‘Small number’ hurt and receiving care, say police, as English music festival confirms Sammy Virji’s set cancelled
Concertgoers were injured in a crowd surge at Boardmasters music festival in Newquay, police said, with one woman describing the experience as “terrifying”.
People have described being “crushed” and reported claims of people, including children, left with broken bones.
The festival is scheduled to run throughout the weekend. Stormzy, Sam Fender and Katy B are among the acts yet to play.
Devon and Cornwall police said there were no serious injuries and confirmed the festival would continue. In a statement, they said: “We have been notified following a crowd surge at Boardmasters music festival in Newquay on Friday 9 August which left a small number of attendees injured.
“The injured parties are currently being treated on-site by medical staff or have been taken to hospital to be checked over. None of the injuries are considered serious. This is an isolated incident and the festival continues.”
One woman, who attended the main stage to watch Tom Odell’s set at the festival with her husband and two daughters, told PA Media: “It was terrifying..”
“My husband stayed outside the barriers with our youngest but my older daughter wanted to [go] inside. When we went in, it wasn’t too bad but it started getting very, very crowded so we tried to move out. We couldn’t get out as there were still so many people streaming in.
“We managed to push to the outer edge near the barriers and I called to a security person to ask why we couldn’t get out. She said there were too many people pushing in so we were stuck.”
She said a “massive crowd surge” then took place. “My daughter and I got crushed against the barriers so I heaved her up and over a barrier and then pulled myself out.”
On social media, concertgoers have reported claims of broken ankles and broken legs. One social media user said they had to carry a child with a broken leg for two hours before reaching their car. “We were there. Lots of snapped legs and ankles,” they said.
A video on TikTok appeared to show concertgoers climbing out of packed crowds and on to a platform.
Boardmasters said: “We can confirm that Sammy Virji’s set was cancelled and that the Point stage was closed to allow on-site teams to respond to an incident in the audience.
“No serious injuries have been reported and the pit and medical teams immediately assisted those involved. Safety is our number one priority and we thank Sammy and our audience for their understanding. All other stages have been unaffected and performances continue as planned.”
The DJ Sammy Virji said he was “gutted” about his set being cancelled but “safety should always come first”.
In a post on his Instagram, he said: “I’m incredibly gutted about the stage cancellation for Boardmasters, whilst I’m absolutely honoured at the amount of people who turned up, crowd surges can be very serious and 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. Hopefully catch you all soon at another set.”
