Three taken to hospital after fire and crush at Barnet festival

A fire near the gates at Ghana Party in the Park turned a summer event in Barnet into a crowd crush that sent three people to hospital and forced organisers to stop the festival. The event, also known as Shattafest UK, was held at Copthall Playing Fields in north London.

The Metropolitan Police said the fire started near the gates, which were then closed temporarily. A crowd built up, and a surge followed when the gates reopened. Organisers said the festival was halted after a “major incident” at about 18:00 BST on Saturday, and later described the day as “difficult” and “deeply upsetting,” signalling the scale of the disruption at a venue that should have been built around controlled entry and safe movement.

The sequence is now likely to be scrutinised for what happened at the entrance, how quickly the fire was contained, and whether the layout allowed people to be held safely while the gates were shut. It also raises direct questions about stewarding, exit management and emergency access, because a crush can develop within seconds when a crowd is forced to move, then suddenly released back through the same point.

The broader medical response suggests the incident went beyond the three hospital cases alone. MyLondon said 23 people received some form of assistance from emergency services or the event medical team, while Barnet Post later said more than 20 people were injured. That wider tally points to a public-safety breakdown with implications well beyond one festival field, as UK organisers face continuing pressure to prove they can manage surge risk, fire precautions and crowd control at busy summer events.