A 41-year-old man was killed and at least six others injured after a large sign collapsed onto people at the Big Church Festival near Steyning, West Sussex, on Friday afternoon.
Emergency services were called to Wiston Park at around 3.38pm following reports that several people had been struck by the falling structure.
Sussex Police said the victim, who was from Eastbourne, died at the scene. His family has been informed and is receiving support from specialist officers.
Eyewitnesses reportedly saw a large wooden sign collapse near the entrance to a tented area. Festivalgoer Theo Saville told the BBC that the structure fell in the direction of the wind.
The incident occurred as windy conditions were forecast across parts of the UK during the Bank Holiday weekend. The Met Office had warned festivalgoers to prepare for strong winds, with wind speeds reaching up to 27mph recorded in nearby Shoreham, West Sussex, on Friday afternoon.
Detective Chief Superintendent Richard McDonagh described the incident as tragic and said at least six other people were taken to hospital for treatment.
“We know there were thousands of people at the festival and we’re urging anyone with any information, or any relevant video footage, to please come forward,” he said.
Festival organisers said they were devastated by the incident and confirmed that the remainder of the 2026 event had been cancelled.
“Following today’s incident, we have made the decision to bring Big Church Festival 2026 to a close,” the organisers said.
Ticketholders were also instructed to return immediately to their accommodation following the incident, while parts of the festival site were reportedly placed under lockdown as emergency crews responded.
The Big Church Festival is an annual Christian music and worship event that has been running since 2009. This year’s festival was scheduled to take place from Aug 28 to Aug 30, with around 40,000 people expected to attend.
South East Coast Ambulance Service said ambulance crews, critical care paramedics and specialist response teams were sent to Wiston Park shortly after 3.30pm, where six patients were initially confirmed.
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse and have appealed for witnesses and anyone with relevant footage to contact them, quoting Operation Igloo.
