ShattaFest Cancelled in UK After Police Shut Down Event Over Stampede, Overcrowding
ShattaFest, a music event held in the United Kingdom featuring Ghanaian dancehall star Shatta Wale, has been cancelled after police shut down the festival over serious safety concerns linked to overcrowding.
According to UK authorities, the venue exceeded its approved capacity, prompting emergency intervention after a stampede reportedly left several people injured.
The organisers, Ghana Party in the Park, confirmed the cancellation in a statement, urging attendees to stay away from the venue while emergency services responded to the incident.
“Due to a major incident at the festival site, the event has been temporarily paused. Please do not travel to or come to the festival site until further notice,” the statement read.
The organisers said emergency personnel and relevant authorities were managing the situation and appealed to the public to avoid the area to allow rescue operations to continue safely.
“We will provide further updates as soon as more information becomes available. Thank you for your patience, understanding and cooperation,” they added.
They have yet to announce whether the festival will be rescheduled or if ticket holders will receive refunds.
A UK police officer, seen in a video explaining the decision, said the event had to be called off after a stampede resulted in multiple injuries.
“There’s been a massive accident, a stampede which led to quite a lot of people getting hurt, and for that reason and for public safety it has to be shut down,” the officer said.
ShattaFest was expected to draw thousands of fans from across the UK and beyond, with Shatta Wale billed as one of the headline performers. Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact number of injuries or whether any arrests were made in connection with the incident.
