Multiple people were injured and carried away on stretchers after overcrowding caused a crush at Ghana Party in the Park, forcing organisers to shut down the annual north London festival early, while police moved quickly to dismiss circulating claims that anyone had been stabbed.
Ghana Party in the Park, an annual celebration of Ghanaian culture in north London, was brought to an abrupt halt on Saturday after overcrowding at the entrance caused a crush that left several attendees injured. The event, held at Copthall Playing Fields in Barnet and also known as ShattaFest UK, was closed on the advice of emergency services after dozens of ambulances, fire engines and air ambulances were sent to the scene. Organisers, the Metropolitan Police and Barnet Council all confirmed that a number of festivalgoers suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while officials moved to reject unfounded claims of stabbings that had begun circulating online.
Chaos at the entrance
Footage from the scene showed injured festivalgoers being carried away on stretchers as medics worked to treat the injured, with reports suggesting several attendees had also fainted amid the overcrowding. Photographs taken outside Copthall Playing Fields on Saturday afternoon showed rows of ambulances and fire engines lined up near the venue, while separate footage from elsewhere at the festival showed police officers attempting to reassure large crowds gathered beside a barrier believed to mark the event’s entrance.
Witnesses said the crush built up gradually as large numbers of people queued outside the entrance, with many reporting they had already been waiting for hours to get in. Several attendees described scenes of people falling to the ground and being unable to move as pressure built within the crowd near the entrance gates. One person posting online said festivalgoers had been unable to get into the event since 2pm, estimating that around 1,000 people remained outside at the time, and added that “two air ambulances have flown in to take some of the injured away.” A separate attendee, aged 18, described the scenes as “very chaotic” and said the event had been “very poorly organised.”
Emergency services respond
The Metropolitan Police treated the incident as a major public safety response, with officers working alongside the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade to bring the large crowds under control. Emergency crews set up a casualty clearing area close to the entrance, where injured festivalgoers were assessed before some were taken to hospital. The London Ambulance Service dispatched multiple ambulance crews, paramedics, incident response officers and air ambulances to the site, reflecting the number of casualties reported at the scene.
Organisers confirm early closure
In a statement issued on Saturday night, organisers said the decision to close the festival “was made solely on the grounds of health and safety.” They explained that officers from the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade had responded to a major incident on site, and that, following discussions with emergency services and their own health and safety team, closing the event early was judged the safest option to protect everyone in attendance. Earlier in the day, organisers had described the event as “temporarily paused” due to a “major incident” and had urged festivalgoers to stay away from the area while the situation was brought under control.
Barnet Council also confirmed that the event had ended early on Saturday evening following the overcrowding at the entrance, with police and council officers on site and members of the public asked to avoid the area.
Rumours of stabbings dismissed
As the situation unfolded, unfounded claims began circulating that people had been stabbed at the festival. Both the organisers and the Metropolitan Police were quick to reject these claims. A Met Police spokesperson confirmed that officers were at Copthall Playing Fields after the event was cancelled due to overcrowding at the entrance, adding, “speculation about a stabbing is inaccurate.” Organisers echoed this, stating clearly that there had been no incidents of stabbing or deaths, despite what was being speculated online. Reiterating their position afterwards, organisers said the closure had followed advice from emergency services on safety grounds, and stressed that reports of fatalities or stabbings circulating online were false.
What happens next
Organisers said they were cooperating fully with emergency services and would review the circumstances that led to the overcrowding. Authorities are expected to examine whether crowd management measures, security arrangements and the venue’s capacity planning were adequate for the numbers who attended. Investigators are also expected to review CCTV footage, steward deployment and entry procedures as part of a wider post-incident investigation. Officials have appealed to anyone who was at the event and witnessed the incident to come forward with any photographs, videos or information that could assist their enquiries into how the overcrowding developed.
About Ghana Party in the Park
Ghana Party in the Park has run annually since 2005 and is regarded as one of the largest celebrations of Ghanaian culture held outside Africa. According to the London Assembly website, the festival typically draws more than 8,000 attendees, making it the largest Ghanaian event held outside Ghana itself. Billed on its website as a cultural festival celebrating the best of Ghanaian music, culture, food, fashion and community, the event usually features live music performances, DJ sets, food stalls, cultural displays, fashion showcases, family entertainment and community organisations.
