‘Our Priority is to Reduce Harm’: Lost Paradise Festival to Host Drug Checking Trial

NSW Health has announced that Lost Paradise festival will host an on-site drug checking service at its event, kicking off next week.

The move is being made as part of the NSW drug checking trial, aimed at “further strengthening harm reduction measures for festivalgoers”.

The free and anonymous service will allow punters to bring a small sample of substances to be analysed by qualified health staff on ground at Glenworth Valley in the Central Coast from Sunday, December 28, to Thursday, January 1.

In a statement, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant reminded festivalgoers that the service is designed to help make informed choices, but it does not guarantee safety.

“This trial aims to inform individuals about substances, allowing them to avoid dangerous substances, discard high-risk drugs, make safer and more informed choices and potentially avoid serious health risks,” Dr Chant said.

“Our priority is to reduce harm and keep people safe.”

Lost Paradise organisers welcomed NSW Health’s decision in a separate statement.

“Our priority is always safety and wellbeing of patrons, providing people with free, confidential and non-judgemental advice helps them makes better decisions,” a spokesperson for Lost Paradise music festival said.

“We welcome and support NSW Health on this Government-led harm reduction initiative and support a safer festival environment.”

Lost Paradise is the eighth festival to take part in the 12-month trial, which will conclude in February and be independently evaluated.

The festival will host a stack of international and local talent next week, including Duke Dumont, Confidence Man, Underworld, and Chris Stussy.

Iconic stages Arcadia, Lost Disco, and Paradise Club will return, newly reimagined within a redesigned festival site, with a tease of additional eclectic “side-quest” stages shared across the event’s social media. In classic Lost Paradise fashion, the full lineup remains under wraps for now, but expectations are already high after last year’s stacked offering.