Study finds UK festival crowds most likely to experience loss or theft

Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds are the UK festivals that rank highest in the likelihood of partygoers experiencing theft or loss, study finds.

With festival season just around the corner, the insurance website Comparethemarket.com has taken a deep dive into the UK festivals where partygoers are most likely to experience an event of theft or loss. The news comes as 44% of Brits are expected to attend at least two festivals across the country this year, which is expected to rack up a bill of millions of pounds in lost and stolen items.

The iconic and staple festival of Glastonbury sees itself top the list with an estimated almost £5 million in value of loss or stolen goods, however, it should be noted that the festival is also the most attended with around 210,000 attendees. Reading and Leeds festival closely follow with a bill of £2.6 million and £2.3 million loss respectively, with Download festival with a loss of £2.1 million. In the world of dance music, established festival Creamfields ranks fairly low in comparison, however, still managing a pretty substantial bill of £1.1 million.

With 37% of people having had a valuable item lost or stolen at a UK festival, costing an average of £146.35 according to Comparethemarket.com, an emphasis has been expressed for people attending UK festivals to make sure they have the proper insurance and keep their valuables safe. Alex Hasty, director at comparethemarket.com comments on the research, adding advice by stating:

“The loss or theft of personal possessions at summer festivals can be common, so you should try to avoid carrying a lot of cash with you and taking valuables that you don’t need altogether. Having the right level of insurance could help ensure you’re covered and ensure you’re not having to spend your hard-earned cash replacing valuable items.”

You can find out more about how to keep your valuables safe at festivals this summer by visiting the Comparethemarket advice page here.

Image Credit: Rob Potter on Unsplash