Festival-goers ‘stretchered away’ after fire sparks ‘crowd crush’ at London concert

At least 23 people were injured in a ‘stampede’ at a music festival in north London yesterday evening.

Ghana Party in the Park, a festival celebrating Ghanaian culture as part of ShattaFest UK, was ‘abruptly’ cancelled after the crowd crush at around 6pm.

A small fire broke out by the entrance of the event at Copthall Playing Fields in Barnet, causing a build-up of excited festival-goers.

When the gates reopened, dozens of people crammed into the park just after security.

Some festival-goers tripped over, trapping them under the surge of the crowd as guards tried to pull them free, footage from plus1tv showed.

Revellers continued to push through even as police officers and organizers used megaphones to tell them to stop.

Footage shared by the Ghanaian Dadzie TV showed injured festival-goers being taken out on stretchers by police officers and paramedics.

Kieran Turnbull, 18, told The Sun he saw three people stretchered from the live music concert.

‘It became very, very chaotic,’ Turnbull added, describing the event as ‘very poorly organized.’

An officer was filmed telling people waiting to go inside: ‘There are too many people here. Too many people; the event’s been cancelled.’

‘Please, go home, go home,’ he added in footage shared by the TikTok account Momo blogs.

organizers ‘abruptly’ cancelled the event following the ‘unfortunate incident’, they said on Instagram yesterday evening.

‘The decision to close the festival was made solely on the grounds of health and safety,’ organizers added.

‘Officers from the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade responded to a major incident on the site.’

organizers stressed that despite online speculation, no stabbing or deaths were reported in the crush.

They added: ‘We wish all those who sustained injuries a speedy recovery and a safe journey back home to everyone.’

‘A night of celebration became a moment of pain’

Ghana Party in the Park (GPITP) was also known as Shattafest, as Ghanaian Reggae-Dancehall artist Shatta Wale was set to headline.

Wale, known off-stage as Charles Mensah Jr, said on X that the event ending was ‘not the outcome anyone wished for’.

‘Shatta Wale has always stood for the people,’ the statement said. ‘Every performance is built on bringing joy, hope and unforgettable memories to the fans who have supported him throughout the years.

‘To know that what was meant to be a night of celebration has become a moment of pain is truly devastating.’

The police told Metro that officers responded to the ‘crushing’ at about 6pm.

‘A small fire on the site, near to the entrance, had required the gates to be closed temporarily. A crowd built up and surged when the gates were reopened,’ the force said.

‘Officers responded quickly and working alongside event organizers, they formed a barrier between the surging crowds and people on the floor. Officers gave initial medical care, including CPR, to those who had sustained injuries.’

The ambulance service told Metro that paramedics ‘treated multiple patients at the scene before conveying three patients to hospital’.

GPITP is an annual outdoor festival which has been running since 2005.

It’s one of the largest Ghanaian events outside Ghana, attracting 10,000 people every year.

‘More than just a festival, GPITP is a vibrant cultural experience, bringing together people from all walks of life, across generations and backgrounds, to celebrate the richness and diversity of Ghanaian heritage,’ the festival’s website adds.

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