Festival-goers left suspended inverted following breakdown of enormous fairground attraction at Boardmasters celebration
Breakdown on Apollo 13 Ride at Boardmasters Festival in 2025
A thrilling ride at the Boardmasters Festival in Newquay, Cornwall, turned into a frightening experience for some festival-goers in 2025. The Apollo 13 fairground ride, named after the ill-fated Apollo 13 space mission, malfunctioned, leaving passengers dangling upside-down for approximately 20 minutes.
The incident occurred on a busy day, with thousands of Brits in attendance. CrossCountry, the train operator, had warned that roads leading to the area would be congested during the festival and advised that the simplest way to get to Newquay was to change at Plymouth station, predicting it would be the busiest connecting station during the event.
One festival-goer who was on the Apollo 13 ride at the time of the malfunction shared a video of the incident on TikTok, which has since been viewed over 500 times. In the video, passengers can be heard expressing fear and empathy for being stuck on the ride. One comment on the video stated, "No, imagine being stuck up there and it starts to move because of the wind..."
Nelly Furtado, a Noughties icon, headlined the festival that year, performing a variety of dance hits including Maneater and I'm Like a Bird. Despite the incident on the Apollo 13 ride, the festival continued, with many attendees enjoying the music and other attractions.
It is unclear whether there was a similar incident involving the Apollo 13 ride at the Boardmasters Festival in 2021. Searches did not yield any specific results for that year, and no official investigation results or detailed reports on the cause or safety outcomes of the 2025 incident are publicly available.
Shuttles run to the festival every fifteen minutes from Newquay station, making it an easy and convenient way for festival-goers to travel to and from the event. CrossCountry advises festival-goers to plan their journeys in advance and to allow extra time for travel during busy periods.
[1] Boardmasters Festival Incident on Apollo 13 Ride in 2025: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58475387 [3] Apollo 13 Ride Malfunctions at Boardmasters Festival: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/aug/15/apollo-13-ride-malfunctions-boardmasters-festival-newquay-cornwall
- Amidst the general news and entertainment at the Boardmasters Festival in 2025, a car-accident-like scenario unfolded on the Apollo 13 ride, as passengers found themselves stuck upside-down for several minutes.
- After the distressing event on the Apollo 13 ride at the Boardmasters Festival in 2025, many festival-goers turned to social media to share their experiences, with videos circulating on platforms like TikTok.
