Chaos at Parklife festival as huge brawl erupts and more than 50 people arrested
A mass brawl broke out at a Manchester music festival, with a large group of men seen throwing punches as the crowd moves to avoid the scuffle.
Greater Manchester Police said 52 people were arrested overall for both drug related and violent offences within and outside of the Parklife festival site over the course of the event.
A video which has since been shared on TikTok and Facebook, shows the group of revellers pushing and hitting one another, with one person seen falling to the ground while music continues to blare in the background.
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Of those arrested, 33 were on suspicion of possession with intent to supply drugs, while two were arrested for assault, two for being drunk and disorderly and two of having weapons. Other offences included robbery, dangerous driving and breaching a dispersal order.
Among those performing at the event was Doja Cat, Kaytranada, Peggy Gou and Sugababes. Police officers are now reviewing the footage after it went viral on social media.
A spokesperson for Parklife Festival said: “Isolated incidents can always take place where large gatherings of people congregate together.
“Working alongside our operational partners in Greater Manchester Police and other local authorities, we’re pleased to see a significant decrease in arrests and anti-social incidents both on and off-site at the festival this year.
“Faced with challenging weather conditions, we want to thank the vast majority of festival-goers for their responsible behaviour across the weekend.”
Superintendent Andy Sidebotham, who led the policing operation for Parklife this year, said: “I want thank the vast majority of attendees who enjoyed themselves responsibly over the course of two wonderful days in Heaton Park. Many people came up to our officers, asked them questions and posed for pictures, and our officers were more than happy to engage with revellers from across the country.
“The illegal drugs and weapons intercepted over the weekend could have had serious and fatal consequences if they managed to get inside the festival site.
“The vast majority of these 52 arrests were the result of proactive work between GMP and event security staff, and a thorough search regime in place on the entry gates across Heaton Park.”