make sure nobody's smuggling alcohol in? What are the safety measures put into place to protect your attendees?” asked TikToker Krysta Joy. 

“Just because you do not sell the alcohol or the vapes as the organisers or the event venue, does not make it a sober party.”

“These vices are a large part of clubbing and nightlife culture, and it is naive to think otherwise,” she added, while also raising concerns about the pool party setting, which could mean minors being in swimwear, or “minimal coverage”.

Similarly, local musician Masha Nyanna, who has been involved in youth-centred events, took to her Instagram to speak out against the party. While she supports the importance of building communities for youths and creating spaces for teenagers to make new friends, she says she does not stand by the event for similar reasons brought up by others.

“Youth workers out there put in [effort] day and night to make sure they can create similar experiences to make teenagers not feel left out, and yet, still be able to keep it safe,” she said.

She criticised what she observed as the organisers’ behaviour, saying that they were “blocking people asking questions, deleting comments and continuing to push a narrative that [the party] is ‘just vibes only’.”

She urged teenagers looking to find a sense of community to explore other events, such as those organised by the Singapore Children’s Society, which allow youths to mingle and take part in activities outside a clubbing environment, as well as other programmes with proper safety measures in place, including volunteers to help ensure that young attendees are protected.

Netizens were in agreement with the concerns raised, with many describing the party as “weird” and “shady”.

Some also commended the influencers for highlighting potential risks.

“15+ parties are just a hub for predators… and there’s almost always alcohol involved, even if they claim not to have it (allegedly),” wrote one netizen.

Another commented: “None of the sober/underage parties that I went to in my teens were any of us anywhere close to sober hahaha so you’re absolutely right.”

A mother also shared her concerns, writing: “I’m a mum of 2 and I cannot imagine if my teenagers decide to attend this. Please tell me the police are aware and will cancel this.”

Following the backlash, Party With Mythic appears to have deleted their accounts and posts, and rebranded their event as “Trivia Nights With Us”. The organisers said they had taken note of the concerns online and decided to change their concept.

“Now we will be doing trivia nights,” they wrote in an Instagram story. In another, they added: “You heard it right, no more events, no more dancefloor, no more dancing. Just straight up pure ball knowledge.”

“You can still check out either 15+ parties, but we ain’t going to continue,” they penned. 

The account currently has no posts, but its bio simply reads: “Stay tuned.”