At least 15 people were injured during a crowd surge at the FM95BLÖ concert in Laugardalshöll on Saturday, June 1, reports RÚV.
According to Landspítali emergency department staff, multiple concertgoers were treated for injuries sustained in what medical professionals described as a dangerous “crowd crush.” Several attendees suffered broken bones, and one person was hospitalised for 12 hours due to a fracture.
“I think it’s quite clear that the situation last night was extremely dangerous,” Landspítali nurse Elín Tryggvadóttir told RÚV. “There are very serious injuries that can occur [when people lose contact with the ground.] They fall and get trampled. In this kind of crush, you’re looking at broken bones, bruising, internal injuries, spinal, neck, and head trauma. There’s also the risk of suffocation — and people can even die.”
An estimated 10,000 people were in attendance to mark the 14th anniversary of FM95BLÖ, a popular radio show hosted by Auðunn Blöndal, Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson, and Egill Einarsson. The event was organised by Nordic Live Events.
Witnesses respond
Multiple attendees have described chaotic and unsafe conditions both inside and outside the venue. One young woman who asked to remain anonymous said she witnessed people being trampled.
“It was disgusting. I’m never going to another FM95Blö concert,” she said. “I saw at least two people get trampled under that flood of people.”
She described being swept up in a surge of people shortly after entering the hall. “Everyone was pushing and shoving. One guy was shoving me in the back so hard I nearly fell. And if I had fallen, I would have ended up under everyone. There were a lot of girls around me falling.”
The same witness also alleged aggressive behaviour from police, saying she recorded a video of an officer pushing a man down a staircase and nearly falling onto a pregnant woman.
Organisers release a statement
In a statement released on Saturday, Nordic Live Events acknowledged that a surge had taken place but claimed it lasted only 20 to 30 minutes and resulted in “minor injuries.” They expressed regret and stated that security had been reinforced beyond requirements.
Björgvin Þór Rúnarsson, owner of Nordic Live Events, stated that extensive effort went into planning the event and that they decided to double the number of security personnel required by regulations.
However, Jens Andri Fylkisson, who oversaw on-site security, contradicted those claims, saying the number of guards only slightly exceeded the minimum. “Police requested 65 security staff. We had 75,” he told RÚV.
The witness disagreed with that assessment. “What security? I’m not trying to be mean to the staff. I read somewhere that they tried their best. But this was a security team that was not prepared for this at all, and the police didn’t seem to know how to keep control or manage the situation. And meanwhile, the guys are just up on stage saying this is the best gig ever.”
She said ultimate responsibility lies with the show’s creators. “All the responsibility is on them. They’re the ones organising this. You need to be prepared for anything — and make sure there’s space for people to breathe.”
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
