A weekend meant to bring thousands of Christians together in celebration has instead ended in shock and grief after a large sign fell at a festival in West Sussex, killing a 41-year-old man and injuring six others. Organisers have cancelled the rest of the event as authorities investigate what happened.
The Big Church Festival at Wiston Park, near Steyning, was supposed to run through Sunday.
Organizers of the Big Church Festival have cancelled the remainder of their event after a large wooden sign collapsed near the entrance of a tented area, killing one man and injuring several others.
The 41-year-old man from Eastbourne died at the scene on Friday afternoon. Six other people were injured, with two sustaining serious injuries that required hospital treatment.
The festival, which bills itself as the UK’s largest Christian gathering, has been running since 2009. For many attendees, it is an annual tradition of warmth and connection.
That tradition was abruptly severed.
“We are all experiencing emotional whiplash,” the Reverend James Di Castiglione, a local parish rector, told reporters. He described the scene as a place of confusion and shock, calling the event “the worst lightning bolt of tragic news striking everybody’s hearts.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, also weighed in, expressing that she was “sad and shocked” by the fatal incident. She offered prayers for the grieving family, the healthcare workers, and the event organizers trying to process the sudden turn of events.
In the immediate aftermath, the logistical reality set in. With the festival abruptly shut down, many attendees were left stranded. The local Salvation Army in Hove quickly opened its halls, taking in around 20 people who had traveled from as far as Bristol and the north-west of England.
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Meanwhile, Sussex Police and the Health and Safety Executive have launched an investigation into how the structure failed. Organizers stated they are working closely with authorities to establish the exact circumstances.
For now, the music has stopped.
Volunteers are still gathering in tents, sharing tea and quiet conversation, trying to support one another through the shock. It was, as one charity worker noted, a “freak accident.” But for the family of the man who did not make it home, and the community left reeling, the weekend will forever be marked by a profound and sudden loss.
Promise Idoko is Junior Reporter working with moderncrux He covers global politics and international affairs. Based in Nigeria,
