Most festival-goers know where the main stage, the bars and the food stalls are within an hour of arriving. Far fewer know where the welfare tent is, or what it is for. Yet festival welfare teams are among the most important people on site, quietly helping thousands of people every summer. This guide explains what festival welfare services do, when to use them, and how they fit alongside looking out for your friends.
Key takeaways
- Welfare teams offer a safe, non-judgemental space for anyone who feels unwell, lost, unsafe or overwhelmed.
- You do not need to be in a crisis to visit. Feeling uncomfortable is enough.
- If you think you or a friend have been spiked, welfare and medical teams can help, and you should also report it to the police.
- Find the welfare and medical points on your site map as soon as you arrive.
What is festival welfare?
Welfare services are run by trained staff and volunteers, often from specialist organisations and charities, who work alongside a festival's security and medical teams. They are there to support anyone who needs help, whatever the reason.
The charity PsyCare UK, which provides welfare and harm reduction services at festivals and events across the UK, describes its aim as providing a safe and supportive environment where people can be helped through difficult experiences. Its welfare services include practical items such as sun cream, condoms and period products, along with safety advice.
Many larger festivals also run campsite welfare hubs. Events Wellbeing, which provides welfare teams at UK events, explains that these hubs give festival-goers an easily accessible safe space within the campsites, somewhere to rest, talk about concerns and get confidential support, as well as help to recharge phones in emergencies and reunite people who have lost their friends.
When to visit the welfare tent
Welfare teams can help with a wide range of situations, including if you or a friend:
- feel unwell, dizzy or far more drunk than expected;
- think a drink may have been spiked;
- have lost your friends or your phone has died;
- feel anxious, overwhelmed or panicky;
- have been harassed, assaulted or made to feel unsafe;
- need somewhere quiet to rest, or cannot find your tent.
Welfare staff are non-judgemental. Their priority is your safety and wellbeing, so you do not need to worry about being "in trouble" for asking for help.
Safer Spaces at festivals
Many UK festivals now also commit publicly to tackling sexual harassment and assault. The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) Safer Spaces at Festivals campaign, first launched in 2017 and relaunched in 2022, includes a charter stating that all allegations of sexual harassment, assault and violence will be taken seriously, acted upon promptly and investigated. It also promotes bystander intervention using the "5 Ds": Direct, Delegate, Distract, Document and Delay.
In June 2026, AIF announced that UK independent festivals had committed to its 2026 Safer Spaces Campaign, delivered in partnership with Good Night Out, with signage, digital assets and training for its members.
Spiking at festivals: where welfare fits in
Spiking can happen at festivals as well as in bars and clubs. The government's spiking guidance for venues and festival organisers says staff must always act if a spiking incident is reported and should never be judgemental towards the victim. They should check whether the person needs medical help, find their friends, take them to a safe space away from crowds if needed, help them get home safely and call the police.
Signs of spiking listed in GOV.UK guidance include confusion and disorientation, nausea and vomiting, hallucinations and paranoia, poor co-ordination and vision, difficulty communicating, and memory loss or blackouts. At a festival these can easily be mistaken for too much sun, drink or tiredness, so take them seriously.
How to help a friend who is unwell
- Stay with them. Do not leave them alone, and do not let them go off with someone they do not know.
- Get them to welfare or medical. Ask the nearest steward or security team for help if you cannot get there yourself.
- Call 999 in an emergency if they become seriously unwell, lose consciousness or are getting worse. NHS 111 can give urgent medical advice.
- Tell staff if you think they have been spiked, and report it to the police, on site or by calling 101.
- Report quickly. The Home Office notes that some drugs can leave the body in as little as 12 hours.
Make a plan when you arrive
- Find the welfare, medical and information points on the site map and screenshot it.
- Agree a meeting point with your group in case you get separated.
- Keep your phone charged and carry a written list of emergency contacts.
- Keep your drink with you and be cautious about drinks from people you have just met.
How CounterSpike supports safer festivals
Through PartySafe, the movement against drink spiking powered by CounterSpike, in association with Spike Aware UK, we work with festivals, events and others who shape a night out so that safety becomes normal wherever people go. For festival-goers, SpikeStixx are discreet, pocket-sized drink spike tests: dab a clean finger in your drink, dab it onto the yellow tip of the stick and wait 5 seconds. If the yellow turns dark orange, do not drink it and get help, starting with the welfare tent.
