Boardmasters attendees hospitalised following “distressing” crowd crush
Sammy Virji’s DJ set was cut short when an incident was reported in the crowd
Several festivalgoers were hospitalised over the weekend following a “distressing” crowd crush at Cornwall’s Boardmasters Festival.
The incident took place on Friday, August 9, during a performance from garage DJ Sammy Virji, which was cut short following reports of a crowd surge. A headline performance from Sam Fender was also subsequently paused.
Devon and Cornwall Police were notified of a “crowd crush” which had left some attendees with injuries. No one was seriously hurt, and no deaths were reported.
Seven people with “minor injuries” were taken to hospital for “precautionary examination”, the police reported, and have all since been discharged.
"Contrary to speculation, we can confirm that there have been no deaths as a result of this incident,” the police said in a statement. "This is an isolated incident," they added, saying the festival continued to go ahead after the incident.
According to the Sky News, the capacity of Boardmasters was upped to a record high of 58,000 people this year, 5,000 more attendees than there were at last year’s event.
A 16-year-old festivalgoer told Sky News that he had made it near the front for Sammy Virji’s set when the crowd surge took place. "When loads of people came in, I was pushed and fell on my back, with my leg twisted,” he said, saying that it was “hyperextended”.
He explained: "It was incredibly painful, and I couldn't get up. There were people on top of me, and I was on top of other people."
23-year-old Jade Brooks, who was in the crowd for Sammy Virji’s set, told the BBC that she suffered a knee fracture after “around 10 people” fell on her during a crowd surge.
“We were getting pushed into by people trying to get to the front, which caused us to be packed in like sardines,” she said. “I was screaming: ‘My legs', when I heard the crunch as someone landed on it.”
One witness told the BBC that attendees were “visibly distressed”, with some people suffering "what seemed like broken legs". Another told Sky News that it was “carnage”, and that there were “kids crying", "holding their legs”, and “being carried.”
In a statement on his Instagram story, Sammy Virji said that crowd crushes can be “very serious”, and that safety should “always come first”.
“The stoppage was completely out of my hands and hope you all understand the festival needed to prioritise everyone's wellbeing,” he said. “Hopefully catch you all soon at another set.”
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter