Festival goers urged to stay safe this Parklife weekend
The annual festival welcomes around 80,000 people to Heaton Park for two days of live music
Ahead of this weekend’s Parklife festival, NHS Greater Manchester is asking the thousands of revellers attending to take care while having fun.
Taking place Saturday 8th – Sunday 9th June, the annual festival is always a major date in the Greater Manchester event calendar – welcoming around 80,000 people to Heaton Park for two days of live music. So ahead of the weekend, NHS Greater Manchester has provided music lovers with four easy ways to stay safe and well…
Plan For The Weather
Whether it’s a wet one or a heatwave, it’s important for festival-goers to be prepared because you don’t want the weather to put a dampener on the weekend’s festivities.
If it’s raining, make sure you wear layers and waterproofs to help stay dry and warm – it might sound obvious, but there is nothing more likely to make you feel unwell and spoil the fun than being wet and cold all day. If we’re lucky enough to have a sunny weekend, then keep re-applying sun cream throughout the day, wear a hat and drink plenty of water to help prevent burning and heatstroke. Use water refill stations to top up your water bottle and stay hydrated.
Medication
Don’t forget any vital prescription medication you may need over the two days. If you need to have medication with you, Parklife organisers have asked that it is sealed in a clear polythene bag as it may need to be inspected upon arrival. There will also be a fridge in the Access Reception where medication can be stored. For full details of what you need to do to bring medication to the festival visit: https://parklife.uk.com/information/general-information/
Watch Your Drink
Many festival-goers will likely have a few alcoholic drinks. Alcohol dulls your instinct and can lead to people sometimes making unsafe decisions which in turn can make them vulnerable; so it’s important that as well as alternating alcohol with water, you keep a close eye on yours and your friends’ drinks, you don’t leave them unattended at any point and you are wary of accepting drinks from strangers to reduce the risk of being spiked. Remember, drink spiking does not just apply to alcoholic drinks.
Look After Each Other
Most important of all is to look after each other – don’t leave anyone by themselves – set up groups on your phones to keep in touch; and if you or any of your friends feel unwell at any point then get help! If you need advice and assistance, you can visit First Aid and Welfare facilities within the event site, call 111, and there will also be medics and first aiders on patrol around the event.
Dr Manisha Kumar, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Greater Manchester said: “We really want everyone to have a great time at Parklife Festival, which is why we are urging festival-goers to ensure they do these key things and asking for people to forward these tips to anyone who is attending.
“By simply looking after each other, never leaving drinks unattended and planning ahead, you can enjoy a fun, safe and memorable weekend.”