The 2012 Radiohead stage collapse in Toronto killed a crew member and prompted safety investigations, legal proceedings, and engineering accountability in Canada and the UK.
Key Facts
- Date of collapse
- 16 June 2012
- Fatality
- Scott Johnson, drum technician
- Additional injuries
- 3 road crew members injured
- Charges laid
- 13 charges under Ontario health and safety laws
- Case outcome
- Dropped September 2017 under Jordan ruling
- Engineer sanctioned
- Domenic Cugliari's license revoked in 2020
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The temporary stage structure erected at Downsview Park for a Radiohead concert was found to have a roof insufficiently strong to support the weight of the stage equipment. Inadequate technical advice and substandard construction techniques, attributed in part to engineer Domenic Cugliari, left the structure unable to bear the load placed upon it.
On 16 June 2012, during setup for the Radiohead concert at Downsview Park in Toronto, the stage collapsed before the performance began. Drum technician Scott Johnson was killed in the accident, and three other members of the road crew sustained injuries. The band and fellow musicians publicly offered tributes and condolences.
Legal proceedings followed, with Live Nation Canada and others charged under Ontario health and safety laws, though the case was ultimately dropped in 2017 under the Jordan ruling. Canadian and British inquests both returned findings of accidental death, and Professional Engineers Ontario revoked engineer Domenic Cugliari's license in 2020 for professional misconduct.