Sydney’s Field Day music festival to trial onsite drug checks for festivalgoers

Onsite drug checking will be trialled at one of Sydney’s longest-running music festivals on New Year’s Day, with Field Day joining a state-approved harm-reduction pilot.

The event takes place at the Domain in Sydney and will be the ninth music festival in NSW to participate in a free and anonymous one-year trial.

Illicit drugs remain illegal in NSW, but authorities acknowledge some festivalgoers choose to use them.

Drug checking at music festivals was recommended during the NSW government’s Drug Summit, which ended in December last year.

A report published in 2024 found 64 people died from drug-related deaths at Australian music festivals over two decades.

About 47 per cent of deaths were from drug toxicity and most were unintentional.

Under the trial, patrons can voluntarily submit a sample of substances for analysis by qualified health staff at a free and anonymous drug-checking service.

Attendees are provided with information about the contents of the sample, within the limits of available technology, along with advice on how to reduce potential risks if they choose to consume it.

Peer workers are also on hand to offer confidential guidance, discuss risks and provide information about available support services.

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said the service was intended to help people make informed decisions to reduce drug-related harm, but it did not guarantee their safety.

Dr Chant said the trial aimed to inform individuals about substances, allowing them to avoid dangerous substances, discard high-risk drugs, make safer and more informed choices and potentially avoid serious health risks.

“Our priority is to reduce harm and keep people safe,” she said.

NSW Health said it was working with the event organisers and other stakeholders to ensure the trial was implemented safely and effectively.

A Field Day spokesman welcomed the opportunity to have onsite drug checking at its 2026 festival.

“As a festival that has been running for decades, harm minimisation and safety is at the heart of everything we do,” a spokesman said.

“To be among the first nine festivals in NSW to offer this to our festivalgoers is a great step toward statewide harm minimisation practices with proven results across the globe.

“We’re grateful to the volunteers and NSW Health for making this a reality at Field Day.”

The NSW drug checking trial will include up to 12 music festivals before it is independently evaluated.