6 hospitalized after packed Montreal Jazz Festival concert, officials say response went as planned

Though six people were taken to hospital during a free Montreal Jazz Festival concert on Saturday night, organizers and Urgences-santé said their handling of the event unfolded as planned.

Massive crowds of festivalgoers streamed across the site to catch a glimpse — or even just hear — Quebec's iconic masked band, Angine de Poitrine.

Urgences-santé spokesperson Benjamin Dansereau said emergency medical crews treated 10 people for a range of medical issues.

"Some had falls and some people were intoxicated too," Dansereau said.

"Of those 10 people, six were transported to an emergency room and four of them just refused transport with our team."

Dansereau said some of the six people taken to hospital were in more concerning, but non-life-threatening condition.

Still, Dansereau said these numbers were not "abnormal."

"We usually, during the peak moment of summer, do more than that. So no, it's not unusual and we prepare for that," he explained.

Dansereau added that emergency crews responded quickly and did a "very good job."

He encourages festivalgoers to stay hydrated, seek shade or air-conditioned spaces if they begin to feel overheated or dizzy, and be aware of their surroundings in large crowds.

Festivalgoer Robert Mark, who is no stranger to large concerts, said Saturday's show was "too much" for him.

"There was just the mass that was moving towards the stage and then other people that they were trying to fight to go in the other direction," Mark said.

"You could see people were trying to get out and they were having a difficult time ... There were a couple of girls who were a lot smaller, they were moving away. They looked fairly panicked, like they wanted to get out of there."

After moving toward the front of the stage, Mark and his friends eventually changed course and watched the concert from an area behind the main stage, where a large screen was broadcasting the performance.

Despite the crowd, Mark enjoyed seeing families with young children and fans dressed in polka dots in tribute to the band's signature costumes.

Festival organizers say the show went according to plan.

Maurin Auxéméry, director of programming for the Montreal Jazz Festival, said his team remained "in total control."

"I'm very, very proud of the team on how they handled the situation," he said.

Auxéméry said organizers had anticipated the large turnout, increased security staffing and followed their plan throughout the evening. Considering the size of the crowd, Auxéméry believes his team did a "great job."

He said access to Place des Festivals was closed about 30 to 45 minutes before the show.

Auxéméry described the concert as incredible, highlighting the fact that the festival had not seen crowds of that size since Stevie Wonder's performance in 2009.

"It's such a privilege to see that it's a local band that is gathering that many people here in downtown Montreal," he said.