Six Injured After Falling Sign Strikes Crowds at Big Church Festival

STEYNING, West Sussex — A major Christian music festival was brought to an abrupt halt on Friday afternoon after a falling sign left six people injured, prompting an emergency response and the immediate cancellation of the day’s proceedings.

Emergency services were alerted to the incident at the Big Church Festival, held near the town of Steyning, shortly after 3:30 p.m. BST.

The South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed that they deployed a significant number of resources to the site, including multiple ambulance crews, critical care paramedics, and specialist response teams, to provide urgent medical attention to the victims. While the specific nature of the injuries has not been disclosed, the arrival of high-level medical support teams underscores the gravity of the situation.

In the wake of the accident, festival organizers took swift action to manage the crowds and clear the site. A statement released via social media confirmed that the day’s scheduled entertainment had been cancelled following the “serious incident.”

“All day visitors must leave the site now,” the organizers instructed attendees in their urgent update. For those staying on the grounds, the message was clear: “If you are camping with us, please return to your campsite and await further updates.”

The Big Church Festival, which typically draws thousands of visitors for a weekend of worship and music, is now coordinating with local authorities to assess the site’s safety. Officials have yet to comment on whether the remainder of the weekend’s festival schedule will proceed as planned.