ShattaFest UK fire sparks crowd crush as 23 people are injured

A fire at ShattaFest UK caused a temporary closure of an entrance and triggered a crowd crush when the gates were reopened, leaving 23 people injured, police have said.

Three of those hurt were taken to hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Newly circulated video footage appears to show the moment flames and thick smoke rose from part of the festival grounds on Saturday, 1 August 2026. The incident prompted panic among concertgoers and forced organisers to abandon the remainder of the annual event.

The Metropolitan Police said the fire led officials to close temporary entrance gates. When access was later restored, sections of the crowd surged forwards, resulting in a crush.

The video, shared on social media, shows attendees watching the fire in alarm before people began moving rapidly away from the area. Some concertgoers ran towards exits, while others climbed over barriers as they tried to escape the unfolding situation.

The festival was eventually brought to an early end as emergency services responded to the blaze and the resulting crowd movement.

Shatta Wale’s management has expressed sadness over the incident and concern for those who were affected. It also called on members of the public and the media not to speculate or circulate unverified information while investigations are under way.

The management team said it was waiting for the findings of official investigations being conducted by authorities in the United Kingdom.

The circumstances surrounding the fire, the closure of the entrance and the subsequent crowd crush are continuing to be examined by UK officials. At the time of publication, authorities had not released their full findings.

The incident occurred after crowds gathered for the festival, which was cut short following the emergency. Footage from the scene shows the scale of the panic as attendees sought to leave parts of the venue after the fire broke out near one of its entrance areas.

Police have confirmed that 23 people required medical treatment. While three were transported to hospital, the injuries reported so far have not been described as life-threatening.

Shatta Wale’s management has urged the public to avoid drawing conclusions before the official inquiries are completed. No full account of the cause of the fire or the events leading to the crowd crush had been published by UK authorities at the time of reporting.

The newly surfaced video provides a clearer view of the emergency as it developed, but the official investigation will determine how the fire began and how the reopening of the entrance contributed to the surge in the crowd.