NSW music festivals record 219 assaults, 573 hospitalisations in five years punctuated by Covid pandemic

Paramedics had to take nearly 600 music festival attendees to NSW hospitals in the space of five years, despite a huge dip in the number of events held during the pandemic,

Paramedics had to take nearly 600 music festival attendees to NSW hospitals in the space of five years, despite a huge dip in the number of events held during the pandemic, new figures have revealed.

The statistics, released ahead of the upcoming summer music festival season, also reveal the number of assaults at music festivals is soaring, with a 41 per cent increase during the period between 2018/19 and 2022/23.

A total of 573 people had to be taken to hospital from festivals during those years, with 135 requiring “urgent transport” and 81 admitted to intensive care units.

The figures are part of a Liquor and Gaming NSW report, which shows the number of people transported to hospital from music festivals peaked in 2018/19 at 255 before falling to 132 people in 2022/23.

There were only nine in 2020/21 and 28 the following financial year, when Covid restrictions prevented many music festivals going ahead.

Paramedics responded to more than 500 music festival incidents over the five year period.

The overall number of hospitalisations included 344 cases of “likely” drug-related incidents.

These also declined throughout the five-year period, topping out at 159 in 2018/19 and dropping to 67 in 2022/23.

Meanwhile, there were 219 incidents of assault recorded, including 81 in the most recent 12-month period.

Of the seven deaths recorded during the time in question, almost of them — five — occurred in 2018/19.

The figures have been released ahead of an upcoming NSW Drug Summit, which will consider the state’s broader drug policy, including at music festivals.

In submissions, industry stakeholders claim the current “punitive approach” to addressing drug-related harm at music festivals is “incompatible with an evidence-based harm reduction model.”

Music festival organisers pay for NSW Police to patrol events.

Submissions also state high-visibility policing tactics at music festivals can be “ineffective” at decreasing drug use and harm.

In a statement, NSW Police said the force “welcomes the upcoming Drug Summit.”

“We will be active participants throughout these events and look forward to exploring a range of key issues surrounding alcohol and other drug issues with partner agencies and representatives from community,” a police spokeswoman said.

The new figures have also been revealed in the midst of a challenging period for the state’s music festival sector, which has seen rising costs force the cancellation of several big name events, including Splendour in the Grass and Bluesfest.

Some organisers have called for options to reduce the cost of policing at festivals due to the current “user pays” model, which requires organisers to cover the cost of on-site paramedic and police presence.

Liquor and Gaming is considering an appeal mechanism similar to one that is in place in Victoria, where festival organisers can have costs waived if the imposition of user-pays policing “threatens the viability” of an event.

Another potential approach could be for agencies such as NSW Police to factor in the costs associated with policing festivals within annual budgets.