Crowds, concerts and big events

Festivals, concerts, national day celebrations, match days and New Year fireworks are some of the best nights of the year. Crowd experts agree that the danger is density, not size, and that small decisions made early keep you safe.

Density is what matters

• Professor G Keith Still, visiting professor of crowd science at the University of Suffolk, told ITV that risk comes from exposure to high density, which can happen at small events as well as large ones.
• He describes about one person per square metre as plenty of room, around five as the safe maximum, and six per square metre as the point where, in his words, 'things get scary'.
• Mehdi Moussaid of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development gives similar thresholds to NPR: below five people per square metre is fine, above six starts becoming dangerous, and around eight usually causes injuries or worse.
• A simple self-check from Moussaid: if people are touching both your shoulders, density is probably around six or more. Move away while you still can.

Before you go

• Study the venue map on the event website or app and note emergency exits and open areas (Get Licensed Safety Hub).
• Agree a meeting point with your group in case you get separated, as Professor Still and Get Licensed Safety Hub recommend. Choose somewhere away from the main crowd.
• Carry only essentials, such as phone, ID and some cash, in a small cross-body bag rather than a large backpack (Get Licensed Safety Hub).
• Check the weather. Heat or sudden rain can make crowds rush for shelter, so dress and hydrate for it. In the GCC, outdoor evening events can still be very hot.
• Professor Still notes that disorganised entry, such as long queues without clear lanes, is usually an early warning about how the rest of the event is run.

Reading the crowd while you are there

• As you arrive, look at how you came in, where the other exits are and whether exit signs are visible (Professor Still).
• Warning signs include pushing, shouting or erratic movement. If you notice them, move towards an exit early (Get Licensed Safety Hub).
• Stay near the edges or towards an exit rather than in the dense middle, and avoid standing against walls, fences and barriers, where Moussaid says injuries often happen as people are pressed against them.
• Moussaid's most important advice: if you feel uncomfortable and can still move, leave early rather than pushing forward. 'If you feel bad, it means that really it's dangerous.'

If a crowd starts to surge

• Protect your breathing. Moussaid explains that lack of oxygen is the main cause of death in crowds; hold your arms in front of your chest, elbows bent, to keep space for your lungs.
• Do not push back. Moussaid says pushing amplifies waves through the crowd, so go with the flow (NPR); Get Licensed Safety Hub adds that you should angle diagonally towards a safer area or exit.
• Stay on your feet and keep bags off the ground: a fall can trigger a pile-up, and even a dropped backpack becomes an obstacle (NPR).
• If you fall and cannot get up, curl into a ball and protect your head with your arms (Get Licensed Safety Hub).
• Help others where you can and shout for stewards if someone is down. Moussaid notes that helping behaviour spreads through crowds.

Leaving and afterwards

• Do not rush the nearest exit with everyone else. Use a less crowded one, or wait a few minutes for the crowd to thin (Get Licensed Safety Hub).
• Meet your group at the agreed spot, drink water and message home to say you are out.
• Professor Still advises extra care at events abroad, because safety rules and protections vary by country.