Stay OK at Music Festivals

Make a plan with your mates

Make a plan with friends about what you’ll do in an emergency. Here are some tips for what to discuss:

Before the event talk about when you want their help like if you start to feel:

Hot and can't cool down
Rigid muscles, tremors or spasms
Clenched jaw or gurning
Confusion, disorientation or frightened
Difficulty walking
Severe agitation, panicky, paranoid or anxious
Light headed / dizzy or have a bad headache
Vomiting repeatedly
Breathing fast or having trouble breathing

If you've had a bad experience (or they have) in the past, share what happened including the feelings and symptoms, so you both know the signs to look out for,
You won't get into trouble for getting help. Make sure you all understand that getting help is really important and you won't get into trouble with the Police or be judged for seeking medical help,
Even if you think it's not serious, if you feel unwell get checked out or if someone tells you they're feeling unwell – believe them and get help fast.

Have a contact strategy

Charge your phone fully before you leave and remember to check your phone regularly during the event. Stay with your mates wherever possible, and agree on a physical meeting point if you get lost. Some people use live GPS location tracking apps, coordinate outfits or use big brightly coloured props so they're easier to find.

Plan to stay cool

If you're dancing, outdoors and or taking MDMA it can be very easy to overheat as the drug interrupts your body's cooling down mechanism, meaning your body will create more heat than it can get rid of. Here are some tips for keeping cool:

If you're dancing, cool down every so often – chill out tents and zones are perfect for this and are usually not far from the action,
If the sun's out or the temperature's high, find some shade and cool off as much as possible. Wearing a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen when the sun's out is obviously a must.

Track your water intake

It's important to have access to drinking water and drink regularly, but not too much. Taking MDMA, alcohol and other drugs increases your risk of heatstroke, especially at outdoor events. Remember these water safety tips:

Too little water can be dangerous because dancing, walking, and being in the sun causes you to lose water through sweating. If you're drinking alcohol, that'll make you need to pee (urinate) more than usual, which leads to even more dehydration,
Be careful not to drink too much water, this is especially the case for people who've taken MDMA. Drinking too much water can disrupt your electrolyte balance. If your blood becomes too low in important salts it's a life-threatening situation,
Sip, don't gulp to avoid disrupting your balance of electrolytes. Slowly drink (sip) 500ml over an hour if you're dancing and 250ml per hour if you're not moving around, even if you're not thirsty. (A regular water bottle is around 600ml and a large plastic cup at a festival is around 375mL).

Food matters

Fill your body with healthy food before any event where you'll be outdoors, on your feet for long hours or drinking alcohol or taking drugs. It's smart to eat well and hydrate before taking any kind of drug or drinking alcohol.

Mind your mood

Alcohol and other drugs like MDMA affect serotonin levels in your brain, a chemical responsible for regulating social behaviour like empathy and optimism. Using MDMA causes the release of large amounts of serotonin which depletes your reserves, making you feel bummed out (depressed, confused or low) after the high. Be aware that it can take anywhere from a few days to a week or two for your serotonin levels to return to normal.

Learn the recovery position

Make sure you know how to put someone in the recovery position if they become unconscious, this prevents them from choking on vomit or fluid and helps to keep their airway clear. If someone falls unconscious ask someone else to get help fast and put them in the Recovery position. Stay with them and make sure they are breathing and have a pulse if you know how to check.

View the Recovery position diagram in full.

Watch this Save-a-mate recovery position video demonstration for further instructions.

Find support onsite

Check the map before and at the event so you know where the medical tent and peer support / chill out tents are. Look out for the peer support volunteers (crowd carer/crew) – they can help if you’re feeling unwell, need to chill or want some advice on how to stay safe.

Whichever festival you're heading to, peer support organisations are there for you! Look out for the following groups:

Find out more about peer support: Crowd care and good vibes at music festivals

Know the risks

Check out the risks of all sorts of drugs and alcohol by browsing the A-Z of Drugs for in-depth detail.

Carry naloxone

Small amounts of opioids can cause life-threatening overdose in people who have never or rarely used them. Opioids like heroin, fentanyl or nitazenes may be sold as or found in cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA.

Effects of an opioid overdose to look out for include:

Unexpected drowsiness,
pinpoint pupils,
loss of consciousness,
slow breathing/snoring, and
skin turning blue/grey.

Naloxone is a life-saving medicine that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone is available in a very easy to use nasal spray, and as a pre-filled injection.

You should carry naloxone if:

you are using drugs such as opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, or MDMA.
you are hosting or going to a party or festival where drugs will be present.
If you are at risk of experiencing or witnessing an opioid overdose you can get naloxone for free without a prescription in NSW from some community pharmacies, needle and syringe programs, opioid treatment services and NUAA.
Visit Your Room - Naloxone for participating sites and more information on take-home naloxone.
You have current first aid training accreditation and may witness an overdose at work.
NUAA can mail you naloxone in a discreet package. Order via their online shop or call (02) 9171 6650.