Massive crowd at Boardmasters festival leaves festival-goers injured

A crowd surge at a music festival left a small number of people injured, some requiring hospital treatment, police said.

The incident happened on Friday in Newquay during the Boardmasters music festival, which is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors over five days.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the incident was isolated and festivities were continuing, although organisers said a planned set by DJ and producer Sammy Virji had to be cancelled.

None of the injuries are considered serious, police added.

“The Sammy Virji concert has been cancelled tonight to allow our on-site teams to accommodate a larger crowd,” Boardmasters said in a statement on X.

“No serious injuries were reported and our medical and supply teams responded immediately to assist those involved.

“Safety is our number one priority and we thank Sammy and our audience for their understanding. All other stages have not been affected and performances are continuing as planned.”

DJ Sammy Virji said he was “devastated” by the cancellation of his gig, but added that “safety should always come first”.

“I am incredibly disappointed by the cancellation of the stage for Boardmasters, while I am absolutely humbled by the number of people who showed up, crowd surges can be very serious and safety must always come first,” he said in an Instagram post.

“The shutdown was completely beyond my control and I hope you all understand that the festival had to prioritize the well-being of everyone. I hope to see you all again soon for another concert.”

A A record number of 58,000 participants are expected at the festival This year’s headline acts are Chase & Status, Sam Fender and Stormzy.