Are you attending any festivals this summer? Whether it’s Parklife this weekend or another festival later in the summer, here’s your guide to staying safe this festival season! Plus, you could be in with a chance of winning an iPad – keep reading to learn how.
Plan your travel
One of the best ways to stay safe right from the start of your festival-going experience is to make sure you have a travel plan. If you’re visiting Parklife, you’ll be able to utilise public transport, including the Parklife Shuttle bus service to get you safely to and from the gate. But for others you may need to do a little more research into the best way to get to and from the festival. Having a plan in place takes the stress and worry away on the day so you can fully enjoy the experience!
Pack the essentials
Depending on which festival you’re visiting, there may be restrictions in place on what you can and can’t bring in your bag so always check first, but here are some of our must haves:
- Your phone, wallet, and ID
- Hand sanitiser
- Tissues and/or wet wipes
- Portable phone charger
- Refillable water bottle
- Any medications you may need
And of course, have your tickets with you or downloaded if they’re digital.
Staying safe with drugs + iPad prize draw
The safest way to take drugs is not at all, but if you’re going to, it’s important to be safe. Take a look at our Staying Safe e-learning module which has lots of information and advice to help keep you and your friends safe if consuming drugs or alcohol. To encourage you to try it out, we’re running a prize draw during June where you’ll be in with a chance of winning an iPad!
To be entered, you need to complete the following four modules by Friday, 28 June 2024:
- The Introduction
- Sex, Drugs and Consent
- Nitrous Oxide
- Ketamine
Once you’ve finished, send an email to keepintouch@manchester.ac.uk with a screenshot showing your completed modules, and confirm you’d like to be in the draw. Only students confirmed by the system as completing the required modules will be entered. All emails to this address will be deleted afterwards.
You can also get anonymous drug testing kits from the Advice Centre on the first floor of the Students’ Union, from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, to make sure what you’re taking is actually what you think it is. Don’t forget to keep an eye on Student News for any drug alerts, too, in case something dodgy is circulating.
If you drink, know your limits
Whilst increasing numbers of young people are choosing not to drink, for lots of students drinking will be a big part of festivals. If you’ve ever not made it out after pre-drinks, forgotten bits of a night out, said something you regret, or cancelled plans because of a hangover, here are some super simple tips to help you fine tune your drinking.
Stick together
It’s always safer to stick with friends, especially at a crowded festival! Make sure you have your phone charged so you can keep in touch if you get separated. It’s also a good idea to set up a WhatsApp group chat so you can easily keep in touch, and you can share your live location with friends so you can check where everyone is. At the end of the night, don’t leave anyone behind, and agree a meeting point in case you lose your group.
We hope you’ve found this guide helpful. If you’re attending any festivals, stay safe and have fun!