Crowds barge through barriers at Wireless Festival

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

The video, taken just before 8pm on Sunday, shows a man getting his leg stuck as the crowd surges forward and overwhelms staff. The scenes were filmed by a woman from Great Barr, Birmingham, who said that US rapper J Cole was about to take to the main stage when the stampede occurred.

Wireless Festival 2022 was held at the NEC between July 8 and July 10 and the line-up included Dave, Cardi B, J. Cole, Little Simz, Burna Boy and Central Cee.

The witness told Birmingham Live: “It was rowdy during the day when D-Block Europe was on. There was a moshpit in the crowd where people make a circle and jump into it. My left leg got hurt after a few people stamped on it.”

The woman was sitting on a patch of ground when the revellers surged forward.

“Then the crowd that was being held back by the barrier just surged through,” she continued. “They pushed the barriers right down. There were too many people there, it was manic. Security just gave up.”

After everyone got through, the barriers were put back up again. However, this wasn’t the only incident to occur at the festival, with fans calling out organisers after several videos emerged online of apparent overcrowding in the audiences.

The caption “Don’t die for Wireless” was trending on TikTok, with festival attendees sharing footage from the event.

Festival-goers also claim that crowds were “forced to climb over fences to avoid being trampled” after being funnelled through a narrow Finsbury Park entrance by police. As one visitor, Elia Morrow, tweeted: ‘On the last day of a major festival, surely the Met Police should have been more prepared for crowds. 

“Having only the smallest opening at the singular entrance to Finsbury Park, with no regulated flow of pedestrian traffic. People being trampled and forced to climb tall gates.”

Another person, Paula Tucker, went viral after criticising the event organisation on Twitter.

“Finsbury Park utterly unsuitable for Wireless Festival — park gates shut, tube station closed, helicopter overhead for an hour,” she wrote. “Haringey Council must not ignore the needs of residents and let this event ever happen again here.”

Wireless has been contacted for comment.

West Midlands Police were not alerted to the incident where the barriers were knocked down by crowds surging. 

Source: Read Full Article