A fairground ride at the Galactic Carnival Festival in Edinburgh reportedly malfunctioned mid-operation, launching a waltzer car filled with children into another car in a terrifying incident caught on video.
The crash happened around 7pm on Tuesday, 7 May 2025, at Wester Hailes Plaza. Several children were left shaken, including three siblings aged 13, 12, and 7.
‘Like Something Out of a Film’
Kevin McNulty, a parent who was riding in a car behind his children, said the car ahead — with his kids inside — came “completely off” the track and “went flying” at full speed into the car he was seated in.
He told Edinburgh Live: “Going full pelt, their car came completely off and then went flying into our car. It then smashed about the place crashing into the side off the track.”
He added: “Thankfully there was a heavy large speaker that they collided with or they would have been through the whole thing and then the ending would have been a completely different story.”
Mr McNulty said the showground remained open following the crash, with the Waltzers ride shut down but other rides continuing to operate. He described the situation as “like something you see in the movies”, adding his children were “very lucky” to escape serious injury.
Calls for Safety Inspections
No emergency service response or injuries requiring hospitalisation have yet been confirmed by local authorities, but calls have been made for a full safety inspection of the site.
The incident mirrors a series of recent international fairground accidents, including one in Chennai, India, in March this year, when a ride collapsed mid-air injuring two students. In another alarming event last December, a 13-year-old girl was left dangling 60ft from a Ferris wheel before being rescued.
What Is Being Done?
As of Wednesday morning, the ride remained closed pending further checks. It is unclear whether any regulatory or enforcement body — such as the Health and Safety Executive — has been called in.
The Galactic Carnival Festival has not yet issued a statement.
Witnesses or those with footage of the incident are encouraged to contact the event organisers or local authorities.
