Woman, 25, dies after falling ill at Creamfields North festival
A 25-year-old woman from south Wales has died after she fell ill at Creamfields North festival on Friday (August 26).
The unnamed woman was taken to Warrington District General Hospital after police were called to the site in Cheshire at 10.15pm on the second night of the dance music festival.
She died earlier today (August 30) in hospital. Her next of kin have been informed.
Superintendent Sarah Heath, who led the policing operation for Creamfields 2022, said [via Sky News]: “The tragic death of a young woman is heart-breaking and our thoughts are with her family and friends at this difficult time.
“An investigation into the cause of her death is underway, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest that there are any suspicious circumstances.”
Approximately 70,000 people were expected to attend the event in Daresbury, near Warrington, over the bank holiday weekend, where acts including Calvin Harris, Fatboy Slim, David Guetta, Nina Kraviz, Bicep, Carl Cox, Becky Hill, Skream and Sub Focus were playing.
The news comes after Cheshire Constabulary urged Creamfields ticketholders to leave any drugs or weapons in amnesty bins before they entered the site, warning festival-goers that anyone found to have taken prohibited items into the festival without disposing them risks “life-changing consequences”.
Cheshire Police confirmed to Sky News that 39 people were arrested at Creamfields North.
Additionally, 71 were spoken to in relation to the possession of illegal drugs and were ejected from the site. The force said that those people will be dealt with through criminal justice processes at a later stage.
A further 42 people were managed via local resolution and were not arrested but were recorded as being involved in drugs. In total, 209 crimes were reported for a variety of offences, with 135 of those being drug-related.
Elsewhere, a 16-year-old boy has died after reportedly taking “a grey or black oblong shape” ecstasy tablet and falling ill at Leeds Festival over the same weekend.
West Yorkshire police were called to Leeds Festival on Saturday (August 27) at around 10.16pm and were informed that after falling ill, David Celino had been taken to a medical tent. Celino was taken to hospital but died early on Sunday (August 28).
The tragedy comes after Reading & Leeds Festival issued a statement ahead of the twin events (which both commenced on August 26), warning of the use of drugs at the events.
A warning was also issued last month by harm reduction specialists The Loop after pills tested at Secret Garden Party were found to contain more than double the amount of MDMA. And the organisers of Boardmasters recently made their attendees aware of dangerously high-strength MDMA that was discovered on-site at this year’s edition.
Earlier today (August 30), police also confirmed that Takayo Nembhard, a 21-year-old drill rapper from Bristol, was stabbed at Notting Hill Carnival and later died.