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Big Church Festival Cancels After Sign Collapse Kills Pastor

8/31/2026

48 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Organizers Cancel Festival

Big Church Festival organizers cancelled the event after a sign collapse killed pastor Robert Guanco.
The 10-metre wooden sign reading “Everything’s Unmissable” fell and injured six attendees, four hospitalized.
Sussex Police, the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities opened investigations into the collapse.
A GoFundMe campaign raised over £12,000 toward the £18,000 target for Guanco’s family.

Summary

Sign Collapse Halts

A sign collapsed at the Big Church Festival, forcing God TV’s livestream to stop.
Met Office had warned of 27 mph gusts in Shoreham that afternoon, a likely cause of the collapse.
South East Coast Ambulance Service sent critical-care paramedics and specialist response teams to the site.
A section of the A283 road was closed to give emergency services access.

History

Historical Context

On Dec 3 1979, a crowd crush at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum killed 11 fans and injured 26, leading the city to ban festival-seating and adopt new crowd-control ordinances. Decades later, the incident remains a benchmark for event-safety, and the recent Big Church Festival sign collapse, investigated by Sussex Police and the Health and Safety Executive, reflects that ongoing vigilance.

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Organizers Cancel Festival

Big Church Festival organizers cancelled the event after a sign collapse killed pastor Robert Guanco.
The 10-metre wooden sign reading “Everything’s Unmissable” fell and injured six attendees, four hospitalized.
Sussex Police, the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities opened investigations into the collapse.
A GoFundMe campaign raised over £12,000 toward the £18,000 target for Guanco’s family.

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