Pastor killed as sign falls at UK's largest Christian festival

Robert Guanco was 41 years old, a pastor at Jesus Living Water church in Eastbourne, a husband to someone named Isay, and father to a daughter named Ellie. On Friday afternoon, he was at the Big Church festival near Steyning in West Sussex—the largest Christian gathering of its kind in the UK—when a large wooden sign reading "Everything's Unmissable" was caught by wind and fell. He died in the incident. Six other people were injured, four of them taken to hospital.

The festival had opened that same day and was scheduled to run through Sunday. It features worship, music, and various performances, and has been held annually since 2009. Festivalgoers who were nearby when the sign fell rushed to lift it, trying to help. Many in the crowd did not immediately understand the severity of what had happened. The first public indication that something catastrophic had occurred came when God TV, which was broadcasting the event live, paused the stream and announced only that there had been "unforeseen circumstances."

On Sunday, three days after the incident, Jesus Living Water church released a statement through a GoFundMe campaign established to support Guanco's family. The church described him as "our beloved brother, friend and pastor"—a man whose life was marked by humility, faith, compassion, and service. He was, they said, a faithful servant whose ministry and kindness had touched many lives. His family now faced what the church called "unimaginable loss."

The festival's organisers announced they were "heartbroken" and cancelled all remaining events. In a statement, they said their thoughts were with those affected, their families and friends, and everyone who had witnessed what happened. They confirmed they were working with police, the Health and Safety Executive, and other authorities to establish the full circumstances of the incident. The archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, said she was "sad and shocked" by the tragedy and offered prayers for Guanco's family, those receiving medical treatment, healthcare workers, and the thousands of festivalgoers and staff processing what they had witnessed.

Sussex police's Detective Chief Superintendent Richard McDonagh appealed to the thousands of people present at the festival on Friday to come forward with information or video footage. The investigation into how and why the sign fell, and what might have been done to prevent it, was underway. For now, the circumstances remained under examination—a gap between the moment the wind caught the structure and the moment it came down, a space that investigators and authorities would work to understand in the days and weeks ahead.