The sold-out show on Thursday night in The Anthem venue in the capital saw multiple revelers take to social media to plead with the crowd behind them to stop surging.
A video from the concert shows the “Two of Us” hitmaker urging the crowd to “back it up a bit.”
The clip was first shared by CBS 6 Richmond News reporter Scott Wise.
“Everyone c’mon it’s a team effort, it’s a team effort,” Tomlinson is heard saying from the stage during the pause. “Don’t let me look at you and see you’re not moving back.”
He then told the over 2,000-strong crowd that water was available to keep them hydrated.
Shortly after this pause, security at the event distributed water, with Tomlinson explaining: “We will stop the show for five minutes. Everyone who needs water, drink it, stay hydrated. I’ll be back in five or 10 minutes, as long as it takes for everyone to be okay and we can continue with the show.”
A spokesperson from The Anthem told The Sun that the audience was “well-behaved and happy.”
“It’s actually been calm,” the spokesperson said. “Two people were given water. There are no injuries or anything else to report. It’s a happy sold-out crowd.”
One fan who says they were present at the concert tweeted: “hey guys im close to barricade and we’re begging you to not squeeze together and push closer we have people passing out left and right #LTWTDC.”
While another wrote: “4 PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO GET DRAGGED OUT AND WEVE BEEN IN HERE FOR 30 MINUTES. EVERYONE NEEDS TO BACK TF UP.”
A tweet from another concertgoer reads: “We were SCREAMING at people, begging them to move back and they just stared blankly at us. Like no reaction at all. One person went and confronted ppl who didn’t hear or wouldn’t move multiple times.”
Another said: “Someone threw up, there is a circle of staffers in the pit, people are being dragged out. WHAT DO YALL NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT NOT PUSHING #LTWTDC.”
Newsweek has contacted Tomlinson’s representatives for comment.
Reports of crushing at the pop star’s concert come just months after the Astroworld tragedy that saw 10 people die and hundreds injured after being caught up in a deadly crush at the Houston festival.