Man, 41, dies after large sign collapses at Christian festival in West Sussex

A 41-year-old man has died after a large sign collapsed at the Big Church Christian music festival near Steyning, West Sussex, on Friday afternoon, Sussex police have confirmed. The man, from Eastbourne in East Sussex, was pronounced dead at the scene. At least six other people were taken to hospital for treatment.

The man's next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. Sussex police's DCS Richard McDonagh described the incident as tragic, extending condolences to the man's family and friends.

Shortly after 5.30pm, festival organisers posted on Instagram that the show had been cancelled and that all day visitors needed to leave the site immediately. Organisers later confirmed the decision to end the entire festival early, which had originally been scheduled to run through Sunday.

In an online statement, organisers said they were devastated by the serious incident, in which a falling sign injured at least seven people, one of whom died. They said their thoughts were with everyone affected, including families, friends, and witnesses to the collapse.

Officers remained at the scene into Friday night, and members of the public were advised to avoid the area. The incident has been reported to the Health and Safety Executive and the local authority.

McDonagh said he recognised the significant distress caused to those at the festival, noting that police are working with several partner organisations to determine exactly what happened. With thousands of people having attended the event, police are appealing to anyone with information or relevant video footage to come forward.