People filmed climbing Lakota's fence to get to Fatboy Slim 'free rave' before Bristol gig shut down

  • Watch the moment people began climbing over the wall

A Fatboy Slim and Eats Everything gig in Bristol had to be stopped after people started climbing the venue's walls to get inside.

Witnesses said hundreds of partygoers scaled the walls of Lakota in a bid to get into the free party last night (10 October). It came after police had moved it on from a different location in the city.

Pictures and videos from the scene show crowds of people outside the on Upper York Street venue waiting to get inside.

However, as people lost patience they began to climb the walls to avoid the long queues.

The event, to promote Fatboy Slim and Eats Everything's new track 'Bristol To Brighton', was originally planned to take place under the Avon Bridge at Ashton Meadows.

However, as this would have bene an unlicenced music event Avon and Somerset Police said the gig could not go ahead.

In a statement, Avon and Somerset Police said: "Officers attended the Cumberland Basin area of Bristol at around 4.30pm yesterday (12 September) due to music equipment being unloaded from a van, for what appeared to be an unlicensed music event.

“They engaged with organisers at the scene, and they agreed not to continue with the event at this location. The organisers subsequently made arrangements with the owner of a nightclub in the Stokes Croft area to host it at its premises.”

The free gig was then moved to Lakota's car park and was due to begin at 7pm.

Security was heard telling people they could not open up the event until people lined up properly Credit: BPM Media

But hundreds more people than could fit inside the venue arrived - and some soon tried to overwhelm security.

One woman who was caught up in the crowd described how she had a panic attack as she felt increasingly unsafe.

Eva said she was thrown into the venue past the barriers after a surge of people charged forward at the gate.

She said: “There were young people laughing blocking the bouncers and no one was taking it seriously. Someone would have got hurt.

"The bouncer got his foot stuck in the barrier and was screaming to get it out. The only way out was by the DJ van but I couldn’t get through the crowd.

"I had a panic attack at the bar and the bartender thankfully helped me out. I felt very unsafe, it was dangerous.”

Replying to online accusations that the venue's security had "completely broken down", Lakota's owner, Marti Burgess defended her staff and agreed that the space was not big enough.

Others praised security for an "amazing" response.

One person said: "The security were amazing, how they held back those thousands of people with nothing but pure strength at times when people were surging forward was insane."

Another said staff were "excellent and wonderful" but the space was simply "not big enough" to cope.

ITV News has contacted representatives for Fatboy Slim, Eats Everything and Lakota for comment.