Multiple people have been injured following a “stampede” that broke out at a live music event in London.
The event in question was the Ghana Party In The Park at Copthall Playing Fields in Barnet, which was held this Saturday (August 1). It was brought to an end early when an “overcrowding issue” forced organisers and local police to intervene.
According to various reports, a “crush” broke out on site, sparked by a small fire which led to the gates being closed temporarily. From there, police said a crowd started to build up “and surged when the gates were reopened”.
There were 23 people who reportedly needed medical assistance, and nine people assessed by the London Ambulance Service. Footage shows emergency vehicles, including air ambulances, on site, and three people were taken to hospital, although none of the cases were considered life-threatening.
Officers are at Copthall Playing Fields where Ghana Party in the Park has been cancelled after an overcrowding issue at the entrance saw several people sustain non-life threatening injuries.
Speculation about a stabbing is inaccurate. Please help us by avoiding the area.
— Barnet MPS | North West BCU (@MPSBarnet) August 1, 2026
“Officers responded quickly and working alongside event organisers, they formed a barrier between the surging crowds and people on the floor,” said a spokesperson for Met Police. “Officers gave initial medical care, including CPR, to those who had sustained injuries. They were joined by paramedics and firefighters as part of a coordinated multi-agency response.
“The event was ended early and crowds left without further incident.”
Organisers of the event shared (via The Standard): “The decision to close the festival was made solely on the grounds of health and safety. Officers from the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade responded to a major incident on site.”
“Following discussions with the emergency services and our health and safety team, it was agreed that closing the festival was the safest option in order to protect all attendees,” they continued. “We would like to clarify that there were no incidents of stabbing and deaths as being speculated. The safety and wellbeing of our attendees, staff, artists, contractors and partners remains our upmost priority.”
Speaking to The Sun, one attendee said that they saw “this stampede coming through the main entrance”, which later led to “people being carried out on stretchers” and the event becoming “very very chaotic”.
Another visitor told the Daily Mail that they saw that “two air ambulances [were] flown in to take some of the injured away”, and that when the gates were closed there was a crowd that built up of “probably 1,000 people”.
Around the time of the incident, a spokesman for Barnet Council clarified that while “several people” were injured, none were in a life-threatening condition. He also confirmed that “police and council officers are on site” and people should be “avoiding the area”.
Ghana Party In The Park has been running since 2005 in Barney, and is described as a “cultural festival celebrating the very best of Ghanaian music, culture, food, fashion and community” on the website. Each year it attracts roughly 8,000 people and this year it was headlined by Shatta Wale.
