A 21-year-old attendee at Margate Drum and Bass Festival in Dreamland has reportedly died after being taken to the hospital yesterday.
Dreamland shut down suddenly yesterday around 6.30 pm, hours before the scheduled end time, because organisers said it was ‘just too hot’.
News of the young man taking ill spread quickly yesterday, and was confirmed when Kent Police said they were aware of a ‘medical incident’ at the festival.
South East Coast Ambulance Service said they took the ill person to the hospital, but his death is only now being reported.
He has not been identified.
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Kent Online reported that local councillors were sent a note last night, reading: ‘Very sadly, a 21-year-old man was taken by blue light services from Dreamland and died at QEQM (Hospital).
‘We understand that medical advisers approved the medical provisions set up by Dreamland for this event, but of course, police will carry out a proper investigation. We are not intending to speculate until we have the results of that.’
The death came as much of the UK is under an amber alert. Five regions of the UK have been placed under an amber heat health alert until Tuesday, with temperatures set to reach 36°C on Monday in parts of the country.
Health services in the East Midlands, South East, South West, London, and the East of England have been placed on the second-highest heat alert, while a yellow alert is in force in Yorkshire and Humber, and the West Midlands.
An amber alert was previously issued for all regions in England on June 19, the first time it had been used since September 2023.
The heatwave follows a series of extreme-heat records, including Europe’s hottest March ever, according to the EU’s Copernicus climate monitor.
Last year, a 15-year-old boy was among 21 teenagers who overdosed at Dreamland, where Emily Stokes, 17, died.
One of the victims, who was under 18, was put into a medically induced coma for at least 10 days following the gig.
The mass incident prompted police to ask event organisers to put in place five emergency measures, including the cancellation of all drum and bass events.
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