The 2025 AXE Ceremonia festival, held at the Parque Bicentenario in Mexico City, turned tragic when a decorative structure collapsed due to high winds, resulting in the deaths of two photojournalists. The incident highlighted serious security lapses and lack of emergency protocols within the event.
Inadequate Safety Measures
Inadequate safety measures and effective emergency protocols were not in place, while communication from festival organizers was also unclear with attendees. This left many uncertain about the situation.
Timeline of Events
- Saturday, April 5:
- 17:00 hours: During Meme del Real’s performance, a crane-type boom lift holding a decorative structure collapsed due to strong winds. The collapse affected photojournalists Berenice Giles Rivera and Miguel Ángel Rojas Hernández, who were covering the event.
- 17:00-22:00 hours: Despite the incident, the festival continued without apparent interruptions. The lack of cell phone service and official information caused confusion among attendees, many of whom were unaware of what had occurred.
- 22:00 hours: The festival’s official Instagram account posted an announcement about the incident on their stories.
- 23:00 hours: Clara Brugada, Head of Government, publicly confirmed the events.
- 23:04 hours: IMSS Bienestar reported that emergency medical personnel at the event provided necessary care; they performed CPR and attempted to revive the victims before transporting them to Hospital General “Dr. Rubén Leñero”, where they were pronounced dead upon arrival.
- Sunday, April 6:
- 02:00 hours: The Miguel Hidalgo aldermanship placed closure seals on the Parque Bicentenario, officially suspending the event.
- 06:27 hours: Mr. Indie, where Berenice and Miguel worked, expressed their profound loss.
- 09:41 hours: The Instituto de Administración y Avalúos de Bienes Nacionales (INDAABIN) will review the concession of Parque Bicentenario, which was granted to the company Operadora de Proyectos de Entretenimiento NLP during Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration.
- 10:10 hours: AXE Ceremonia officially announced the cancellation of the second day of the festival; however, people pointed out that organizers did not suspend it but rather couldn’t continue. Ticketmaster activated ticket refunds and service charges.
- 10:37 hours: Following the second day’s cancellation, Mexico’s Federal Consumer Prosecutor (Profeco) reminded consumers of their rights after event cancellations.
- 11:19 hours: The official X account for Parque Bicentenario mourned the deaths of the photojournalists and stated they would collaborate with organizers and authorities.
- 13:09 hours: Mauricio Tabe Echartea, Head of Miguel Hidalgo aldermanship, reported that local and capital authorities had conducted a verification visit on the property the previous Friday, where they found the crane was not properly installed.
- 17:00 hours: Journalists organized a memorial for Berenice and Miguel. Journalists, relatives, and attendees demanded justice.
- Saturday, April 5:
- 5:00 PM: During Meme del Real’s performance, a crane-type gantry structure collapsed due to a wind gust. The collapse affected photojournalists Berenice Giles Rivera and Miguel Ángel Rojas Hernández, who were covering the event.
- 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Despite the incident, the festival continued without apparent interruptions. Lack of cell phone service and absence of official information caused confusion among attendees, many of whom remained unaware of what had transpired.
- 10:00 PM: The festival’s official Instagram account posted an announcement about the incident through its stories.
- 11:00 PM: Clara Brugada, Head of Government, publicly confirmed the events.
- 11:04 PM: IMSS Bienestar reported that emergency medical personnel at the event provided necessary care; they performed CPR to restore vital signs and transported the victims to the General Hospital “Dr. Rubén Leñero,” where they arrived deceased.
- Sunday, April 6:
- 2:00 AM: The Miguel Hidalgo aldermanship placed closure seals on the Parque Bicentenario, officially suspending the event.
- 6:27 AM: Mr. Indie, a media outlet where Berenice and Miguel worked, expressed their irreplaceable loss as friends.
- 9:41 AM: The Instituto de Administración y Avalúos de Bienes Nacionales (INDAABIN) announced a review of the Parque Bicentenario concession, granted to the company Operadora de Proyectos de Entretenimiento NLP during Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration.
- 10:10 AM: AXE Ceremonia officially announced the cancellation of the second festival day; however, attendees claimed organizers did not suspend but rather were unable to continue.
- 10:37 AM: Following the second day’s cancellation, Mexico City’s Consumer Protection Prosecutor (Profeco) reminded consumers of their rights in such cases.
- 1:09 PM: Miguel Hidalgo Alcalde Mauricio Tabe Echartea stated that local and capital authorities had conducted a verification visit to the premises the previous Friday, but the crane was not in place.
- 5:00 PM: Journalists organized a memorial for Berenice and Miguel; family members, friends, and attendees demanded justice.
Timeline of the Accident
Saturday, April 5th
- 5:00 PM: During Meme del Real’s performance, a crane-type knuckleboom lift-supported decorative structure collapsed due to a gust of wind. The collapse affected photojournalists Berenice Giles Rivera and Miguel Ángel Rojas Hernández, who were covering the event.
- 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Despite the incident, the festival continued without apparent interruptions. Lack of cellular service and official information caused confusion among attendees, many of whom remained unaware of what had occurred.
- 10:00 PM: The festival’s official Instagram account posted a statement via stories about the incident.
- 11:00 PM: Clara Brugada, Head of Government, publicly confirmed the events.
- 11:04 PM: IMSS Bienestar reported that paramedics at the event provided necessary care; they performed CPR to restore vital signs and were transported to General Hospital “Dr. Rubén Leñero,” where they arrived deceased.
Sunday, April 6th
- 2:00 AM: The Miguel Hidalgo aldermanship placed closure seals on the Parque Bicentenario, officially suspending the event.
- 6:27 AM: Mr. Indie, where Berenice and Miguel worked, expressed their irreplaceable loss as friends.
- 9:41 AM: The Institute for the Administration and Valuation of National Goods (INDAABIN) announced it would review the Parque Bicentenario concession, which was granted to NLP Entertainment Projects Company during Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration.
- 10:10 AM: AXE Ceremonia officially announced the cancellation of the second festival day; however, people noted that organizers did not suspend it but rather could not continue. Ticketmaster activated ticket refunds and service charges.
- 10:37 AM: Following the second day’s cancellation, Mexico’s Federal Consumer Prosecutor (Profeco) reminded consumers of their rights after event cancellations.
- 1:09 PM: Mauricio Tabe Echartea, Alcalde of Miguel Hidalgo, reported that local and capital authorities had conducted a verification visit on the property the previous Friday, and the crane was not in place.
- 5:00 PM: Journalists organized a memorial for Berenice and Miguel. Journalists, family members, and attendees demanded justice.
Monday, April 7th
- 10:00 AM: During her morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum questioned the private concession of Parque Bicentenario and requested Sedatu review its conditions to determine if it could be revoked.
- 10:00 AM: A statement from the festival’s official accounts stated they follow authorities’ instructions while supporting victims’ families.
- 10:00 AM: The FGJCDMX began an investigation to clarify responsibilities.
Tuesday, April 8th
- 10:00 AM: Luis Avilés, representative of Hits Futuros, the company managing PR campaigns, published a statement about the services provided at the festival, distancing themselves from the incident but criticized for being insensitive and not supporting journalists during the tragedy.
- 10:00 AM: Fiscal Bertha Alcalde Luján announced that the investigation would focus on three main aspects: crane operators, festival organizers, and authorities responsible for safety before and after the event.
- 10:00 AM: Relatives of Berenice Giles, the photojournalist who died in the AXE Ceremonia Festival, reported theft of her camera.
- 10:00 AM: Diego Jiménez Labora, owner of the company organizing the AXE Ceremonia, posted a message on Instagram stating cooperation with authorities and support for Berenice and Miguel Ángel’s families. His account was previously deleted.
Wednesday, April 9th
- 10:00 AM: Media outlets called for a national strike to demand justice for Berenice and Miguel Ángel and highlighted the precarious conditions under which journalists work.
Thursday, April 10th
- 10:00 AM: During her morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that results of the Parque Bicentenario concession investigation would be presented soon.
Friday, April 11th
- 10:00 AM: Frida Guillén, Panist deputy in the CDMX Congress, proposed an initiative to provide life insurance for journalists.
