How to keep your teen safe at Boardmasters in Newquay

If someone in your family is heading to Boardmasters this week, the difference between a brilliant few days and a rough one can come down to a five-minute chat before they leave. Thousands of young people will pour into Newquay for the festival from 5 to 9 August, and a lot of them will be away from home, in a crowd, in the sun, for the first time. A quick word now is worth more than any text you send once they are there.

Here is what to run through, and what they will find waiting for them on site if things go wrong. The festival’s own safety and welfare information is worth a read alongside it.

Start with the boring stuff that actually matters

Heat and dehydration catch people out faster than anything else at a festival. Remind them to keep drinking water, wear a hat, put sun cream on properly and take breaks in the shade rather than standing in a field all afternoon. Boardmasters has free water points across the site, so a refillable bottle is the single most useful thing they can carry. The organisers suggest aiming for around half a pint of water an hour, more if they are dancing.

Hand hygiene sounds like a small thing until a stomach bug tears through a campsite. Norovirus spreads quickly in close quarters, and good handwashing is the best defence, especially before eating and after using the toilet. A pocket-sized bottle of hand gel is easy to pack and easy to forget.

The awkward conversation is the important one

It may not be a chat either of you enjoys, but it is worth reminding them that condoms are the best protection against sexually transmitted infections. Say it once, keep it matter of fact, and leave it there.

While you are on difficult ground, cover drinks too. The festival’s own advice is straightforward: do not leave a drink unattended, and do not accept drinks or vapes from strangers. If a young person ever feels unsafe or uncomfortable, they can ask any member of staff or security for “Angela”, a discreet phrase that signals they need help getting out of a situation without having to explain themselves in front of anyone.

What is on site if they need help

Encourage them to look out for their friends and to seek medical help on site rather than trying to tough something out. There is a medical centre in the arena and a 24-hour medical facility in the campsite, so help is always reachable whatever the hour.

Welfare teams are there for the things that are not strictly medical, from feeling overwhelmed to losing a phone or a friend. There is also a quiet, low-lit Chilled Tent near the info point in the main arena, with comfortable seating, earplugs and weighted blankets for anyone who needs to step out of the noise for a while. For anyone affected by sexual assault, SARSAS runs a 24-hour support line on 07494 482007.

A few practical things to pack

Boardmasters is cashless, so a card or phone for contactless is essential and there are no ATMs on site. Anyone bringing medication should keep it in its original labelled container with their name on it, and bring the prescription if they have it. Original photo ID is needed too, as the festival runs a Challenge 25 policy at the bars.

The full run-down, including the beach safety flags at Watergate Bay and what can and cannot be brought through the gates, is on the festival’s essential info and safety page. Worth a look together before they go, if only so the words come from somewhere other than you.

One number worth them saving in their phone before they leave: that SARSAS line, 07494 482007, quietly there whether they ever need it or not.