Boomtown Festival

Private and voluntary organisations · Private limited company

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First report 1 Aug 2025•Latest report 1 Aug 2025

Reports, concerns and published responses

Reports over time

Reports naming this recipient by issue year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Reports
1

Naming this recipient

Published responses
0%

Found for named reports

Concerns addressed
0

Across all linked responses

Stated actions
0

Described in responses

Concerns and recipient responses

Statements from Boomtown Festival linked to the concerns in each report. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

  1. Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton

    AI-generated summary

    Benjamin Thomas Dinan BUCKFIELD · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Benjamin Thomas Dinan Buckfield died in hospital on 11 August 2024 after collapsing at the Boomtown music festival, where he had purchased and consumed MDMA. The report raises concerns about the open availability and sale of illegal drugs at the festival and about policies allowing some people found with drugs to remain on site, creating a risk of future deaths.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Boomtown Festival; that does not assign responsibility.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to eject festival attendees found bringing unlawful drugs onto the site

    Wider context from the report

    “2. I heard evidence that those found bringing unlawful drugs into Boomtown are not ejected from the site unless they are considered to be carrying quantities that are consistent with being a drug dealer, or they have associated dealer paraphernalia. Those who are found in possession of unlawful drugs who are not considered to be dealers have their drugs confiscated and are allowed entry onto site. I am concerned that as a consequence there is no disincentive for festival goers who attempt to take drugs into Boomtown and that the policy gives rise to a situation where those who have had drugs taken from them will want to replace them. I am concerned that these factors give rise to a demand for, and a market in, the sale of illegal drugs at Boomtown. I heard evidence from a senior officer of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary who was Gold Commander for Boomtown who also expressed a concerned about this policy. I am concerned that this, combined, with the first concern, give rise to risk of future death. ”
    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Boomtown Festival; that does not assign responsibility.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to disrupt the open trade in unlawful drugs

    Wider context from the report

    “1. I heard evidence that illegal drugs were freely available to purchase at the festival. One of Ben’s friends described how dealers would walk through the campsites shouting the names of the drugs they were offering to supply. I was told this took place as regularly as every twenty minutes and that they saw nothing done to try and disrupt this trade. I am concerned that an unchecked, open and free trade in unlawful drugs will create a risk of future deaths. ”
    Open source report
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Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026