Medusa Festival accident: 1 dead and dozens injured after stage collapses

A stage collapse on Saturday, August 13, claimed one life and left many injured at the Medusa Festival in Spain. Festival organizers noted that a strong gust of wind caused the main entrance and a part of the stage to collapse at 4:18 am. Following the incident, festival organizers decided to cancel the event.

During the stage collapse, DJ Miguel Serna was playing, and 50,000 people were present in attendance. Per reports, 40 were taken to the hospital, with three sustaining severe injuries.

After the incident, Serna took to his Instagram story to comment on the tragedy. He wrote:

“It was a 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 (area). It was a few moments of horror, I am still in shock.”

CNN quoted a spokesperson for the festival who said:

"Due to a strong gust of wind, the main entrance and the main stage of the Medusa Festival in Cullera fell to the ground.”

The spokesperson further added that since there were 50,000 people in attendance, it took nearly 40 minutes to clear the grounds. Videos taken by fans documented the intense weather that caused the partial stage to collapse and captured security efforts in clearing the area.

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Stage collapse during Medusa festival leaves 1 dead and many injured

In videos shared by fans, parts from the stage can be seen flying due to the heavy gusts of wind. As the pieces land in the audience, chaos is seen to ensue. People are witnessed running away from the stage, with some calling out the names of their loved ones.

The organizers, however, did not foresee the accident happening. In a recent post, they called the tragedy unavoidable and commented on the issue:

"It is a very painful moment. Difficult and heartbreaking. A tremendously sad and discouraging moment for relatives, friends. A moment no one should ever know. It is also the hardest moment that all of us who make up Medusa Festival ever think of going through. We remain devastated. Broken inside. So much so that almost no words come out."

The organizers further noted that their thoughts remain with the victims and those affected:

"Our audience is important. They have placed their trust in us and have been the fundamental pillar for us to continue here today. The safety of those attending our event has always been an absolute priority for us. Also workers and artists. We believe that all of you who know us know that the main thing is to protect you all in each of our events."

Concluding their statement, the organizers announced:

"For this reason, and because that continues to be our maxim, the Medusa Festival organization has made the decision to definitively cancel our festival. 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."

Valencia’s regional president, Ximo Puig, expressed condolences to the victim’s family. He wrote:

“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.”

While announcing the event, Medusa described itself as a dance music festival on the beach. The festival features both mainstream and underground DJs as well as artists who are celebrated in the worlds of EDM, house, techno, and trance music. The festival ticket page noted that the festival invests heavily in the production on display, "with spectacular staging constructed on the golden sands, built around the theme for each edition."

The Medusa festival featured sets from David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Afrojack, Carl Cox and others. The festival has been held since 2014 on the beach of Cullera, in Valencia, Spain. The festival is also planned around various themes including "Invaders" and "The secret of Wonderland," among others.