- ApeFest 2023 was held in Hong Kong from November 3 to November 5.
- At least 15 allegations of impairment of vision have surfaced online.
The parent business of Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), Yuga Labs, hosted the much awaited return of its big in-person event, ApeFest 2023, which was held in Hong Kong from November 3 to November 5.
This year’s Hong Kong event did not focus on music in the same way that last year’s New York City events did during NFT.NYC. Instead, the festival was focused on a “new adventure” that encourages attendees to discover the city’s hidden gems and make the festival accessible to those who cannot physically attend.
Extreme Discomfort
However, burns, impaired eyesight, and “extreme pain” in the eyes were reported by several attendees of the Yuga Labs ApeFest in Hong Kong, who blamed the event’s lights. On November 5, one attendee named CryptoJune tweeted that he had to go to the hospital after waking up in the middle of the night post ApeFest with extreme eye discomfort.
A number of people with eye complaints were said to be “up close” to the lighting show on the main stage, according to one observer. Another ApeFest attendee, known only as Feld on Twitter, reported experiencing the same things.
At least 15 allegations of impairment of vision have surfaced online, however this may only apply to those among the hundreds of ApeFest participants who were sitting or standing very close to the stage. Event Goers in Hong Kong have had health problems in the past because of bad UV illumination.
The allegations of visual impairment in both instances tie up with a disorder called photokeratitis, popularly known as “Welder’s eye.”
