277:"The crowd that came together on 13 July 2002 was more than four times bigger than expected, doubling the population of Brighton & Hove at a stroke. It was an incredible sight to behold and amazing to have been a part of it - but I do still look back and think about how easily things could have gone very wrong...I was working that day as a crowd density spotter for a friend's local stewarding company. It's a role that was created following recommendations from the
29:
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because the streets were too jammed for ambulances to easily access it. Ambulances and stretcher parties could not reach treatment centres, and some crews were abused by drunks. A total of 160 people received minor injuries from the event, with a further 11 being taken to hospital. Among the injuries
246:
reportedly considered cancelling the event due to the vast numbers of people, but decided not to as they feared a riot, they allowed it to go ahead with the proviso that he finish 30 minutes early. The concert was attended by more than 250,000 people, double the city's population at the time and more
324:
After the concert the beach was covered in litter, mostly broken glass, and the smell of urine filled the air as people had been forced to urinate where they were standing. There was no rain for days after the concert, so the council was eventually forced to bulldoze the shingle back into the sea to
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helicopter hovered over the shoreline throughout the evening, with scores of unconscious people being rescued from the sea. Paul Cruise, who attended the concert, said that "all of the seafront hotel balconies were packed and people were hanging off lamp posts and railings". As the tide came in,
185:, England. The concert was attended by over 250,000 people, four times the expected 60,000. Due to the far higher than expected attendance the local authorities were severely underprepared, which led to many incidents including two deaths, over 170 injuries, and six arrests.
328:
The council subsequently decided to restrict future concerts on the beach, fearing a repeat of the concert's events. They considered banning events like it entirely, but decided they would go ahead after appropriate safety guidelines were approved.
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After the concert ended, the hordes of people who attended the concert began to make their way home. People clung to the doors of trains to try and prise them open and buses were forced to operate unplanned night services to ferry the crowds out.
361:
on 4 February 2023. The documentary recounts the events of the concert and includes video interviews on the day of the event, and clippings from newspapers, magazines, and other publications, both positive and negative.
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were two broken legs and a broken back. After the event, an
Australian nurse was seriously injured and later died after falling from the Upper Esplanade, and a 45-year-old man died from a
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Thousands of people were marooned and forced to sleep on the beach because of a lack of trains, with the last train to London leaving 15 minutes after the concert finished.
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clean the beach. The cleanup operation cost £300,000, which was partly paid for by Cook. Of the police on duty, half required trauma counselling.
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Several hours before the concert started, the beach was crammed with people. In a live TV interview on his seafront balcony at
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666:""Things could have gone very wrong" – Crowd safety expert sheds light on Fatboy Slim beach party in new Sky documentary"
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than four times the 60,000 expected attendance and more than three times the 80,000 maximum which had been planned for.
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people were reportedly "up to their necks in the water", and small boats had to rescue many of them from the sea.
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The concert viewed from a balcony along the
Brighton seafront towards the concert stage, with the derelict
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On
Saturday, 7 July 2001, Fatboy Slim's first Big Beach Boutique concert occurred, organized by
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943:
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902:"Right Here, Right Now review – Fatboy Slim's beach concert will make you flinch with anxiety"
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639:"Right Here, Right Now review – Fatboy Slim's beach concert will make you flinch with anxiety"
495:
435:
358:
724:
878:
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401:"Fatboy Slim's 'You've Come a Long Way, Baby' at 25: Norman Cook's rock & roll opus"
936:"What happened when 250,000 ravers descended on Brighton Beach and changed British law"
818:
1168:
266:
243:
207:"Harris started the club night Big Beat Boutique with Fatboy Slim in Brighton in '95"
729:
725:"Fatboy Slim 'monster' beach party brings chaos to Brighton after 200,000 crowd in"
643:
310:
969:"Fatboy Slim celebrates 20th anniversary of Big Beach Boutique party with box set"
692:"Fatboy Slim's 'apocalyptic' Brighton beach gig in 2002 - by those who were there"
313:. Another six people were arrested for assault, drugs and public order offences.
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845:"The 'apocalyptic' Brighton Big Beach Boutique gig - by those who witnessed it"
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522:"Fatboy Slim says he was 'on autopilot' during infamous Brighton Beach party"
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1068:"You can now watch Fatboy Slim's 'Big Beach Boutique Brighton' 2002 in full"
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1115:"New documentary on Fatboy Slim's Big Beach Boutique II launches on Sky"
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During the concert, people clung to ambulances to escape the crowds. A
265:
As a result of the enormous crowds, the local authorities, such as the
174:
1119:
766:"Fatboy Slim's 2002 iconic beach party - from those who were there"
1019:"Fatboy Slim calling for memories of Big Beach Boutique 2 concert"
874:"Brighton restricts beach parties after Fatboy Slim concert chaos"
607:"Fatboy Slim calling for memories of Big Beach Boutique 2 concert"
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578:"20 years already! Fatboy Slim looks back on THAT seaside bash"
332:"No similar free concert has been permitted in Britain since."
1143:"20 years on from Fatboy Slim's mammoth Brighton beach party"
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Fatboy Slim - Live At Big Beach
Boutique II, Brighton, 2002
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Live On
Brighton Beach / Mixed by Fatboy Slim (CD 2002)
550:"Memories of Fatboy Slim's Big Beach Boutique parties"
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690:Gladwin, Anna; Graves, Kieran (22 July 2022).
380:"The Big Beat Revolution: 11 Essential Songs"
211:Fatboy Slim had run a 300-occupancy Brighton
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428:"Big beat: creating a dancefloor monster"
233:was coined by Cook's mate Gareth Hansome"
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304:Casualties were taken from the beach by
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342:"a Titanic story devoid of an iceberg"
349:and feature-length documentary titled
16:2002 free concert in Brighton, England
1066:Aubrey, Elizabeth (4 February 2023).
998:25,000 people flock to Brighton beach
991:
989:
7:
793:"Death at Fatboy Slim's beach party"
279:1989 Hillsborough football disaster
177:held on 13 July 2002 by English DJ
486:Wartofsky, Alona (19 April 1998).
14:
934:Wilson, Benji (4 February 2023).
843:Gladwin, Anna (5 December 2020).
520:Evans, Connie (27 January 2023).
181:(Norman Cook) on Brighton beach,
872:Gray, Chris (21 December 2002).
819:"Fatboy Slim crowds cause chaos"
289:, Cook said "I'm quite scared".
900:Seale, Jack (3 February 2023).
764:Romero, Kat (4 February 2023).
637:Seale, Jack (3 February 2023).
426:Harris, Damian (9 April 2008).
353:, a reference to Fatboy Slim's
1190:Concerts in the United Kingdom
1:
723:Kelso, Paul (15 July 2002).
462:"Interview With Fatboy Slim"
222:On the Floor at the Boutique
197:, and released as an album,
242:On the day of the concert,
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460:Danz (29 September 2022).
273:, were very underprepared.
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670:University of Brighton
355:song of the same title
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200:Live on Brighton Beach
46:13 July 2002
351:Right Here, Right Now
337:Right Here, Right Now
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171:Big Beach Boutique II
163:Big Beach Boutique II
22:Big Beach Boutique II
1147:faroutmagazine.co.uk
488:"MEET THE BIG BEAT"
254:was backed up past
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23:
357:, was released on
135:Non-fatal injuries
93:50.8209°N 0.1505°W
1185:Concert disasters
1123:. 6 February 2023
799:. 2 February 2024
407:. 19 October 2023
359:Sky Documentaries
281:" — Chris Cocking
271:ambulance service
217:Big Beat Boutique
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37:in the distance.
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1149:. 13 July 2022
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821:. 14 July 2002
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558:. 15 July 2017
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1151:. Retrieved
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906:The Guardian
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117:Organised by
112:Free concert
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1195:Fatboy Slim
696:Sussex Live
179:Fatboy Slim
173:was a free
121:Fatboy Slim
96: /
71:Coordinates
1169:Categories
1153:1 February
1127:9 February
1100:1 February
1077:1 February
1052:1 February
1029:1 February
1004:1 February
978:1 February
953:1 February
919:1 February
885:9 February
854:9 February
849:SussexLive
825:1 February
803:1 February
777:9 February
744:9 February
701:1 February
675:1 February
650:9 February
619:9 February
588:1 February
562:9 February
531:1 February
505:1 February
471:1 February
445:1 February
411:1 February
385:1 February
366:References
294:coastguard
213:club night
189:Background
151:Attendance
81:50°49′15″N
50:2002-07-13
1023:The Argus
948:0307-1235
914:0261-3077
797:NZ Herald
739:0261-3077
612:The Argus
582:The Argus
555:The Argus
500:0190-8286
440:0261-3077
405:DJMag.com
317:Aftermath
306:lifeboats
238:Logistics
195:Channel 4
84:0°09′02″W
65:, England
35:West Pier
1180:Brighton
252:A23 road
231:Big Beat
183:Brighton
63:Brighton
347:box set
215:called
175:concert
154:250,000
143:Arrests
48: (
1120:Mixmag
973:Mixmag
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267:police
127:Deaths
771:Metro
159:Album
58:Venue
1155:2024
1129:2023
1102:2024
1079:2024
1054:2024
1031:2024
1006:2024
980:2024
955:2024
944:ISSN
921:2024
910:ISSN
887:2023
856:2023
827:2024
805:2024
779:2023
746:2023
735:ISSN
703:2024
677:2024
652:2023
621:2023
590:2024
564:2023
533:2024
507:2024
496:ISSN
473:2024
447:2024
436:ISSN
413:2024
387:2024
269:and
260:Hove
250:The
109:Type
43:Date
1072:NME
138:171
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