Download Festival organizers launch investigation after fans fall ill

Festival organizer Live Nation is launching an investigation after fans of Download Festival fell ill during the festival last weekend.

According to the BBC, the event’s organizers had to close two of their food stalls after doctors “identified a pattern” in cases of illness among fans.

A spokesperson for North West Leicestershire District Council said there had been four calls from festival-goers and a total of six people had fallen ill during the metal festival over the weekend, but more fans came forward on social media describing symptoms of food poisoning.

What the download participants said

The BBC spoke to some of the participants about their discomfort. Will Ellis explained: “We got our food, sat on the benches in the village and enjoyed our meals, not knowing what to expect.”

He added that he woke up the next morning with “terrible stomach pains” and that diarrhea spoiled his festival experience for most of the next day.

Another participant, Megan Souster, told the BBC she had “never been so ill in her life”. She said she felt the effects on Saturday night and spent most of Sunday in her tent because she didn’t feel well enough to watch all the bands. “I was too ill to make it to a medical tent. My partner had to look after me,” she explained.

When help arrived to check on her, she said she was asked what she had eaten, which gave her the first clue that her case might not be an isolated one. “It took four days for me to get better. Even now I still don’t feel like myself,” she added.

One of the festival’s musicians, Sean Smith of The Raiders, also reported on social media that he had food poisoning and had been “sick all night.” Smith was reportedly hospitalized and given intravenous fluids.

The investigation

Paul Sanders, head of community services for North West Leicestershire District Council, told the BBC: “We have worked with the event organiser to investigate two food stalls, both of which were closed by the event organiser over the course of the weekend. We are aware of reports of people becoming unwell and we will continue to investigate this. Anyone who continues to feel unwell after Download Festival should contact their GP in the first instance.”

Live Nation said all of the weekend festival’s food vendors were checked before and during the event. A spokesperson for the concert giant added: “Two vendors were closed and removed from the site as they did not meet Environment Health and Local Authority standards. Download Festival operates a robust welfare service 24/7 with staff and welfare tents to support sick customers across the site.”

According to FoodPoisoningNews.com, reports from the medical tent said that “up to 500 people” were affected by a “true food poisoning epidemic.”

A food sinner?

The Mirror also reported on the series of food-borne illnesses, adding that the cause appeared to be a British delicacy. The source pointed to a retailer that sold wraps with Yorkshire pudding.

Bronwyn Gwillym told the newspaper: “I sanitised my hands and used the cutlery provided. I was fine that night, but I woke up at around 3 or 4 a.m. with severe cramps.” She reported that she had a fever all weekend and struggled with diarrhea and nausea, which caused her to miss most of the performances.

Another unidentified participant told the newspaper: “The doctors took lots of notes about where, when and exactly what I ate in my Yorkshire pudding.”

Meanwhile, Sean Smith of the Raiders announced that he suffered from food poisoning after eating a dish containing beef brisket.

This is not the first time a festival has had to contend with an outbreak of disease. Many will remember the problems last year in the US when the Blue Ridge Rock Festival was put under investigation after a series of disastrous events led to the early cancellation of the festival.

READ MORE: Blue Ridge Rock Festival under investigation for disease outbreak

Stay tuned. We will keep you updated on the progress of the investigation.