What happened at Boardmasters festival? Perez Hilton reacts as rider gets stuck on Apollo 13 after unexpected breakdown

Podcaster Perez Hilton weighed in on the recent ride breakdown at the Boardmasters Festival after footage showed riders left hanging upside down. On August 11, 2025, Hilton took to X to share his reaction, posting a link to People magazine’s coverage of the incident with the caption:

"Not great!!!"

Perez Hilton

@PerezHilton

Not great!!! 😳😱 🔗

According to People’s August 10 report, the Apollo 13 ride at the Boardmasters Festival had malfunctioned. The Apollo 13 ride, named after NASA’s historic 1970 space mission, debuted in 2024 at the Boardmasters Festival. It stood about 180 feet tall and seated eight passengers, split evenly on either end of a spinning component.

In the early hours of Thursday, August 7, the Apollo 13 ride came to an unexpected stop. This left at least four riders stranded on the ride, suspended midair.

A Boardmasters Festival spokesperson shared an official statement regarding the incident. He stated that the ride stopped midair due to a sudden power loss.

"At 1 a.m. on Thursday morning, one of the attractions temporarily lost power. As a safety precaution, the ride automatically halted with people on board," he explained.

Festival officials said the pause lasted around 20 minutes. This statement was consistent with the accounts of Festival-goers who had seen the incident from the ground.

Officials further stated that there was no real danger. They noted that guests were never at risk and that operations quickly returned to normal. The attraction underwent a full safety inspection and resumed “normal operation” after passing all checks.

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More about the Boardmasters Festival 2025

Boardmasters Festival 2025 - Day Two (Image via Getty Images)

As per BBC, thousands flocked to Cornwall’s coast over the weekend to enjoy sunshine, surfing, and world-class music at the Boardmasters Festival. The main stage was set against the sweeping views of Watergate Bay near Newquay.

According to a Rolling Stone report dated August 10, 2025, the three-day festival, which blended live music with professional surfing competitions, kicked off with Raye headlining Friday night.

She set the tone for an electrifying weekend before UK rap star Central Cee took the stage on Saturday by opening with his mega-hit Doja. Cee performed songs from his debut album, Can’t Rush Greatness.

Before Central Cee’s headline act, Canadian singer Nelly Furtado delivered a nostalgic main-stage performance. Dressed in a pair of green ruffled hotpants, the 47-year-old sang a string of early 2000s classics.

This included Promiscuous Girl, Maneater, and I’m Like A Bird. The latter featured a surprise appearance by Katy B. Furtado, who also enjoyed her own high-energy 20-minute slot earlier in the evening.

The hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks also added to the nostalgia. They did their first performance in nearly a decade, and stunned audiences with their energetic performance of Down With the Trumpets.

Beyond the main stage, the festival offered a diverse soundtrack. Maribou State filled the Mordros tent with their signature dance grooves, while the Unleashed stage hosted house music heavyweights Jazzy and Patrick Topping.

Meanwhile, 40-year-old singer Kelli-Leigh performed at the ZYN stand. She is known for collaborations with Duke Dumont and Jax Jones, and live performances with Clean Bandit. She gave her audience a preview of tracks from her upcoming album and performed her new single, Elevate.

At Newquay’s Fistral Beach, elite surfers from around the globe competed in the Boardmasters Open. The Festival concluded with performances from Natasha Bedingfield, Wet Leg, The Prodigy, and more.

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Apart from the Apollo 13 incident, no other accidents were reported at the Boardmasters Festival. The festival concluded on August 10, 2025.