23 people were injured, three of them hospitalised, in a crowd crush at Ghana Party in the Park, also known as ShattaFest, at Copthall Playing Fields in Barnet, north London, Mixmag reported, citing the Met Police. The festival typically draws around 8,000 people a year and is billed as the largest Ghanaian event outside Ghana itself.
Police said a small fire near the entrance around 6pm on Saturday, August 1, caused the gates to close temporarily, and the crowd surged when they reopened. "Officers responded quickly and working alongside event organisers, they formed a barrier between the surging crowds and people on the floor," the Met Police said in a statement.
Police, paramedics, firefighters and air ambulances all responded; several people received CPR and nine were assessed by London Ambulance Service on site. A witness told The Sun they saw several people carried out of the festival on stretchers.
Organisers said the following day that they closed the festival "solely on the grounds of health and safety" and pushed back on speculation about stabbings or deaths, saying there were none.
They thanked attendees for their "cooperation and understanding" during what they called a difficult situation.
The facts
- 23 injured, three hospitalised in the crush
- Incident occurred around 6pm on Saturday, August 1, 2026
- Festival typically draws around 8,000 people annually
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