A crowd surge at the Boardmasters music festival in Newquay has left a “small number” of people injured, with some requiring hospital treatment, according to police. The incident occurred on Friday at the popular festival, which is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors over five days.
Devon and Cornwall Police stated that the incident was isolated and that festivities were continuing, although a planned set by DJ and producer Sammy Virji had to be cancelled. Fortunately, none of the injuries were considered serious.
One woman described the incident as “terrifying,” recounting how she and her daughter were crushed against the barriers during the surge. “So, I heaved her up and over a barrier and then pulled myself out,” she told the PA news agency. The family eventually decided to leave the festival altogether due to the frightening experience.
Festival organisers announced the cancellation of Sammy Virji’s set on social media, citing the need for on-site teams to respond to the crowd surge. DJ Sammy Virji expressed disappointment over the cancellation but emphasized that safety should always come first.
The festival, which features lead artists Chase & Status, Sam Fender, and Stormzy, is expected to host a record number of 58,000 attendees this year. Despite the incident, all other stages at Boardmasters remain unaffected, and performances are continuing as planned.
