A packed music festival in Australia descended into chaos when a temporary grandstand suddenly collapsed beneath hundreds of concertgoers, leaving at least 22 people injured and four hospitalized.
The frightening incident unfolded around 2:50 p.m. Sunday, November 1, during the sold-out Red Hot Summer Tour at Coolangatta Beach on Australia’s Gold Coast, where thousands of music fans had gathered for an afternoon of live performances.
Australian rock band Boom Crash Opera was performing when the elevated seating structure unexpectedly buckled, sending spectators tumbling and forcing the concert to an abrupt halt.
Lead singer Dale Ryder immediately stopped the performance and called for emergency assistance as stunned concertgoers scrambled to understand what had happened.
Witnesses described hearing a tremendous crashing sound before watching sections of the grandstand fold inward. Some spectators were thrown from their seats, while others struggled to escape the damaged structure.
Two off-duty nurses, Claire Borg and Alicia Glohe, rushed to help the injured, including a woman whose ankle had become trapped beneath the collapsed seating.
Emergency crews and festival medical staff quickly responded, treating 22 people for injuries and transporting four to hospitals, according to figures reported by Queensland Police.
The hospitalized patients included two men and two women. Their reported injuries included a collarbone fracture, an ankle injury and two back injuries.
Queensland Ambulance Service senior operations supervisor Gavin Fuller said many of those affected were shaken by the collapse, adding that the outcome could have been considerably worse given the number of people occupying the structure.
The incident has raised troubling questions about the safety of the temporary grandstand, particularly after organizers reportedly told attendees that engineers had inspected and approved it just one day before the festival.
Between 700 and 1,000 people were reportedly seated in the multilevel structure, although the exact number present when it collapsed has not been confirmed.
Festival organizers immediately closed the affected grandstand, while the concert resumed approximately an hour later after the area was cleared.
In a statement, organizers said their priority was the welfare of everyone involved and thanked emergency responders and concertgoers for their cooperation.
Those seated in the affected grandstand were also promised refunds.
The Red Hot Summer Tour featured a lineup of Australian favorites, including Men at Work, Australian Crawl, Birds of Tokyo, Eskimo Joe, Vika & Linda and Boom Crash Opera. The Coolangatta concert was one of several scheduled stops on the tour.
Queensland Police and workplace safety authorities have launched investigations into the collapse, with structural engineers and local officials also examining what went wrong.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has called for a thorough review of the incident and the safety procedures used for temporary concert structures. Questions remain about how seating that had reportedly passed an engineering inspection could fail during a major public event.
Despite the dramatic collapse, no fatalities were reported, and most of those injured were treated at the scene.
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