Experts say a "small but significant" number of people have died after taking "easy to get hold of" drugs at music festivals – sparking calls for serious life-saving action.
Academics at the University of Liverpool have called for a national database of drug-related medical incidents at UK music festivals to improve safety and reduce the risk of deaths following a study, which estimated there were "five or six" drug fatalities at the popular events each year.
The exact number of drug-related deaths at UK music festivals is unknown, as there are currently no standard processes for registering such incidents. However, it is believed at least 32 people have died between 2017 and 2023, with the majority of suspected overdose victims being young people in their teens and twenties.
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It is estimated that up to 87% of festival attendees have tried illegal drugs in their lifetime – well above the average rate of young adults generally, which currently stands at 36%.
Professor Fiona Measham, chair of criminology at the University of Liverpool, said: “Our research has shown that there is a small but significant number of drug-related deaths at UK music festivals each year. It is clear that more needs to be done to reduce drug-related harm, to ensure that everyone can enjoy festivals safely and to prevent any other parents hearing the heart-breaking news that their child won’t be coming home.
“While our research has shed light on the issue, currently we’re in a situation where we don’t know the definite number of drug-related deaths at festivals. This makes it extremely difficult for everyone to understand whether the situation is getting better or worse and whether festival health initiatives such as drug checking services, amnesty bins and medical services are effective.
“What we do know is that people are more likely to take drugs at festivals than elsewhere and drug markets are especially unpredictable at the moment, with risk of overdose or poisoning from synthetics. Introducing a transparent, real-time publicly accessible database of drug-related harm across festivals would provide a comprehensive picture of the extent of the issue and whether or not on-site festival support services are effective.
“If we can warn people about dangerous substances in circulation and prevent overdoses and poisoning happening in the first place, not only do we reduce drug-related deaths and parents avoid the heartbreak of bereavement, it eases the pressures on the NHS and health services around these events.”
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