'Hundreds' of Download Festival goers hit by food poisoning

Two vendors were closed down at Download Festival after "hundreds" of music fans were struck down by food poisoning. Event organiser Live Nation shut the stalls after it was reported that hundreds of people had been affected by the illness, with some having to use buckets as makeshift toilets.

One YouTuber and influencer said his sister had fallen victim during the event, which took place in Leicestershire last weekend, and that she was told while in the medical tent that as many as 500 people were affected in a “real food poisoning epidemic”. A performer said he had had to go to hospital for treatment.

North West Leicestershire District Council told LeicestershireLive it had worked with Live Nation to investigate two vendors, which were then closed down. The vendors have not been named publicly. A spokesperson for the authority said it would “continue to investigate the outbreak”.

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Food poisoning symptoms, according to the NHS, include:

• feeling sick

• diarrhoea

• being sick

• stomach cramps

• a high temperature

• feeling generally unwell – such as feeling tired or having aches and chills

It is caused by eating something that has been contaminated with germs, said the health service, which added that this can happen if food:

• is not cooked or reheated thoroughly

• is not stored correctly – for example, it's not been frozen or chilled

• is left out for too long

• is handled by someone who's ill or has not washed their hands

• is eaten after its "use by" date

Rob Kellas, from YouTube channel TPD TV, told his Instagram followers that his sister, Mary, had had to leave the festival and go home after being hit by the illness, which can cause severe stomach pains. Sean Smith, lead singer of The Raiders, said on X, formerly Twitter, that he was left in hospital on an IV drip following his bout of food poisoning, which he said he believed came after eating a beef brisket dish in the backstage area.

Festivalgoer Bronwyn Gwillym told The Mirror she fell ill on the Saturday after eating a Yorkshire pudding filled with a traditional roast dinner. "I hand sanitised my hands and used cutlery provided,” she said.

“I felt fine that night but I woke up at around 3-4am with severe cramps." Bronwyn said she was "severely ill", with a fever, diarrhoea and sickness all weekend, and had "never known pain like it", and complained to festival organisers.

"I attend Download Festival yearly and it's my most looked-forward-to holiday but I unfortunately got to see very little," she added. "I have contacted [Leicestershire County Council's] Environmental Health and a member of my camp went to collect a sample pot that I will be sending in the post."

Paul Sanders, head of community services at NWLDC, told LeicestershireLive: "We carried out ongoing food hygiene safety checks on site throughout the five days of the festival to ensure that all vendors were up to the required standards.

“Where we find improvements are required, we provide advice and carry out a further visit to ensure the improvements have been made. We worked with the event organiser to investigate two food vendors, both of which were closed by the event organiser over the course of the weekend.

“We are aware of reports of people feeling unwell and will continue to investigate. Anyone continuing to feel unwell following the Download festival should contact their GP in the first instance."

LeicestershireLive has contacted Live Nation for comment and is awaiting a response.

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