Police were called to Wireless Festival yesterday (July 11) amid concerns over large crowds that had gathered.
- READ MORE: Wireless Festival 2022 ā review: uneven billing saved by a resplendent Tyler, The Creator
Dozens of officers were deployed near Finsbury Park at 3pm on Sunday after reports of people trying to make their way past queues.
Footage on social media appeared to show people jumping over gates into the event through packed crowds as temperatures rose to almost 30C (86F).
A Metropolitan Police statement about the situation read: āA small number of people tried to get through an entrance to Wireless Festival while others were queueing.
āAs a result of this, security staff put in place a brief hold on people being admitted to the event to ensure the safe flow of people into the site. This caused a large crowd to form in the area around the site.
āOfficers assisted security staff with managing the crowd to keep people safe.
āWe continue to work closely with the event organiser and other partners to prevent further disruption and we thank people attending for their patience, particularly in the hot weather.ā
Fans at the event on Twitter said they were concerned about safety.
One tweeted: “Iām genuinely starting to get worried for Nicki and peopleās safetyā¦more people keep piling up and itās very hot out there.ā
While another added: āHaving only the smallest opening at the singular entrance to Finsbury Park, with no regulated flow of pedestrian traffic. People being trampled and forced to climb tall gates.ā
The crowds on this hot day too omg I just hope y'all are safe but the security at Wireless really need to fix up how did they not prepare for things like this? https://t.co/bpcZxxRe48
— ā“Reeceā¹į“ŗį“¹ā·
Ā³āīØ (@r33cekm) July 10, 2022
Y'all I'm seeing a bunch of PACKED crowds. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BE SAFE. Look out for one another! Don't hesitate to try to get help if you see someone hurt.
NICKI X WIRELESS
— MonsĆ©
(@BRII_STARR) July 10, 2022
Large crowds queuing for Wireless festival in Finsbury Park have stormed the fences resulting in police pushing them back, this comes after reports event organisers were refusing to open the gates. #WirelessFestival2022 #fyp #news pic.twitter.com/EYwQNf3BBD
— Scarcity News (@ScarcityStudios) July 10, 2022
The crowds on this hot day too omg I just hope y'all are safe but the security at Wireless really need to fix up how did they not prepare for things like this? https://t.co/bpcZxxRe48
— ā“Reeceā¹į“ŗį“¹ā·
Iām genuinely starting to get worried for nicki & peopleās safetyā¦ more people keep pilling up and itās very hot out there
wireless festival shouldāve never added more tickets after it sold out twiceā¦
— welp. (@yslonika) July 10, 2022
Haringey Council said two nearby roads were closed to āenable crowd safety managementā.
Prior to the event, Wireless issued warnings about the sale of fake tickets and scammers. They issued a statement on social media confirming the event was sold out.
NMEĀ has reached out toĀ Wireless Festival for comment.
Wireless has this year run an expanded edition of the normal festival with a stacked line-up of hip-hop and R&B heavyweights.
This year itās incorporate three sites ā Londonās Crystal Palace Park, Finsbury Park and Birminghamās NEC ā over two consecutive weekends running from July 1-3 and July 8-10. The Crystal Palace leg, however, was only for the first weekend.
A$AP Rocky headlined Crystal Palace on July 1, while J. Cole (UK exclusive) topped the bill on the July 2 and Tyler, the Creator bowed out on July 3.
Cardi BĀ meanwhile headlined Finsbury Park for a UK exclusive performance on July 8. SZAĀ played her debut UK festival headline set on July 9 whileĀ Nicki MinajĀ topped the bill yesterday (July 10).
DaveĀ headlined Birmingham on July 8 while Cardi B performed on July 9. J. Cole completed the show on Sunday (July 10) at the NECās new purpose-built outdoor site.
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