Pastor killed by falling sign at Big Church Festival in West Sussex

A 41-year-old pastor from Eastbourne, England, was killed and six others were injured when a large wooden sign collapsed at the Big Church Festival in West Sussex on Friday, August 28, 2026. The victim, Robert Guanco, was pronounced dead at the scene after the sign, which bore the words "Everythings Unmissable," fell onto a crowd near a tented area at the festival site on the Wiston Estate near Steyning. Emergency services were called to the scene just after 3:30 p.m. following the incident, which occurred on the festival's opening day. According to the South East Coast Ambulance Service, four of the injured were taken to local hospitals for treatment.