Are Festivals Safe for Youth?

Festivals - the hot sun, warm grass, good music, good food… Festivals - the drunk vomiting, sexual assaults, tent thefts, physical rows… They’re all fun and games, the perfect escape from reality until something happens and reality hits. Hard. Sure the sun's hot and the beer's cold but is this really a place that is safe for young people?

Reading Festival 2017 by Molly Farrenden

It’s no shocker to anyone in the music industry to hear that there have been multiple deaths and injuries sustained at a Music Festival over the last few years. The most recent ones being at Reading and Leeds Festival 2019. But why are we not surprised? If it’s so predictable and common that it’s no huge discovery to hear that fact then why do we still go? More and more young people are attending the major festivals each year and they’re taking more and more drugs. Is that safe? And more importantly, is it safe for malleable youths?

Coming straight from the horse’s mouth, I spoke to a few avid festival goers on their opinions on festivals and whether or not they’re safe for young people. One of the most important questions was ‘What’s the worst thing you’ve seen at a festival?’, these were some of the answers: “we were a couple of tents over from an assault and seeing the police wondering about was a real reality check.” (Jade Hurn, <25, 2019), “during Nightwish there was a really big fight and there was no security. When I walked to find them, they couldn’t care less.” (Carl Burdon, 25+, 2019), “In 2018 at the black camp, we were walking up to go to the village and we saw a tent corned off with police tape and stuff and was told by security that it was a violent attack and possible sexual assault.” (David Hatworth, 25, 2019). It’s hard to believe and accept that at the same time we’ve made great memories from festivals, someone nearby was making their worst, but it’s a harsh reality that we desperately try to avoid while we’re there.

Despite this, every person I spoke to told me that they think that festivals are safe for young people. 75% of these people gave a “conditional” yes, most saying that “If you’re sensible then it can be safe but you do have to be responsible. If you’re someone that’s quite easily led then maybe not [safe].” (Laura Elizabeth, 25+, 2019).

Though surprising, the answer is definitely warranted. More and more safety precautions are being undertaken by the festival industry that are leading to safer, more enjoyable festival experiences. For example, many festivals across the UK are introducing drug testing tents to their range of stalls where people can take their recreational drugs to be tested for impurities [i.e. rat poison in cannabis] (The Loop, 2019). Another example is the brand new ‘Safe Gigs for Women’ movement that have been getting a stand at festivals over the course of the last year. They are a small team of people that raise awareness to the sexual assaults that occur against women at gigs and festivals (Safe Gigs for Women, 2019).

With measures like these being put into place, we’re able to rest a little easier while trying to enjoy the real festival experience.