Injuries, crowding reported after 'chaos' at Phoebe Bridgers concert in Toronto
![Phoebe Bridgers' Toronto concert Phoebe Bridgers' Toronto concert on June 6, 2022 (Kevin Kania)](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2022/6/8/phoebe-bridgers--toronto-concert-1-5938352-1654710810199.jpg)
Fans who attended singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridger’s concert last night at Toronto’s Echo Beach are reporting issues with crowding and say some attendees suffered injuries and lost consciousness.
Those who were at the show say it was paused at least five times for individuals to receive medical attention.
Kevin Kania attended Tuesday night’s concert, arriving at around 7:30 p.m.
“I didn't experience any pushing or shoving myself,” he told CTV News Toronto Wednesday, adding that he did witness other fans lose consciousness.
“I saw maybe three security guards show up and pick up whoever fainted and take them out of the crowd,” he said.
Toronto paramedics confirmed they attended the event and transported two people to local hospital with minor injuries, adding they expect there were others who fell unconscious.
Erin Laidley said she arrived at the show around 7:30 p.m and the venue, at that time, was a mess from those who had waited all day for the concert.
"I’ve never been to a show where so many people passed out or needed medical attention," Laidley said. "A lot of people near the front had camped out, in the rain, for 12+ hours to get barricade so some of the medic calls could’ve been from feeling faint because of dehydration or not eating enough before the show."
Another attendee, Sammy Talukder, told CTV News Toronto they experienced the aggression and saw injuries inflicted.
"I experienced a lot of shoving and pushing when getting let into the venue," Talukder said. "I almost fell over a huge rock, got my foot stomped on and was just pushed a lot."
During what she dubbed a "stampede," Talukder said she saw "people get punched and pushed onto the ground."
"I saw a girl get punched and she was bleeding."
Kania said he couldn’t tell what caused the "chaos."
“I'm not sure I've seen a band stop playing because of a medical event in the crowd once, much less five times,” he said. “I saw that a lot of people camped out for hours ahead of time, might've forgotten to eat or drink enough.”
In the moment, Kania said “ it was mostly a lot of confusion.”
Talukder added that "the venue let everyone in together, so it was extremely unorganized."
"Sending around 200 people [in] at once was definitely not a good idea and caused the stampede," she said, adding "the venue was just very unorganized."
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, a spokesperson for Live Nation Canada said that the concert was "proactively paused a few times so medical staff could assist fans who were experiencing dehydration."
"Safety is always our top priority and we worked in close collaboration with medical authorities throughout the evening."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
DEVELOPING Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
A fast-moving wildfire has hit Jasper, Alberta, destroying buildings and chasing some wildland firefighters away with dangerously poor air quality.
Jasper mayor says alert system to be reviewed after message 'glitch'
More than 25,000 people have been displaced from Jasper National Park since wildfires started to threaten the picturesque corner of Alberta Rockies on Monday, but the mayor of its namesake municipality says not everyone received an evacuation alert when it was sent out.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.