The festival will begin on the 22nd of July. New South Wales Police has introduced a new restriction that requires all people aged under 16 to be accompanied.
The event’s livelihood could be damaged by changing the rules just two weeks before the opening. Tickets for a one-day pass start at $189, so families who can’t afford more keys will have to change their plans.
Splendour Festivals can be transformative for young people. They are a chance to share a unique experience and foster social connection with their friends.
Splendor events help young people learn healthy behaviors, but we must trust them and their communities to make this happen.
When we speak about safety, we are talking about:
Researchers, public agencies, event managers, and the police have all begun to use “safety” more frequently. The success of events is based on social health, mental well-being, physical safety, and experiences. This is even more true now that COVID has been introduced.
There is a lack of understanding of how different types of safety can interact.
The safety of an event is a matter that differs between the views of event managers, medical staff, and police. Event safety is often considered in isolation. Police make decisions independent of event managers and medical teams, as well as those responsible for occupational health and safety.
Event managers with years of experience will tell you that events such as Splendour have been intuitively planned. This decision shows a lack of confidence on the part of the police.
The health and safety of music festivals is taken into consideration. Stephen Arnold/Unsplash
The lack of consistency in the tools and methods used to ensure safety at events is one of the main causes of this poor communication.
The risk assessment is a victim of a legislative framework that does not align with what we are trying to achieve. We want events as a place for people to come together and work toward a common cause. This should be true both for planning safety at an event as well as the enjoyment of that event.
This type of decision from the NSW Police is a barrier to innovative ideas in health and safety. We won’t be able to know what impact this has on the young people involved, their families, and the entire event without a formal evaluation.
Events have a great opportunity to promote the health of their audience and community. This includes a shared ownership of the risk by all attendees.
Sharing information between care providers on-site can result in more targeted and efficient strategies. For example, how to deal with drunken patrons, crowd management, and drug abuse. After the event, all parties should have a post-event debrief to evaluate what went well, what didn’t, and any problems.
Read more: When the coroner looked at how to cut drug deaths at music festivals, the evidence won. But what happens next?
Evaluation ensures we are not repeating mistakes and good strategies are continued.
Splendour In The Grass has a good track record when it comes to the health of its attendees. They offer free STI screenings at the event. All sexually active individuals are at risk of sexually transmitted infections. Young people are particularly vulnerable due to their exploration of sexuality and other risky behaviors, such as alcohol and drug consumption.
The success shows that events like these can engage youth in their health.
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Parents teach their children a lot. Many young people consider their families to be their safety net. At 16 and 17 years old, young people tend to be more interested in their peers. The events give young people the chance to experiment and be free in a controlled setting with established support.
Freedom does not necessarily mean alcohol and drugs. It’s about being able to navigate a crowd and be safe, as well as taking care of your friends.
Splendour in the Grass event managers want to see their community look out for one another. The event managers at Splendour in the Grass want their community to look out for each other. For years, they have been working to create a festival community that supports this.
The police’s decision creates turmoil around the event. The police have announced that they are responsible for Splendour and not the community. This creates turbulence around the event.