Big Church Festival locked down after metal beam falls on crowd, injuring six
A huge UK festival has reportedly been forced to lock down and stop shows after at least six people have been injured when a sign fell over.
Emergency services rushed to Big Church Festival in Wiston Estate, West Sussex at 3.30pm following a large metal support beam falling on a crowd, witnesses have said.
Ambulance and police crews have raced to the festival and are currently treating six patients due to the “serious incident”.
Concern grew when the festival’s live stream, called GOD TV, was cut, with one witness on social media saying: “A large metal support beam fell on a crowd of people leaving multiple people critically injured.
“Medical staff are trying to evacuate patients via airlift. Unclear if there are any fatalities.“
The annual non-profit Christian music and worship festival, which has been running since 2009, was being held at Wilton Park, Steyning.
The festival, which is due to run from August 28 to August 30, has cancelled the rest of the day’s events.
At its peak, Big Church festival has accommodated 40,000 attendees, but currently the main stage area is eerily empty, with scores of ambulances parked on the field.
One festival goer reported there were “lots of ambulances and police” at the scene.
He said: “We were in the worship tent and decided to leave to go to the main tent.
“When we left, there was a helicopter landing outside near the worship tent.
“From what I’ve gathered the worship tent sign has blown over and landed on a few people.”
A safety announcement shown on a big screen at the main stage read: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, the show has been stopped.
“Any campers please head back to the campsite immediately. Any non-campers please remain in the main arena.”
An email sent round to festival goers warned people to return to their tents and not attempt to access the stage areas following safety concerns.
Premier’s James Lewis, who attended the festival said: “We’ve been told that the site is on lockdown, with people not allowed to get in or out.”
A South East Coast Ambulance spokesperson said: “We were called to reports of multiple people in need of medical attention at Wiston Park, Steyning shortly after 3.30pm today (August 28, 2026).
“Ambulance crews, critical care paramedics and specialist response teams are currently on scene with six patients confirmed so far.
“We have no further information to share at this time but will provide updates as soon as possible.”
The emergency response has reportedly caused a build up of heavy traffic in the area.
Politics Editor
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
