Major music festival shut down as crowds evacuated over medical emergency

A popular music festival was suddenly shut down, leaving thousands of people stranded on the nearby seafront following a medical incident.

People were asked to leave the Margate Drum & Bass Festival at Dreamland inKent at around 5:40pm today. The festival was due to run until 10:30pm. "It was just too hot day," Dreamland said in a post on X after temperatures in Margate hit 28C today. "We had to close early. Get home safely."

Reports say some punters were left confused, and some angry, after the event was shut down. But the festival had upped its security measures following an incident last year in which 17-year-old girl Emily Stokes died.

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Her older sister Megan said Emily "tragically passed away from an overdose from being spiked last night in Margate."

A licensing review ordered Dreamland to bolster its safety measures and it said it had implemented a stricter drugs policy and checks. Under 18s are no longer allowed at the venue, while there are more paramedics at high-risk events, no re-entry and age verification.

One person told Kent Online: "Mozey came on and said everyone has to go, the venue is closing and you all need to leave now. We have a medical emergency. There were a few angry people but most were pretty calm about it. I think they were just angry because we don't know what's going on.

"Lots of security arrived after to help get everyone out, I think they've dealt with it as well as they can."

Following Emily's death last year, Megan wrote in a crowdfunding appeal her sister was the “kindest person you could ever meet” and “so full of life”, adding: “To have her taken away so suddenly at just only 17 years old, it has completely broke me.”

A Dreamland spokesperson had said: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of a 17-year-old woman in hospital on Saturday June 29.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the young woman’s family and friends and we will continue to work closely with Kent Police where relevant as they investigate this tragedy further."