London Evening Standard/London
One man was left fighting for his life and another was seriously injured in a double stabbing at the Wireless music festival at the Olympic Park.
The attack happened during a brawl at about 9pm on Sunday, while Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake were performing in front of about 60,000 people.
Festival medics had to force their way through the crowd to reach the stabbing victims, both in their twenties. Two men were taken to hospital. One of the men had been discharged yesterday and the other was said to be in a serious but stable condition.
Scotland Yard said the fight broke out after an argument between the two victims and a group of about 10 men near the front of the crowd.
The attack is not believed to be gang related. There have been no arrests.
An eyewitness who was backstage said: “There was a small fight in the middle of the crowd but everything carried on.
“It then became obvious that it was more serious and security piled in. People were panicky for a short time but the gig carried on.”
A festival worker said: “A massive area in front of the main stage was cordoned off and police were looking for clues. The festival clear-up could not start until 4am.”
According to staff, an emergency radio message was sent out to all security at the site to seal off the main stage so that police could search for evidence.
The call came at the end of the performance by the headline act. The worker said: “We were told not to go anywhere near the stage to clean up because a crime investigation was being launched.
“We are all shocked by what happened on what was otherwise a peaceful, sunny festival day.”
The stabbings came at the end of the three-day festival at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said festival medics attended to the injured men.