Overview

• Anya Buckley, 17, died at Leeds Festival in 2019 from mixed drug toxicity, according to the 2021 inquest.
• Her aunt, Anna Short, urges organisers to "put people before profit" with drug checking, education, guaranteed free water and quicker medical response, alleging water shortages and delays the night Anya collapsed.
• Another teenager, David Celino, 16, died after taking MDMA bought at Leeds in 2022, and his father told an inquest that unaccompanied under-18s are easy targets for dealers.
• Reporting cites 32 drug-related deaths at UK festivals between 2017 and 2023, including 18 under 18, with researchers estimating five to six such deaths a year.
• Coverage notes there is no central database for festival drug deaths, and organisers contacted for comment have not announced policy changes.