Stage Collapse At Medusa Festival In Spain Kills 1 Person, Injures 17
A stage collapsed at the Medusa Festival near Valencia, Spain, has killed one person and injured 17. According to CNN, the person killed was a 22-year-old man. Festival officials blamed the collapse on “a strong gust of wind,” with reports saying that high winds exceeded 51 mph. About 50,000 people were at the festival site when the stage collapsed. Guests were then quickly evacuated.
“A terrible accident that shocks all of us. I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the young man who died early this morning at the Medusa Festival in Cullera,” tweeted Ximo Puig, president of the Valencia regional government.
The EDM festival was suspended early Saturday morning “due to inclement weather” and later canceled, with officials saying that the “adverse and unexpected weather conditions that are expected to continue throughout the day oblige us morally and out of responsibility to put an end to our 2022 edition.”
Organizers added on social media: “It is a day of mourning. And respect for those affected. Our thoughts constantly are for each and every one of those affected, directly or indirectly, by the unfortunate, unexpected and unavoidable accident.”
Medusa Festival’s 2022 lineup featured Steve Aoki, David Guetta, Amelie Lens, Carl Cox, and more. As Pitchfork notes, DJ Miguel Serna was performing onstage at the time. He later posted an Instagram Story: “It was a very tense few minutes, I’ve never experienced anything like it before. The tragedy happened just at the end of my session on the main stage, just below it, which was the most affected. It was a few moments of horror. I am still in shock.”