Hey r/BoomtownFestival... here is the 2024 version of the drugs and security megathread!

To cut down on the amount of repeated questions about drugs/security, it has become tradition here on the subreddit to have a security megathread in the weeks leading up to the festival. A lot of the questions about this are similar/the same, so by having this one thread, it will help people find the answers they are looking for without needing to keep asking over and over and over and over again....

If you want to ask a question about security, read through the info/comments below to see what has been asked before already. If you are already a regular Boomtown citizen, feel free to share your experiences with security in the comments below, to help other people out.

In addition, I'm hoping I can share some basic safety advice which can help you to have a good time. I saw a guy laid out on the floor crying to his girlfriend while his friends all laughed at him because he had taken too much ketamine and thought he was going to die. At 3pm. On the Wednesday. Don't be that guy.

Here are some starter points, which should help with some of the most common questions. Please feel free to share this link in your Whatsapp groups to help your friends with their questions.

Drugs are just as illegal at Boomtown as anywhere else in the UK

Just important to reiterate that before we continue any further. Everyday people in the UK are arrested for petty drug possession crimes. It happens. The same can happen to you at Boomtown. Just like in your hometown, you would have to be unlucky, but it's entirely possible you could be arrested for something like petty cannabis possession. It will only take one grumpy policeman, and your weekend will be ruined. It's a low risk, but it's always there. No amount of asking questions about security on Reddit removes that risk. By using drugs, it's a risk everyone takes, everywhere in the UK, not just within the gates of Boomtown.

What powers do security actually have?

That all being said, policing is actually fairly laid back at Boomtown. Police are mostly there to stop serious/violent crime and theft, not petty drug offences. To save money for the taxpayer, it's mostly the hired security firms who are in charge of drug enforcement. They have a lot less powers than a policeman, but they do have the power to:

-Search you

Only with your consent, you can object. While you can object to a security search, the consequences will be you being refused entry, evicted from the site, or passed over to the police. They can only search your bags, your pockets, and give you a pat down. Security can't strip search you, you can only be strip searched by a police officer.

-Confiscate your drugs

If you don't like this, they will refer your complaint along with your confiscated drugs to the nearest available police officer.

-Throw you out of the festival

They can cut off your wristband, take your name and details, and drive you off to Winchester train station so you can begin your journey back home.

-Hand you over to the police to deal with

If your drug possession is serious in nature (dealing), or if you show resistance to any of the above procedures, this is the likely outcome.

What is it actually like inside the festival though?

There are two different aspects to security at the festival. The searches which take place at arrival, and what actually happens once you are inside.

Let's start by mentioning what actually happens once inside the festival. Once you are inside, things are actually fairly laid back. People will be openly smoking cannabis, and taking drugs. And it will probably be totally fine. Unless you are behaving recklessly/dangerously, you will probably be left alone to do what you want to do.

Please do be sensible. Know your personal limits, and try and keep any drug use discreet. This will keep you safe, avoid any possible aggro from security, and it will also help keep the festival running for many years to come. Just use your common sense, and don't be a total bellend. If all the people around you can tell you are using drugs, then either you have taken too much, or are being too obvious with your usage. Keep it sensible, don't overdo it, keep it on the downlow.

The entry process explained:

The actual search procedures on the way in however, are why Boomtown has gained a reputation among some for having "strict" security. The entry process goes something like this...

-Car park

Sometimes cars are pulled over for searches on the way to the car park. This is rare, and only a few cars are usually pulled over. You probably shouldn't worry about this happening. Most searching happens when you are out of your car and entering the festival.

-Queueline

You enter the queueline. Don't do something dumb like smoking a joint in the queue, unless your plan is to be refused entry. I see someone doing this every year, and it's so dumb. You are putting a giant red arrow over your head, not to mention it means your weed obviously isn't that well hidden, since you could clearly access it so easily to make a joint. The security are going to have fun with you.

-Ticket and ID checks

Tickets are scanned and you receive your wristband. But you're not inside yet. They can still cut it back off again before you get into the actual festival if they don't want to let you in.

-Drug Amnesty Bins

You are now stuck inside a secure area. There is no escape now! There might be some warning signs stating "zero tolerance" on drugs. The security might even be standing around to warn you that this is your last chance, and that if you don't own up and hand it over now, you will have your wristband cut and be chucked out. Just ahead, you'll be able to see the searches and drugs dogs waiting for you.

This is actually the most important and effective part of the security process. The scare tactics work so well, that a surprising number of paranoid folks willingly hand over their drugs. Since it's an amnesty, there are no negative consequences, other than losing your stash. At the end of the festival, these drugs are handed to the police as proof that the Boomtown security process is actually effective at stopping drugs from getting in. Very clever.

-Searches

Next up are the actual searches. This part is completely random, and nobody can tell you for sure how thorough it is. Some people are waved through, whereas just in the next lane, you'll see someone having their whole bag emptied out. It would be naïve to think there isn't some profiling going on, so try not to dress like someone who is out to cause trouble.

The most common type of search at this stage is a quick poke around in your bag and a pat down search. They might ask to see inside your wallet, and check the side pockets of your bags. They will most likely only have a little rummage around the main compartment of your bag, but not a total emptying since it's so time consuming. But you could also get unlucky and be asked to totally empty it, especially if the security agent is a dickhead, or just doesn't like you. It really is totally random, and asking questions on Reddit about how detailed the search is won't help you on the day.

Some security might try and persuade you to "own up" and tell them where your drugs are. Be polite, but ignore these pressure tactics. They can easily tell if you are sweating these questions, and will just search harder if they think you are acting sus.

-Drug sniffer dogs

Everyone must go past the security drug dogs. These are not police dogs, but actually provided by a private security firm. The dog has a sniff around as people pass by. It's up for debate whether these dogs are actually highly trained, or just mostly for show. The "show" is extremely effective though, as every year people carpet bomb the internet with questions about drug dogs. All these questions show the dogs are extremely effective at scaring people away from bringing drugs to Boomtown.

If the dogs make an indication as you go past, then you will be taken to a separate tent for a further highly detailed search. If this randomly happens to you, it won't matter if the dogs were actually well trained or not. The fact is you are now going to be taken to one side for an extra thorough search. Bad luck.

At the detailed search, you will repeatedly by asked to "fess up" and tell them where the drugs are. From the stories I have heard, most people own up and hand them over at this stage. They might promise to let you in the festival if you own up, but they don't always keep that promise.

Remember, only the police can strip search you, private security teams have no legal right to strip search anybody.

So what happens if they do find my drugs?

Hopefully this doesn't happen to you. But if it does, the official policy, as per the terms and conditions of the festival, is that they will be confiscated, and you will be immediately evicted from the festival.

However whether this actually happens or not depends on many factors. Depending on how much they actually find, what their opinion is of you, whether they are having a bad day, or perhaps they are just enjoying the power trip. It's random. Evicting people requires admin time and hassle. If the evictions team are busy, and your offence is minor, perhaps you'll be lucky and let in.

Someone might be kicked out with only a little bit of weed, whereas someone else might have an entire cocktail of drugs taken from them, and still be let in. The official policy is that EVERYONE with drugs get's chucked out, so that's what you should expect. If you do get let off with a confiscation and then allowed inside, consider yourself lucky.

If your are found with a LOT of drugs, all separately wrapped, clearly intended for selling, then you will be handed over to the police. And I won't have much sympathy for you either. Bringing your own drugs is one thing, but viewing the festival as your free pass to print some easy money is pretty bullshit. One day people like you might force the UK gov to reconsider how they feel about these kind of music festivals. And it will be all your fault.

Where are the best hiding places?

This is a daft thing to ask on the internet. Security teams are likely aware of the latest trendy hiding places. Many of them have been working festivals every weekend this year already, and know exactly all the latest tips and tricks.

Really the way to think about it, is that it all comes down to time constraints. They only have a limited amount of time to search you before moving onto the next person. There are 60,000 people that need to get inside, they only have a minute at best to search you. Unique hiding places probably work best, based on your own belongings, and the order you are intending to pack and carry them. What will be packed really deep?

If it takes a really long time to dig things out of your bag, it probably will take the security too long to find anything buried deep. If it even takes YOU a long time to get it out, you might be on to a winner. Security don't have time to sort through every single item you have with you. They'll give up at some point and wave you through.

Is it not just easier to buy drugs at the festival?

I don't think it's a good idea at all. Buying drugs at the festival comes with the following problems:

• Potentially dangerous. Could be heavily cut down, or otherwise adulterated with something nasty you don't want to take.
• Low quality or not even actually the right drug. See the above point. You paid hundreds of pounds to be at Boomtown. Don't ruin a big night by taking the wrong drugs, and ending up spinning out in your tent.
• Expensive. You are likely to be completely ripped off inside the festival, maybe paying 10x over the odds.
• Sketchy. People selling drugs at festivals could be fairly undesirable characters you don't want to be interacting with. Gangs are known to operate at festivals, and might be carrying knifes or other weapons to help them deal with any trouble from rival drug pushers.
• Funding crime gangs. You are often putting money into the hands of organised gangs, who are only at Boomtown to sell drugs and rob peoples tents. Buying drugs encourages these type of people to come to the festival. If nobody bought drugs from them, these dodgy groups wouldn't bother coming, and the festival would be safer.

If you do insist on buying at the festival, try and buy from a group of mates who just happen to have some of their own spare. Get to know your neighbours in the campsite, and make friends with them.

Avoid the dodgy drug dealers roaming the campsites who shout out loud what they are selling, or the guys hanging around in the woods approaching people. Definitely don't buy off of random people in Whatsapp groups, or that you found in the Boomtown app. They could be quite shady characters, and it's much better for everybody if you don't put your money into their hands. We really don't want these people at the festival, so please stop giving them money.

They could be peddling some absolutely nasty shit. You're never going to see them again, and they just want your money. They don't care about the quality of the product or whether you are going to have a good time at Boomtown or not. This isn't your local dealer who wants to provide good product and ensure your repeat business. They just want your money, then they are gone forever.

Drug safety advice and how to have a good time.

I don't want to patronise you, if you already know what you are doing, then you probably don't need to be reading this. The fact is that a lot of people come reading this page every year. And one of the reasons that people want to read this kind of advice is because they don't have much experience of taking drugs into festivals before. The main reason I write this guide every year, is to try and give some good advice to those exact type of people, so they can have a good time, while staying safe.

-You will have a better time if you use your drugs with knowledge of what they do, and how to use them safely.

Using drugs is brain science. It's chemistry happening in your brain. Understanding what different drugs are, what they do, and how much you need to take to get the desired effect, will actually make sure you have a better time. It's science. It's not just a safety thing, you will actually enjoy yourself more when you don't overdo it. Yes, I know it's Boomtown, it's the big one. But that's why it's more important to be careful, because you don't want to ruin the big one.

-Bring your own drugs, from trusted friends or suppliers.

You should probably have some experience of using those drugs before, perhaps try them out at some point before arriving to the festival. This way you know what you are getting yourself into, and you know it's going to be a good time. You spent big money coming to Boomtown, you don't want to ruin it having a bad time. Do any testing of new substances before you arrive.

-Know your dosage.

Do your research, there is plenty of advice online about every drug, and how much is best to take in different situations.

-Many party drugs have ideal dosage levels. Taking too much only increases the negative side effects, but doesn't actually increase the good feels. When you get your dosage just right, you will have a better time.

-Psychedelic drugs are normally best enjoyed in smaller amounts at festivals, unless you are an experienced user who built up your dose over time. You don't want to retreat inside of your own head, and feel distanced from your friends, or miss out on the festival.

-Plan your timings.

Think about what you are going to take and when. Some drugs have comedowns. Some drugs have effects that last for several hours. There is no point taking all your drugs 5 minutes before all the stages close for the night. There is also nothing worse than experiencing a horrible comedown before the night is over. Plan your timings.

-Know what you are doing before you think about mixing.

Mixing different drugs, and then also throwing some weed and alcohol into the mix can be a bad idea. It's true that some drugs are known to work well as a combo. But you should probably have some experience of using each drug by itself first, before trying to mix them together. Generally more experienced users built themselves up over time before trying combos, it's not a good idea to go mixing on your first time. When you understand what the drugs do separately, you will understand what mixes you might like to try. Don't go mixing drugs just because some friend told you it was a good idea.

-Weed has some strange interactions with other drugs. It can be good or bad. Know which it is for you. Also be careful of your own tolerance level. If you are a bit fucked up, you might smoke much more weed than normal by mistake. And weed can be the one thing that tips you over the edge into feeling sick and having a bad time when you have been indulging in other things. Don't be the one spinning out for an hour in your tent during festival primetime.

-Alcohol goes badly when drunk alongside a lot of drugs. While alcohol might be the primary fuel of festivals and parties, think carefully about how much you drink (if at all) when you are planning to partake in other things. Some drugs can make you feel invincible, and like you can drink unlimited amounts. But you know that's just an illusion right? There is a reason alcohol is a regular feature in the stories of most drug deaths. It's usually the most dangerous one of all. Treat it will respect if you are going to mix it with other things.

-There is a mantra "start low go slow".

Yeah it's a bit lame and probably a slogan created by some government drug safety board. But it's also really sound advice. If you are not sure how much to take, it's better to take less, and then take more later if you want it. But once you have taken too much, you are going to be stuck riding out having a bad time. By the time you ride out your bad time, you might have missed the best part of the night.

-Water, electrolytes, and dissolvable vitamin supplements you can put in your drink are always a good idea. Look after your body while you are abusing it, you'll thank yourself the next day. On that point, put some water in your tent ready for the morning. You don't want to stand in the water queue baking in the sun the next morning. And don't forget to get yourself a proper meal at some point in the day!

Don't drink heavily in the daytime, and then suddenly stop drinking to take drugs instead in the evening. You'll get a hangover while taking your drugs, which will dampen your experience. You may well end up in bed early with a headache.

If you are unsure about anything, and think that you might not want to do some certain drug, then the best advice is to simply not do it. If you are at all anxious or nervous about taking some drug, that will likely manifest itself during your experience. There is no point doing something you won't enjoy.

Don't give into any peer pressure. Decide what you what to do, how much you want to do, and when you want to do it. And if you don't want to do something, then don't. Your friends are unlikely to care or notice if you skip out on something they are all doing. All that will matter is that you were there with them having a brilliant night, it won't matter what drugs you were or were not taking.

You can have fun at Boomtown completely sober, and many people do. It's not a strange thing to do, and plenty of people prefer it that way. Some people have more fun at festivals when using drugs, and that's fine, but it's a personal choice. Everyone is different, much like people have different tastes in music, so too can you have a different taste when it comes to using drugs. What your friend says is the best drug to take might not be the best one for you.

Why do you make this same thread every year?

I first went to Boomtown in 2012, and one of the original crew I went with back then was Nancy. Sadly, Nancy is no longer with us due to her regular Ketamine usage. It was tragically sad that she lost her life at only 23. Whenever I see anybody struggling with a Ketamine addiction, I think of Nancy, and don't wish that upon anybody. And I always remember that first Boomtown I ever went to, when she was still here.

in 2013, 18 year old Ellie Rowe tragically died at Boomtown, as a result of alcohol and ketamine toxicity. Boomtown was still quite a small festival in 2013 compared to today, and this sad death impacted a lot of the early Boomtown OGs, and the Boomtown crew themselves.

One of the reasons I make this thread every year, is with the hopes that I can help to influence better outcomes, and ensure that everybody has a excellent time, free from any tragedy.

Have a great weekend

Remember that the search process is random, and that anybody, no matter how prepared, can just get unlucky on the day.

But that being said, most people easily get into the festival without any trouble at all, so don't sweat it too much. Just play it cool, and be confident. Some of the security might try and wind you up. They might outright ask you where you are hiding your drugs, and try persuading you to own up to it. Don't let them unsettle you, because they will enjoy watching you squirm, and hold you back for an even longer search. Don't give the security any reason to get upset with you. Be nice to them, ask them what time their shift finishes, and if they are planning to get on it later tonight. They probably are.

Stay safe, know your limits, and don't take new drugs you have never tried before for the first time at Boomtown. It can be an intense experience to take drugs for the first time in any crowded place, let alone at a huge festival like Boomtown. Don't let friends pressure you into doing something you don't want to do.

Boomtown is a fantastic festival, and you can have a great time even completely sober. Enjoy it the way you want to, within your own personal limits, and don't worry about what other people might be doing. There is no right or wrong way to have fun. You do you.

And remember.... no matter how many questions you ask on Reddit about the strictness of the security procedures... nothing will change the fact that it's totally random, and nobody knows how strict your search experience will be.

Post your questions, comments and experiences with Boomtown security below.