One Dead and 17 Injured Following Stage Collapse at Spanish Music Festival

Medusa Festival near Valencia in Spain

One person has been killed and 17 injured after a stage collapsed at a music festival near Valencia in Spain.

Local officials reported that the accident occurred at the Medusa Festival in the town of Cullera near Valencia at 4:18 a.m. local time, citing “a strong gust of wind” as the cause.

The man killed was 22 years old, whilst three of those injured are in a serious condition.

The Civil Guard, the Spanish paramilitary police unit leading the investigation, said there was more damage than just the partial collapse of the stage.

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

The spokesperson confirmed around 50,000 were attending the festival site when the incident happened, adding that all were evacuated in under 40 minutes with emergency procedures functioning well.

President of the Valencia regional government Ximo Puig offered his condolences to the victim’s family and friends on Twitter.

“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,” Puig said.

Festival organizers originally announced that the festival had been suspended, before later officially cancelling the event. Management put out a statement saying that 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”.

“It is a day of mourning. And respect for those affected,” said the statement, posted to social media. “Our thoughts constantly are for each and every one of those affected, directly or indirectly, by the unfortunate, unexpected and unavoidable accident.”