At Download Festival the safety of our customers is of the highest importance. We want to ensure that everyone who attends the Festival has not just an enjoyable and memorable experience but also one where your safety and wellbeing are ensured.
The Festival recognises that there may be some who wish to use drugs whilst at this event. The use of these substances carries with it risks – both medical and legal – to the persons consuming them and to the persons supplying them. With this in mind the following policy has been developed to maintain the Festival’s commitment to the safety of all persons on site.
Zero Tolerance:
Download Festival does not condone the use and supply of illegal drugs on site or that of new psychoactive substances (formerly known as legal highs). Each drug carries with it its own risk and when combined with other drugs, including alcohol, can have harmful effects that can result in medical and/or welfare attention being required. All relevant laws relating to drug enforcement within the United Kingdom are applicable within the Festival grounds and use and supply of illegal drugs can result in arrest and prosecution. Persons who are found to be in violation of this policy may be subject to eviction and refusal for re-admission should it be deemed necessary by the Event Management Team.
Terms and Conditions of Entry:
It is a condition of entry to Download Festival that no person is to attempt to enter the Festival site with illegal substances. These terms and conditions are available for viewing on the events website. These terms and conditions will also be displayed on each entrance to the Festival. Violation of these terms and conditions can result in either refusal by the Event Management Team to allow a person to enter the Festival or eviction from the event.
How to Seek Help:
The Festival wants to also assure our customers that should you require assistance throughout the event you can come to us for help without fear of getting into trouble. Your safety and wellbeing are our priority and being open and honest with us and our teams can help ensure this. With this in mind the Festival shall be providing a variety of services on site to assist you should you require them. This includes the following:
- Welfare Teams: Within both District X and the Arena there shall be welfare facilities staffed by a dedicated team of professionals who have experience in providing welfare services at music festivals such as ours. The District X facility shall be open 24 hours a day throughout the event and the Arena facility shall be open throughout the Arena opening hours. These teams shall be able to assist you should you have any concerns or need for support throughout your time at the Festival. Should you be having a difficult time and feel you need assistance but this is not medical-related, please visit this location.
- Medical Teams: Near to the welfare facility within District X there shall also be the medical facility. Additionally, within the Arena there shall be a medical facility that is located near to the welfare facility and open throughout the Arena opening hours. The medical team consists of experienced medical professionals who can assist you with any medical concerns you have.
- Substance and Alcohol Misuse Charities: In addition to the dedicated Festival-appointed welfare team there shall be charities on site who can provide guidance and support to any persons who have concerns relating to substance and alcohol misuse. These charities shall be based within District X and shall be open during the daylight hours of the event.
- Security and Stewarding Teams: Throughout the event site there shall be security and stewarding teams who shall maintain both fixed and mobile positions, including within the campsites and the Arena. If you have any concerns regarding your own welfare, your friends or any person please make this known to these people who can assist you in seeking further help from welfare and medical teams. Further details on the security measures at this event are below.
Security Measures:
As part of the drug policy for this event, and to ensure that prohibited items are not brought into the event site, a number of security measures shall be in place at all entry points to the Festival and to the Arena. A bag search shall be undertaken upon entry to the Festival along with the use of hand-held scanners. Customers shall be asked to empty their pockets of all items prior to this scan being undertaken. An additional bag search and pat down shall be in place at the Arena entrance and elsewhere on site as required. All bag searches shall be undertaken by experienced and qualified security personnel appointed by the Festival. Further detail on the prohibited items and the bag restrictions shall be available on the Festival website.
At all entry points to the Festival and to the Arena there shall be surrender bins available. Should you be in possession of any substances or other prohibited items please feel free to utilise these bins to dispose of these items.
Please note that there shall also be CCTV in operation throughout the event site.
The Event Management Team works closely with the local Police Force to ensure that all measures are being taken to ensure your safety throughout the Festival. Work is also undertaken to prevent dealers from accessing the event site and any person who is found to be attempting to access the site with the intention of dealing or is found to be dealing within the Festival grounds may be arrested. We ask our customers to assist us in safeguarding the Festival’s community by reporting any dealers they may encounter to a member of security with as much information as they can.
New Psychoactive Substances and Former Legal Highs:
Please note that as of November 2023 Nitrous Oxide canisters were made a Class C drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Nitrous Oxide and other former legal highs, referred to as New Psychoactive Substances, are dangerous and can lead to severe adverse effects should you choose to use them. It is also an offence to supply these drugs for use. If you do use these drugs we advise keeping a hold of the packet so that it can be shown to a member of the medical or welfare teams what you have taken should you require further assistance, but please note that what it says is in the packet may not necessarily be what is in the packet.
Medication:
The Festival allows for persons who require the use of medication to bring this to the event site and to store this on site for use during the event. However, in order to allow for this, the person requiring the medication must bring proof of prescription or a doctor’s letter, only bring the amount needed for the duration of the event, and the medication must be in the correct packaging and have the dispensary sticker intact and issued in the name of the ticket holder. Loose medication not in the correct packaging will not be permitted into the event site. For more information please refer to the Medication and Essential Medical Equipment Policy on the Festival’s website.
Alcohol:
The Festival encourages our community to drink responsibly whilst at the event. We encourage you to pace yourselves throughout the day and use water and soft drinks to assist in this. A Challenge 21 policy shall be in place at all bars throughout the event site and any persons who appear to be underage can be asked to present their ID for review prior to being permitted to buy a drink on site. Do not mix alcohol with drugs as this can have serious adverse effects that may leave you requiring medical attention. The Festival also encourages you to not leave your drink unattended and to not accept drinks from others.
Community Support:
We ask that the Download Festival community assists the Festival in looking out for one another during the event. If you see something that seems suspicious, or your friends or another member of the community requires support, please speak to a member of the event staff who shall be able to assist you, providing them with as much information as possible. This will greatly help in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all persons on site at this year’s event.