Drake’s three-day residency at Wireless Festival descended into chaos on Sunday, with thousands of fans describing the London event as “dangerous” after facing hours-long queues and tightly packed crowds.
The US rapper came on stage 10 minutes earlier than scheduled, leaving thousands of festivalgoers unable to enter Finsbury Park and feeling “disappointed” that they had missed the performance.
Videos posted on TikTok showed fans standing shoulder to shoulder and pleading with security staff to allow them inside, insisting they had valid tickets for the day.
The problems extended beyond general admission. VIP guests told MailOnline they had been made to wait for as long as three hours before deciding they would not be allowed in and returning home.
One guest trying to enter said: “We arrived at the guest/VIP entrance to the festival at 5:30pm and the queue was massive, but we joined it and hoped it would move quickly. We ended up waiting for more than two hours and still weren’t inside the festival.
“When I asked security what was happening and whether we would get in before Drake came on stage, they said they couldn’t give us a time but warned it would be at least another half an hour.”
Drake’s three-day Wireless Festival residency descended into chaos on Sunday, with thousands of fans describing the London event as “dangerous” after facing hours-long queues
The US rapper came on stage 10 minutes earlier than scheduled, leaving thousands of festivalgoers unable to enter Finsbury Park for the show
“People were becoming increasingly angry, and some began pushing past security. It felt dangerous, so we decided it was better to leave. We didn’t even get inside the festival.
“It was incredibly disappointing that the festival had invited all these people and then treated us that way. No staff members were willing to come out and explain what was happening or help resolve the situation.”
Another fan criticised the event’s crowd control on X, writing: “Whoever was responsible for crowd management at Wireless this year needs to be fired.
“I’ve never seen a VIP queue where people are kept outside for more than 30 minutes without any explanation.”
A third attendee claimed: “It looks like a fight broke out at Drake’s Wireless Fest, and the police are currently preventing anyone from entering or leaving the festival.”
Other festivalgoers shared their experiences on TikTok. One filmed the enormous queue and wrote: “Wireless VIP is literally a shambles. People are fighting and getting crushed; you literally cannot move.”
Another user listed the reasons they believed “Wireless Sunday was terrible”, citing a lack of drinks in the VIP area, fights breaking out and Drake’s shortened set.
The fans who failed to get inside were not the only ones left unhappy. Drake’s headline performance was also cut by 50 minutes.
Videos shared on TikTok showed festivalgoers standing shoulder to shoulder and pleading with security to let them inside because they had tickets for the day
VIP guests also reported lengthy queues, with some telling MailOnline they waited up to three hours before deciding to leave
One fan criticised Wireless Festival’s crowd management on X and said those responsible “need to be fired”
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A third attendee claimed a fight had broken out at Drake’s Wireless Festival and that police were preventing people from entering or leaving
Festivalgoers described their experiences on TikTok, with complaints including huge queues, fights and problems in the VIP area
Drake arrived on stage 10 minutes ahead of schedule and told the audience he would continue performing until his microphone was switched off, referencing the festival’s strict 9:30pm curfew.
He brought out just three special guests during the set: Popcaan, Rema and Vybz Kartel. That was a sharp contrast with Saturday, when he performed for 90 minutes alongside 12 guest artists.
Earlier on Sunday, the official schedule had listed two Drake performances, at 6:25pm and 8:55pm.
The first slot mysteriously disappeared from the timetable during the afternoon, while scheduled performances by Vybz Kartel and Burna Boy went ahead at their advertised times.
Drake appeared visibly agitated, a marked change from the more upbeat mood he had shown during his other performances over the weekend.
The Toronto rapper opened with an unreleased collaboration featuring British artist Central Cee. Central Cee did not join him on stage, instead mouthing the lyrics from the front row as his image was shown on the festival’s giant screens.
Drake repeatedly apologised to the audience and promised to perform some of his biggest hits in an effort to win them over.
“London, I will love you for the rest of my life,” he told the crowd before racing through a medley that included Controlla, Find Your Love and One Dance. The songs were remixed and performed at a brisk pace.
The fans who failed to gain entry were not the only ones disappointed, as Drake’s headline performance was cut by 50 minutes
Drake came on stage 10 minutes early and said he would perform until his microphone was cut off, referring to the strict 9:30pm curfew; pictured with Vybz Kartel
Drake performed with only three special guests—Popcaan, Rema and Vybz Kartel—compared with the 12 guests who joined him during Saturday’s 90-minute set
A surprise appearance by Nigerian rapper Rema lifted the mood, with performances of Calm Down and Fever among the highlights.
After a brief appearance by Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel, who had performed to a large crowd earlier in the day, Drake had time for only two more solo songs.
For the third consecutive night, Drake climbed onto a crane and waved to the 50,000 people in attendance as Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You played over the speakers, bringing his set to an end.
Fans voiced their frustration to the BBC as they made their way towards the exits. Many said they had spent longer queuing to enter the venue than they had watching Drake perform.
As attendees tried to leave, reports emerged of distress at the accessible exit. People could be heard asking security to let them out after being told they would have to remain in a confined area for 10 minutes or until other security staff gave permission for them to leave.
MailOnline has contacted Wireless Festival and representatives for Drake for comment.
