World News

Six people injured after sign falls at Big Church Festival in West Sussex

Organizers canceled Friday's events at the Christian festival following the incident.

Updated Aug 28, 2026 · 17:25 UTC1 reports

The short version

Six people were injured when a sign fell on Friday afternoon at the Big Church Festival near Steyning, West Sussex.
Emergency responders, including critical care paramedics and specialist response teams, were deployed to Wiston Park following the incident.
Organizers canceled Friday's show, telling day visitors to leave the site and instructing campers to await updates or depart.

Emergency services were called to the Big Church Festival shortly after 15:30 BST on Friday following reports that multiple people needed medical attention due to a falling sign.[BBC News]
Six people were injured in the incident at the festival site, which is located off Washington Road near Steyning.[BBC News]
South East Coast Ambulance Service sent ambulance crews, critical care paramedics, and specialist response teams to the scene.[BBC News]
Sussex Police arrived at the site around 15:40 and warned that traffic disruption was expected in the area.[BBC News]
Festival organizers canceled Friday's programming and instructed day visitors to leave, while campers were told to return to their campsites and await updates.[BBC News]

The severity of the injuries sustained by the six individuals has not yet been detailed.[BBC News]
It is not yet clear whether the festival will resume programming on Saturday or Sunday.[BBC News]