The Axe Ceremony Festival Canceled
The Axe ceremony festival in Mexico City has been canceled following the tragic collapse of a crane that resulted in the deaths of two photojournalists.
The main event was scheduled to take place over the weekend in a two-hundred-year-old park, but local authorities called off the festivities on Sunday (April 6). Reports indicate that the crane, which was carrying a decorative metal object, collapsed around 17:30 on Saturday due to a sudden gust of wind.
The two photographers, Miguel Angel Rohas (26) and Berenis Giles (28), suffered severe brain injuries and fractures from the incident. They were contributing to the musical publication Mr. Indie.
Los Equipos de @Mhgobyj u @MhprevencionJunto Con El @inveacdmxConclusion La Verificación Y Colocaron Los Sellos de Suspensión de Actividades en Los Accusos Al Ax Ceremonia, El Parque Bicentenario.
Por Lo Que SE Suspende El Evento de Este Domingo 6 de Abril. pic.twitter.com/jjwexhupl
– Alcaldía Miguel Hidalgo (@alcaldiamhmx) April 6, 2025
Tributes to the Deceased
“With deep sadness, we bid farewell to our friends and colleagues, Berenis Giles and Miguel Ernandez, who died while fulfilling their journalistic duties,” stated Mr. Indie. “Both were integral parts of Mr. IndieMedia, which thrives because of passionate individuals like them. We aim to honor their love for music and photography, along with their dedication to this project, which was also theirs.”
Nos Duele El Corazón.
Shore. Eran Nuestros Amigos, Nuestros Compañeros, Nuestras Miraadas Detrás de la Moughica.
Hoy Costartimos Este ComuniCado Para Honrar Lo pic.twitter.com/n1nqttblby
– Mr. Indie (@_mrindie) April 6, 2025
The mayor’s office in Miguel Idalgo confirmed the event’s cancellation on Sunday. “Teams from the Government of Miguel Idalgo, along with the Department of Civil Protection and the Institute of Administrative Verification of Mexico City, conducted an inspection and placed suspension seals at the AX ceremony in the two-hundred-year park,” they reported.
The prosecutor’s office in Mexico City announced that an investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident has commenced.
Despite the accident, the festival continued as planned on Saturday, featuring performances by Charli XCX, the South Korean boy band Tomorrow X, and Mexican rapper Nathanael Cano. The lineup for Sunday included Massive Attack and Tyler, The Creator, but was canceled. The festival confirmed that all ticket purchasers would receive refunds through Ticketmaster.
– ax ceremony (@axeceremonia) April 6, 2025
The festival conveyed via their Instagram stories, “With profound sadness, we confirm that two individuals were injured during today’s incident. We are heartbroken by this loss and are reaching out to their families with our support during this incredibly challenging time.”
The festival emphasized, “The safety of our community has always been our priority, and we continue to maintain close cooperation and transparency with the authorities. We will provide official updates about this event through our social networks.”
The mayor’s office noted that the incident may have been caused by the installation of additional cranes that were not part of the initial verification program.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/mexican-festival-axe-ceremonia-cancelled-after-crane-collapse-leaves-two-photographers-dead-3852321?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mexican-festival-axe-ceremonia-cancelled-after-crane-collapse-leaves-two-photographers-dead
