Pill testing will become a permanent feature at selected music festivals across New South Wales, following a year-long trial that found the service helped reduce drug-related harm.
From October, NSW Health will provide free drug checking at up to 15 music festivals each year, backed by $4.3 million in state government funding. Events will be selected based on factors including their size, location and risk of drug-related harm.
The decision follows a trial at 12 NSW festivals between March 2025 and February 2026, including Knockout Outdoor, Lost Paradise, Field Day, Laneway Festival, Yours and Owls and Mighty Hoopla.
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More than 1,800 festivalgoers used the service during the trial, with around 1,500 drug samples tested. An independent evaluation led by the University of Sydney found the programme reduced drug-related harm and successfully reached people who had not previously engaged with harm-reduction services.
Drug-related hospital visits averaged 2.3 per festival day during the trial, down from 3.6 per festival day across the previous two years. The evaluation also found that 8.1% of samples contained a substance the person submitting it had not expected.
Among that group, 30% said they intended to dispose of the drug after receiving their result, while 37.5% said they would take less.
The findings are particularly relevant to the state’s dance music scene. The evaluation identified electronic dance music events, large regional multi-day festivals and events taking place in hot conditions among those most likely to benefit from drug checking.
Under the permanent programme, festivalgoers will be able to voluntarily submit a small sample of a pill, powder, capsule, crystal or liquid for analysis by forensic chemists. They can then discuss the results and associated risks with trained harm-reduction workers, while amnesty bins will be available for anyone who decides to dispose of their drugs.
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said:
The government has stopped short of establishing permanent community-based drug-checking sites, with the ongoing programme remaining focused on selected music festivals.
For NSW festival culture, though, the decision represents a significant change in approach. Pill testing has moved from a temporary trial to an ongoing harm-reduction measure, with NSW Health set to work with NUAA and festival organisers to determine which events receive the service each year.
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