Festivalgoers have blasted Citadel organisers after they were forced to queue ‘like cattle’ for ‘two hours’ for tubes to leave the event – only to be told the station was closed for the night.

The chaos has earned the festival a new name among music fans: Shitadel.

Attendees have described being ‘shoved about’ as they waited in ‘what felt like a sheep pen’ at Acton Town station, near Gunnersbury Park in London where the event was held, before discovering that the tubes had finished early as it was a Sunday.

Scores of people trying to get home from Citadel festival wait for a tube at Action Town station (BTPUnderground/Twitter)

Crowds enjoying the music at the festival – prior to the transport chaos (Picture: Burak Cingi/Redferns)

Some paid extortionate sums for Ubers home – while others reported having to sleep on the street till 5am when the first morning tube arrived.




One music fan even said she experienced a panic attack after being held in a ‘sheep pen’ for hours. The same woman took it upon herself to tell the crowds that there were no more trains, because, she said, ‘no member of staff made that clear’.

Some have said they won’t be returning to the event – which was headlined by Tame Impala this year – unless organisers make improvements to the exit process.

BTP shared an image on Twitter of scores of people lining Acton Town station’s platform waiting for a tube.

Attendees have now taken to social media to blast the event’s organisers.

Writing a review on Citadel’s Facebook page Megan Coughlan said, while ‘everything went well during the event,’ it was a different story when it came to getting home.

‘By the time we got even close to the station, me and my boyfriend escaped from what felt like a sheep pen as we heard someone mention that the tubes had finished early (which happens on a Sunday in London so it’s understandable) and went to ask if it was true.

‘After being led into having a panic attack from feeling claustrophobic within the impacted crowd, I ended up fuming and just busted my way through 5 sets of barriers and had to tell the 2000 people left within them that they weren’t getting a train, as NO MEMBER OF STAFF decided to make this clear,’ she said. She said what should have been a 30 minute journey ended up taking three hours.

Kieran Stewart said that the post-event organisation ‘was abysmal!’ ‘

Gemma Mcleod said she and her partner were ‘trapped on London streets’ till 5am, because they missed the last train despite leaving the festival early and queuing for nearly two hours. ‘There is no excuse for this to happen,’ she said.

Trapped on London streets till 5am after waiting nearly two hours in a queue, just to be told we've missed the last… Posted by Gemma Mcleod on Sunday, July 15, 2018

Lucy Kingsford was one of those who had to sleep on the street till the first morning train arrived.

Tame impala were incredible but there are now thousands of people stranded in London because the festival didn’t… Posted by Lucy Kingsford on Sunday, July 15, 2018

Rob Phoenix paid an eye-watering £300 to get back to Bristol.

Loved the festival. Seriously poor idea to have the main act at the end so everyone leaves at the same time. Would love… Posted by Rob Phoenix on Monday, July 16, 2018

Harry Ashworth added: ‘If you can’t get people home don’t host.’

Festivalgoers also took to Twitter to blast the post-event organisation.

Loved Tame Impala but #Citadel18 needs to answer for the fact we've queued over hour and a half like cattle for tube and now been told it's closed for the night. Total total fuck up and now stuck across the other side of London with no route home — Megan Sheraton (@megansheraton) July 15, 2018

Total shit show post #Citadel18. Queued for 2 hours with no water, told no information and then they just close the station and provide no alternative. Disgrace — Ciara Gorey (@CiaraGorey) July 15, 2018

And they keep us waiting and said 'we're just making you wait for the next train it'll only be a few minutes' and then they shut off the station and told us to leave. I kept asking staff 'what can we do to get home' and got told 'it's not our headache to deal with' — Fiji Fan (@chxnk182) July 16, 2018

#Citadel18 @CitadelFestival thanks to your frankly pathetic organisation I am now forced to take an Uber all the way home since you delayed everyone getting the last train back — Luke (@LDStoffberg) July 15, 2018

Absolutely disgusted at how @CitadelFestival and the @metpoliceuk are treating people outside Action station. All a disgrace and a true failure of our time. #Citadel18 — Katie Thompson (@thomp_katie) July 15, 2018

.@CitadelFestival pretty atrocious post-event travel arrangements. Luckily landed a train to central but friends queued for an hour&ahalf to be told Acton was closed… very helpful @TfL #Citadel18 — Alex (@Nibbsy92) July 15, 2018

#Citadel18 @CitadelFestival absolute disgrace post festival. Forced to take a £70 uber home — Nat Rush (@NateRush1) July 16, 2018

At least someone was able to see the humour in the situation…

getting on the last tube after citadel was genuinely how i imagine it felt to get on the last lifeboat on the titanic #Citadel18 #citadelfestival — hannah (@lugosiisdead) July 16, 2018

Citadel has been approached for comment.