COLOMBIA · SAFETY
Key Facts
- The country Colombia, a close US security partner in South America, is led by President Abelardo de la Espriella.
- What happened A 51-year-old British cancer doctor who lived in the United States died on Monday, 12 October, after falling ill at a Medellín music festival.
- The festival EDC, a brand of the US company Insomniac, held its first Colombian edition on 10 and 11 October at Medellín’s main sports complex.
- Earlier death A Costa Rican man died early on Sunday, 11 October, after falling ill on the festival’s opening night.
- Medical cases Medellín’s health department counted 193 medical cases at the festival, 107 of them linked to intoxication, and seven hospital transfers.
- Cause of death No official cause has been published for either man, and forensic results are still pending.
- Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.9 points (October 2026 edition).
A 51-year-old British cancer doctor living in the US has died after falling ill at EDC, a Medellín festival of electronic music in Colombia. He is the second foreigner to die after the Medellín festival, held on 10 and 11 October by a US festival brand.
Colombian outlets including El Espectador and La FM reported on Tuesday, 13 October, that he died the previous afternoon in a clinic. Local media have linked his death to drug and alcohol use, but no official cause of death has been published.
What Happened to the Doctor
El Tiempo reported the death early on Tuesday, describing the man as an English oncologist based in the United States who specialised in prostate cancer. El Espectador and Vanguardia later said he had co-founded a prostate cancer institute in Arizona in 2002.
He fell ill at the Medellín festival on Sunday, 11 October, and was taken to the El Rosario clinic, Publimetro and Vanguardia report. He died there at about 5 p.m. on Monday, 12 October, a public holiday in Colombia.
La FM reported that Medellín’s security department linked his condition to a high intake of amphetamines and alcohol. El Espectador stressed that the exact circumstances are still under investigation and that the official cause must await the relevant procedures.
The paper also cautioned that drug use inside the Medellín festival should not be assumed without official information to back it up. Colombia’s state forensic institute, known as Medicina Legal, normally establishes the cause of death in such cases.
The First Death on Opening Night
The first victim was a Costa Rican man who fell ill on the festival’s opening night, Saturday, 10 October. El Colombiano, Publimetro and Vanguardia report that he was found unconscious and died early on Sunday at the Pablo Tobón Uribe hospital.
Investigators are looking into a possible overdose, which has not been confirmed. His father has told El Colombiano and Noticias Caracol that his son was not an addict.
The Rio Times reported the Costa Rican’s death on 11 October, when it was the only death linked to the Medellín festival. Authorities have not said whether the two deaths are connected.
What Medellín’s Health Department Reported
Natalia López, the city’s health secretary, reported 193 medical cases at the Medellín festival’s care points over the two days. Of those, 107 were linked to some kind of intoxication, and seven people were taken to hospitals in the city.
López urged people at large events to look after their health and to use the medical points when they need help. “Above any celebration is life,” she said, according to Telemedellín and La FM.
A Stabbing After the Festival
In a separate case, an Australian man staying in Medellín’s Laureles district was found with 25 stab wounds early on Sunday, 11 October. El Colombiano and Semana both reported the attack, and El Colombiano said he had likely attended the festival that night.
El Colombiano said investigators were reviewing security cameras and treating robbery as one line of inquiry, with no arrests reported. The Rio Times covered the attack on 12 October, and nothing published so far ties it to the two deaths.
Medellín’s Big Night Out
EDC, short for Electric Daisy Carnival, is a large electronic dance music festival brand owned by the US events company Insomniac. The Rio Times previewed the Colombian debut before the event.
The festival used the Atanasio Girardot sports complex, home to the city’s main football stadium, in the Laureles-Estadio area. The two deaths and the stabbing all came during the long holiday weekend of the Medellín festival.
What It Means for You
The US State Department rates Colombia at Level 3, “Reconsider travel,” in an advisory issued on 31 March 2026. It lists drugging among the crimes visitors face and warns: “Never leave food or drinks unattended at a bar or restaurant.”
At any big Medellín festival or night out, stay with friends, watch your drink and find the medical point when you arrive. Carry insurance that covers emergency hospital care abroad, and read The Rio Times guide to staying safe in Colombia.
What Is Not Known
No official cause of death has been published for either man, and no public forensic report backs the drug findings described in the press. It is also not known what, if anything, either man took inside the festival grounds.
Authorities have not said whether the two deaths are linked or where any drugs were obtained. It is also not known whether Medellín will change its rules for future large festivals at the sports complex.
More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who died after the EDC Medellín festival?
Two foreign visitors died: a Costa Rican man who fell ill on the opening night and a British cancer doctor who lived in the US. The doctor, 51, died on Monday, 12 October, a day after he fell ill at the festival.
What caused the deaths?
No official cause has been published for either death. Press reports point to drug and alcohol use, and the authorities are investigating both cases.
How many people needed medical help at the festival?
Medellín’s health department reported 193 medical cases at the festival’s care points, 107 of them linked to intoxication. Seven people were taken to hospitals in the city.
Is Medellín safe for US travellers?
The US State Department advises Americans to reconsider travel to Colombia and warns of drugging and robberies, including through dating apps. Travellers should watch their drinks, stay with people they trust and avoid meeting strangers alone.
Sources: US State Department: Colombia Travel Advisory, 31 March 2026; Telemedellín: Balance de atenciones médicas durante el festival EDC, 13 October 2026; La FM: EDC Colombia en Medellín, 107 atenciones por intoxicación, 13 October 2026; El Espectador: Otro extranjero murió tras asistir al EDC en Medellín, 13 October 2026; El Tiempo: Oncólogo inglés murió durante el festival EDC en Medellín, 13 October 2026; Publimetro: Segunda muerte tras festival de música electrónica en Medellín, 13 October 2026; Vanguardia: Dos extranjeros muertos y un australiano apuñalado tras el EDC, 13 October 2026; El Colombiano: Habla el padre del costarricense que murió en el EDC, 13 October 2026; Noticias Caracol: Habla papá de costarricense hallado muerto en festival EDC, 12 October 2026; El Colombiano: Apuñalan a ciudadano australiano en Laureles, 11 October 2026; Semana: Brutal agresión contra un ciudadano australiano en Medellín, October 2026; EDC Colombia (Insomniac): official festival site, October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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