At least six people have been hurt after a large metal support beam collapsed onto a crowd at the Big Church Festival on the Wiston Estate in West Sussex this afternoon.
The incident occurred at approximately 3.30pm, prompting emergency services to rush to the scene.
Ambulance crews and police are currently attending to the injured at the annual Christian music and worship event, which is being held at Wilton Park near Steyning from August 28 to August 30.
The festival, a non-profit gathering that has run since 2009 and drawn up to 40,000 attendees at its peak, has been placed on full lockdown, with all performances halted as paramedics and specialist response teams work to treat those affected.
Witnesses at the scene described a chaotic aftermath, with one festival-goer reporting “lots of ambulances and police” and a helicopter touching down close to the worship tent.
“From what I’ve gathered the worship tent sign has blown over and landed on a few people,” he told The Sun.
The festival-goer added that he had been inside the worship tent shortly before the incident and had stepped out to head towards the main stage.
Alarm spread further when the festival’s live stream on GOD TV was abruptly cut.
One social media user wrote: “A large metal support beam fell on a crowd of people leaving multiple people critically injured.
“Medical staff are trying to evacuate patients via airlift. Unclear if there are any fatalities.”
The full extent of injuries remains uncertain.
Organisers moved swiftly to shut down all activity across the site.
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A message displayed on a large screen at the main stage read: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, the show has been stopped.
“Any campers please head back to the campsite immediately. Any non-campers please remain in the main arena.”
Festival-goers also received an email instructing them to return to their tents and stay away from the stage areas owing to safety concerns.
James Lewis of Premier, who was present at the event, said: “We’ve been told that the site is on lockdown, with people not allowed to get in or out.”
Nobody is currently permitted to enter or leave the grounds as emergency crews continue their work.
South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed it had been alerted to the situation shortly after 3.30pm.
A spokesman said: “We were called to reports of multiple people in need of medical attention at Wiston Park, Steyning shortly after 3.30pm today (August 28, 2026).
“Ambulance crews, critical care paramedics and specialist response teams are currently on scene with six patients confirmed so far.
“We have no further information to share at this time but will provide updates as soon as possible.”
The volume of emergency vehicles heading to the site has caused significant traffic congestion in the surrounding area.
The situation remains fluid, with the number of casualties and the severity of their injuries yet to be fully established.