A forty-one-year-old man has died and at least six other people have been injured after a large metal support beam collapsed into a crowd at the Big Church Festival in West Sussex. Sussex Police confirmed that the man, who was from Eastbourne, died at the scene following the incident this afternoon on the Wiston Estate near Steyning.

Emergency services were alerted to the situation shortly after half past three, rushing to the grounds to assist those caught in the collapse. South East Coast Ambulance Service deployed ambulance crews, critical care paramedics, and specialist response teams to the site, with at least six patients confirmed and taken to hospital for medical treatment.

Organisers moved quickly to place the entire festival site on full lockdown, halting all live performances and pausing the schedule for the rest of the day. Thousands of attendees across the venue were alerted through notices displayed on the main stage screens and via email updates sent directly to ticket holders.

The urgent screen message instructed festival-goers: "Due to circumstances beyond our control, the show has been stopped. Any campers please head back to the campsite immediately. Any non-campers please remain in the main arena." The accompanying email advised everyone to return to their tents and stay well away from stage areas owing to safety concerns.

Movement across the grounds has been restricted, with nobody temporarily permitted to enter or leave the site while emergency teams carry out their work. James Lewis of Premier, who was present at the event, confirmed that attendees were told the site was on lockdown and people were not allowed in or out. Organisers stated: "First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been directly impacted by the incident. We understand this will be deeply disappointing for the thousands who have joined us at the festival."

Witnesses described scenes of confusion in the immediate aftermath. One festival-goer told The Sun that there were "lots of ambulances and police" on site and that a helicopter touched down close to the worship tent. The attendee, who had stepped out of the tent shortly before the collapse, said: "From what I've gathered the worship tent sign has blown over and landed on a few people."

The incident also prompted an abrupt end to the festival's live broadcast on GOD TV, which was cut as emergency personnel responded. Posts on social media described a metal support beam falling onto a crowd and noted that medical staff were attempting to evacuate patients via airlift.

The Big Church Festival is an annual non-profit Christian music and worship gathering that has run since 2009, drawing up to forty thousand people at its peak. The event was scheduled to take place at the estate from August 28 through to August 30.

A spokesman for the South East Coast Ambulance Service stated that crews remain on scene dealing with the confirmed patients, adding that while they have no further details to share at this time, updates will be provided as soon as possible. With the site still secured and all programming suspended, inquiries into how the structure fell will be continuing. I'll be following this one.