Unusually high tides forced the cancellation of last night's Night Air Hits on the Beach concert, just minutes before the Kaiser Chiefs were due to go on stage.
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As it happened: read our live blog from last night
UPDATE: Sunset on the Beach cancelled
Waves were already lapping the feet of concert-goers before organisers took to the stage, next to Boscombe Pier, at 9.48pm to say they were being forced to cancel for safety reasons.
Picture by Paul Ream
Fences had already been put up to protect spectators from spray from high waves caused by strengthening wind and the incoming spring tide.
A spring tide is a high tide that coinicides with a full moon, causing higher-than-normal water levels.
There was a flood warning in force for last night's high tide at Christchurch and Poole harbour, with a second one in place for an hour either side of this morning's high tide at 11.45am.
In a statement, Bournemouth Air Festival said: "Unfortunately a combination of exceptional wind and sea conditions, that could not be fully anticipated, have resulted in the cancellation of tonight's final part of the show.
"This was caused by direct southerly/south westerly winds and short period strong waves which added to the forecast high spring tide.
"This created high levels of water on the beach that had been unprecedented in all the years of staging the event.
"This decision was taken in the interest of public safety and the organisers are grateful for the corporation and understanding of everyone involved."
Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson tweeted: "In the 40 years I've been in the Kaiser Chiefs I've never had a show stopped while waiting side of stage before. Sorry Bournemouth :(."
Hayley Jones said: "We were in the VIP section of the concert as we had won tickets through Wave 105.
"Sadly we missed most of Travis as the waves lapped over our make shift sand wall I built in the VIP area & we had to abort & go behind the stage, therefore missing Travis.
She added: "Much to our amusement, a digger was instructed to try to build a sand defence so we could return to our viewing area but it was a losing battle right from the start with the digger as by this point, it was clear nothing was gong to hold the sea back.
"Extremely reluctantly we decided to leave the event as we couldn't see any of the concert backstage and now soaking wet & cold, we decided it was time to go.
"Feel sad for everyone involved."
Lynsey Green, who visited from Norfolk to see the concert with family, left the concert around 9pm due to the high tide coming in.
She said: “My husband is disabled so we were sat on chairs near the back. We could see the tide coming in closer and closer - there were so many people in there and as people moved away from the tide they started packing together like sardines.
“We thought it was looking pretty dangerous and the tide was only going to go one way so we left before it got even crazier.
“It takes 30 seconds on the internet to check if it’s a high tide so I think this concert could have been better planned.”
Richard Tinsley, from Christchurch, was watching the concert with his wife.
He condemned the “poor planning” of the event.
“I’ve always wanted to see Kaiser Chiefs and thought this would be a nice, affordable way to see them so I’m upset about what’s happened.
“They were making announcements during the concert about the high tide and said people might get splashed.
“They knew it was going to be a high tide so they could have moved the concert to an earlier time or moved it to a different location.”
He added he felt “ripped off” and would try to get a refund.
A man is said to be "very, very lucky" to be alive after he was rescued from the sea next to Boscombe Pier.
At around 10pm on Friday, while the concert was being evacuated, Coastguard were called to reports of a person in the water.
A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said the sea state was "horrendous" at the time of the rescue.
"It had been deteriorating and getting really rough out there.
"How the man managed to get into the water, we don't know, he may have been taking a shortcut but ended up in the water.
"He was 25m out from the shore, and Southbourne and Poole coastguard rescue teams conducted a tethered swim where one of the team waded out with rope to rescue the man.
"After recovering him, he was checked over by paramedics.
"He was cold and wet but very, very lucky. The sea state was horrendous, and if no-one had seen him, it's guaranteed he'd be dead."
Organisers said the rescue took place after the concert was evacuated and the man did not have a wristband for the event.
Coastguard have confirmed there was no question of the man wading into the sea after the event.
A Met Office warning for strong winds and high waves along the coast remains in force for today, although it is yet to be seen how that will affect flying. We'll have all the details in our live blog later.
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