Several festival-goers at the five-day Boardmasters music festival in Newquay have been injured following a crowd surge, with some requiring hospital treatment. Hosted by the iconic festival venue Watergate Bay, the festival is expected to bring in thousands of visitors over its duration. Devon and Cornwall Police said that the incident was an isolated one and that the festival would continue. However, Sammy Virji’s set had to be cancelled due to the events that took place earlier. Fortunately, none of the injuries that were sustained are considered serious.
In a statement issued by Boardmasters, they said that the last-minute cancellation of Sammy Virji’s show this evening would allow emergency teams to assist those affected by the crowd surge. The statement further read that the safety of festival-goers is their top priority, and the pit and medical teams quickly responded to the emergency situation. The statement concludes that all the other stages of the festival will continue as scheduled, even though Sammy Virji’s set was cancelled.
Sammy Virji took to Instagram to express his disappointment in having his set cancelled but stated that safety is always a priority. He added that the cancellation was not in his control and hoped that his fans would understand. In his statement, he also said that crowd surges could be hazardous and that putting the well-being of the audience first was necessary.
Despite the incident, a record-breaking number of festival-goers, approximately 58,000, are anticipated to attend the Boardmasters music festival this year. It boasts several headline performances by top artists, including Sam Fender, Stormzy, and Chase & Status
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