London's Originals Festival forced to end early due to crowd stampede

South London's Originals Festival was forced to end early over the weekend following a reported crowd stampede.

An off-shoot of Originals World - the party and record label founded by Kismet, Supa D and Feva in 2017 - Originals Festival was set to run from 2:PM until 10:PM on Sunday (August 17) at Crystal Palace Bowl, London. The line-up included performances from Originals' founders, alongside Beezo, Dezy B, Rippa, Wigman, Petchy, Lance Morgan, Jayda and more.

However, according to My London, attendees were asked to leave shortly after 7:PM, with an announcement explaining: "Due to circumstances beyond our control, it has become necessary to close the event early. Please return to your vehicles, or meeting points, and exit the site immediately." 

According to My London, security teams had told exiting crowds that "people breached the entrance" making the event "too dangerous", with videos emerging from festivalgoers claiming to have witnessed a stampede as people attempted to get into the venue, and confusion as the festival was "locked off".

Alongside reports of a crowd control incident, several allegations have been flooding social media around injuries and violence at the event - the Metropolitan Police has since clarified that no arrests were made at Originals Festival.

In a statement to the The Standard, the Met added that officers were ordered to put up cordons to ensure crowds could safely leave the event, while two people were treated for minor injuries in relation to the incident.

Originals World has not yet released a full statement in regards to the incident, though organisers provided an update via Instagram today (August 19), writing: "We don't want to be silent or seem insensitive in any way. When we're allowed to speak we absolutely will," adding that "right now it's a legal issue."

"As any true Original raver knows, we care more about you all than anything else. We do what we do for our culture and for our people to enjoy the music they love in spaces we're not represented in."

"Please bare with us if you can during this process," the update adds. "We will answer every email and DM as we always do as soon as we're allowed to".

This year's Originals Festival marked its third edition, with previous instalments in 2023 and 2024 also taking place at Crystal Palace Bowl. While operated under the Originals brand, the festival - which platforms genres of Black origin such as house and UK funky to UKG and Afrobeats - is operated by South Facing Festival alongside Skepta's Big Smoke festival, and Nile Rodgers & Chic's upcoming Love Motion.

Mixmag has contacted representatives of Originals Festival for comment