Three Hospitalised After Fire and Crowd Crush at London Festival in Barnet

Three people were taken to hospital and 23 received medical assistance after a fire and subsequent crowd crush at a popular London festival on Saturday evening. The incident occurred at Ghana Party in the Park, also known as Shattafest UK, at Copthall Playing Fields in Barnet, north London.

According to the Metropolitan Police, a small fire broke out near the festival entrance gates at around 18:00 BST, forcing organisers to temporarily close the gates while firefighters responded. As the gates remained shut, a large crowd built up outside. When gates were reopened, the crowd surged forward, causing multiple injuries.

Police responded rapidly, forming a barrier between the surging crowd and people on the ground. Officers also administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to at least one person at the scene. Firefighters, ambulance crews and an air ambulance all attended.

Of the 23 people who received assistance, nine were assessed by the London Ambulance Service. Three were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening conditions. Organisers called Saturday one of the most difficult days in the event's history and said what happened was deeply upsetting. They confirmed the decision to end the festival early was taken on health and safety grounds.

Organisers explicitly denied reports circulating on social media: there were no stabbings and no deaths. The crowd dispersed without further incident following the early closure. The Metropolitan Police confirmed it is investigating the circumstances of the incident.