A 21-year-old man tragically died during the Drum and Bass Festival held at Dreamland Margate on Saturday. The one-day rave, which attracted thousands of attendees, was shut down early at 5.40pm following the medical emergency.
A spokesperson for Dreamland said: “We are supporting the emergency services’ enquiries. Our thoughts are with the man’s friends and family at this difficult, sad time.”
Kent Police confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious while enquiries continue. A police spokesperson stated, “A report is being prepared for the coroner.”
South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed the patient was taken to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital in a very serious condition but later died.
The festival was originally blamed for closing early due to extreme heat. Dreamland posted on Facebook shortly after the closure: “Sorry guys, it was just too hot today, so we had to close early. Get home safely.” Temperatures that afternoon reached 29°C, contributing to the tense atmosphere at the popular Margate venue.
This tragic death marks the second fatality at Drum and Bass events held at Dreamland within two years. In June 2024, 17-year-old Emily Stokes died from an MDMA overdose at a previous festival. An inquest into that death criticised the inadequate medical provisions at the time.
Since then, Dreamland has enforced stricter entry checks, increased medical staff presence, and banned under-18s from attending. Despite these measures, emergency services and security personnel were overwhelmed on Saturday, managing dispersal orders and controlling large crowds spilling onto nearby streets.
A post-mortem and coroner’s inquest are expected to follow. Dreamland’s event safety procedures may face renewed scrutiny. Police are urging any witnesses or anyone with footage of the incident to come forward to assist with the investigation.
Originally published by UKNIP.
