24/10/2026
OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM L1VE
Regarding the Turton College Halloween Ball
We would like to address a number of questions and concerns following last night’s Halloween Ball at L1VE, which was organised by the Turton College social events team, who booked our venue for the occasion.
Over the past two years, we have proudly hosted 12 college social events for Turton College and Bolton College. All of these events have been extremely successful, well attended and, importantly, have taken place without incident.
Last night’s Halloween Ball was once again an incredibly popular event. However, due to the overwhelming demand and a miscommunication surrounding ticket sales and availability on the door, a significant number of students arrived without tickets, expecting to be able to purchase admission upon arrival.
Unfortunately, this resulted in approximately 150–200 students gathering outside the venue who were unable to gain entry, as we had already reached our permitted capacity.
Safety has always been, and will always remain, our number one priority.
At approximately 9pm, our management team proactively contacted the police to explain the situation and seek advice on the safest course of action.
Despite our team communicating with those waiting outside, many understandably remained hopeful that additional entry would eventually be permitted. However, we must make it absolutely clear that exceeding our venue’s capacity was never an option, regardless of the circumstances.
Following discussions with the police, the difficult decision was made to bring the event to an early close at 10pm. This was considered the most appropriate way to safely disperse the crowds gathering around the main entrance and emergency exits.
We appreciate that there has since been considerable discussion across local social media pages and community noticeboards, and we would like to take this opportunity to clarify several important points.
There were no fights, no reported incidents of disorder, and no issues involving the behaviour of those attending the event.
Students inside the venue conducted themselves appropriately, as did those outside. Naturally, many of those unable to gain entry were disappointed and frustrated, particularly after spending time and money preparing for what they had expected to be a fantastic Halloween celebration.
The reality is that this event attracted far greater interest than anticipated, with students travelling from Accrington, Burnley, Blackburn, Bolton, Preston, Rochdale and surrounding areas.
What began as a college social event has clearly grown in popularity beyond expectations, and this is something we will be reviewing carefully with the organisers to ensure future events are managed as effectively as possible.
We are also aware that a police vehicle was positioned across the road outside the venue, resulting in some traffic disruption. This was an operational decision made by the police, and we understand it may have been necessary due to concerns about the number of people gathering on the pavement and the potential risk to road users.
We sincerely apologise to any motorists or local residents who experienced inconvenience as a result.
We would also like to highlight something we feel is particularly important.
We were all young once, and events like these play a valuable role in bringing young people together, allowing them to socialise, build friendships and enjoy themselves in a managed environment.
For some young people, particularly those who may struggle with confidence or social interaction, these events provide an important opportunity to feel included, express themselves and spend time with their friends.
We believe these opportunities should be encouraged, provided they are organised responsibly and with safety at their heart.
We fully appreciate the disappointment felt by those who were unable to attend and by those whose evening was cut short. We also recognise the inconvenience caused to the wider community.
However, when faced with a situation involving large numbers of people outside a venue already operating at capacity, we will always prioritise the safety and wellbeing of our guests, staff and members of the public over commercial considerations.
To reiterate, there was no fighting or disorder reported to us, and everyone complied with the decision to close the event at 10pm.
We would like to thank the police for their guidance and assistance, our staff for their professionalism, and the students who cooperated with the arrangements on the night.
We will be working closely with event organisers to review ticketing arrangements, entry procedures and communication ahead of future events to help prevent a similar situation from occurring again.
Ultimately, while the evening did not conclude as planned, the most important outcome is that everyone was able to leave safely.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
The Management Team
L1VE
