Bestival is full of colour and intrigue, and their fancy dress themes are serious business. This colorful festival offers the best party vibe in Glastonbury, United Kingdom. Not only can festival goers enjoy the beautiful variety of artists on different stages, but revellers can also enjoy some anarchic fun at the carnival of small stages, stuff their faces at street food vans or visit the inflatable church for a quickie festival marriage.
This year, the UK festival has announced that it will have drug-testing facilities on site for the first time ever in its history. Festival organizers are hoping that this will lead to a safer event with fewer hospitalizations and fatalities, after in 2017, when a 25-year-old woman died of drug-related complications.
An official statement from Bestival notes that:
“In the interests of public safety, Bestival has always strongly advised festival-goers to avoid taking any illegal substances. However, harm reduction and customer welfare are our priorities, so we are working with agencies to explore all public health options to ensure audience choice and safety.”
The four-day festival brings in over 50,000 people who will be offered the ability to test their drugs without fear of being arrested. The move comes as increased scrutiny has been placed on festivals over drug deaths in the UK; Two attendees died at Mutiny Festival in May.
Bestival follows other festivals like Boomtown, Secret Garden Party and Love Saves The Day who have adopted drug testing on their grounds. They have credited testing with reducing drug-related hospitalizations considerably. Secret Garden saying it lowered hospitalizations by 95%.
Bestival will take place on Thursday, August 2nd through Sunday, August 5th, at Lulworth Estate in Dorset, England. with names like London Grammar, Silk City, Rudimental, and M.I.A, alongside a variety of talented artists.
