Man dies after sign collapse at Big Church Festival in West Sussex
A 41-year-old man died and six others were injured when a large sign fell at the Big Church Festival in West Sussex; the rest of the event was cancelled.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
One man has died and six other people were injured after a large sign fell at the Big Church Festival in West Sussex. The incident happened on Friday afternoon at Wiston Park near Steyning, where the event was being held. Police were called at around 3.30pm and confirmed that a 41-year-old man from Eastbourne died at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.
The sign, which was advertising the worship tent area, was positioned high above a main walkway. An eyewitness told the BBC that it appeared to blow over in the wind. The Met Office had issued a warning for high gusts in the area, with winds reaching up to 27mph, though investigators have not yet confirmed the cause.
Six other people were treated by paramedics. Four were taken to hospital, two with significant injuries and two with less serious injuries. The festival, which was due to run until Sunday, was cancelled. Organisers said they were heartbroken and asked all attendees to leave the site by midday on Saturday.
Police have launched an investigation and are appealing for anyone with information or video footage to come forward, quoting Operation Igloo. Detective Chief Superintendent Richard McDonagh described the incident as tragic and said the force was working with partners to establish exactly what happened.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said she was praying for the family of the man who died, as well as the injured and the medical staff treating them. Local churches have also offered support to those affected. The Big Church Festival is described as the UK's largest Christian festival, bringing together thousands of people for music, worship and prayer.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A 41-year-old man from Eastbourne died in the incident. | ||||
| The festival event was closed after the sign fell. | ||||
| Six people were injured when a sign fell at a festival. | · | |||
| The sign that fell was advertising the worship tent area and was above the main walkway. | · | · | ||
| Wind was a possible factor; a Met Office warning for gusts up to 27 mph was issued. | · | · | ||
| Police appealed for information and footage, describing the incident as tragic. | · | · | · | |
| Police asked witnesses to call 101 quoting Operation Igloo. | · | · | · | |
| The Archbishop of Canterbury prayed for the family. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC News provided the initial breaking news and later confirmed details. It focused on the scale of the emergency response, the closure of the festival, and the human impact, including the Archbishop's reaction. It also highlighted the uncertainty about the cause, mentioning the wind warning.
- “At least six people have been injured when a sign fell on them at a Christian festival in West Sussex.”
- “Organisers of a Christian festival say that they are devastated after a sign fell at their event, killing one man and injuring six other people.”
- “The Archbishop of Canterbury says she's praying for the family of the 41-year-old man who died as well as the injured and the medical staff treating them.”
BBC One West provided the most detailed local coverage, including the specific location (Wiston Park near Steyning), the eyewitness account of the sign blowing over, and the response from local churches. It also included the Archbishop's statement and the police appeal.
- “My understanding is there's a sign advertising the worship tent area and it was high above the main walkway and it fell down. It blew over in the wind.”
- “Local churches are offering their support to those affected.”
- “The Archbishop of Canterbury says she's praying for the family of the 41-year-old man who died, as well as the injured and the medical staff treating them.”
Sky News focused on the confirmed death and the police investigation, including the Operation Igloo appeal. It also provided updates on the number of injured and hospitalisations, and the closure of the entire festival. It had a slightly more factual, breaking-news tone.
- “a 41 year old man from Eastbourne died”
- “the whole festival has closed”
- “we're urging anyone with any information or any relevant video footage to please come forward”
5 News gave a very brief summary, focusing on the key facts: the death, the injuries, and the cancellation. It did not include any additional context or reaction.
- “A 41-year-old man has died after a large sign fell on him during a Christian festival in West Sussex.”
- “Six other people were taken to hospital for treatment.”
- “The rest of the festival has been cancelled.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.