Download Festival Attendees Warned to Remove Smartwatches to Avoid False Emergency Alerts

Attendees at Download Festival are urged to disable smartwatches' emergency alerts to prevent moshpits from triggering false 999 calls.

Smartwatches and Emergency Alerts: A Festival Challenge

This year’s Download Festival at Donington Park in Leicestershire is buzzing with excitement as headliners like Green Day, Sleep Token, and KoRn take the stage. However, local law enforcement has issued an unusual request for festival-goers: to turn off or put smartwatches and similar devices into airplane mode.

Why? Because the intense energy of moshpits has been setting off emergency alerts unintentionally, flooding emergency services with false 999 calls. Last year alone, these wearable tech mishaps added nearly 700 extra emergency calls during the event weekend.

The electrifying crowd at Download Festival 2025, Donington Park, Leicestershire.

Leicestershire police explained, “All those calls had to be assessed… to ensure there is no threat, risk or harm, taking our contact handlers away from answering true emergency calls.” The physical jostling and collisions in the crowd cause smart devices’ crash detection features to mistakenly trigger emergency alerts.

So if your device accidentally calls 999, the police urge you to stay on the line or answer callbacks to confirm you’re safe.

The Stellar Lineup Energizing Download Festival

Aside from the headline acts, Download Festival 2025 hosts an electrifying roster of artists including:

• Weezer
• Sex Pistols (featuring Frank Carter)
• Jimmy Eat World
• Poppy
• Loathe
• Jerry Cantrell
• McFly
• Within Temptation
• Eagles Of Death Metal
• The Darkness
• Spiritbox
• Meshuggah
• Steel Panther
• Cradle Of Filth
• Alien Ant Farm

This diverse lineup proves Download Festival’s commitment to pushing musical boundaries and delighting fans from all walks of life.

Controversy Over Transgender Bathroom Policy

The festival has recently faced criticism over its bathroom policies affecting transgender attendees. Specifically, the prohibition of trans women from women’s restrooms and trans men from men’s facilities sparked backlash.

Prominent artists like NOAHFINNCE, who publicly came out as a trans man in 2017, and the band Pinkshift have condemned the policy, claiming it “puts trans people in danger.” Witch Fever also described the policy as “a complete fuckin’ tragedy.”

This stance seems to align with a UK Supreme Court ruling from April 16, 2025, which defined legal womanhood based on biological sex under the Equality Act.

“At the heart of Download is acceptance – we stand with all members of our community and want everyone to feel safe, supported and welcome at the festival.”

— Download Festival Statement, June 2025

Download Festival Responds with Gender-Neutral Facilities

In response to the criticism, Download Festival organizers issued a statement confirming that most toilets would be gender-neutral and accessible to all attendees, alongside single-sex options. They emphasized their commitment to inclusivity:

“We want to reassure all of our customers that at Download, the majority of toilets will be gender neutral and available to all... Download Festival has always been and remains for everyone.”

The statement also included an apology for any previous lack of clarity and expressed excitement for the upcoming event.

However, some artists and attendees felt the response didn’t go far enough, voicing concerns over ambiguous adherence to Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidelines for single-sex facilities. Download later clarified that the toilets would not be policed, but the communication left room for criticism.

Following this controversy, the cosmetics brand Lush ended its partnership with Download Festival in protest.

Looking Ahead: Download Festival’s Vision for 2025

Andy Copping, the festival organizer, shared insights last November about Download’s evolving mission:

“We’ve always made a conscious decision to make Download accessible to the general populace. That involves pushing the boundaries musically and giving the newer acts a chance. Because of that, we’ve seen the fans coming through getting younger too, year on year. There’ll always be a certain expectation of what people want to see at Download, so it’s about navigating that and delivering the best we can.”

This philosophy continues to shape the festival’s identity, balancing fan favorites with fresh talent and striving for inclusivity.

Final Thoughts

Navigating technology’s impact on safety and addressing social issues like transgender rights show how festivals like Download are more than just music—they're a microcosm of today’s cultural challenges.

If you’re headed to Download Festival, remember to switch off those smartwatches or disable emergency alerts to avoid accidental calls during the wild moshpits—and enjoy the diverse, groundbreaking lineup!

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why are smartwatches causing emergency calls at Download Festival?
  The movement and collisions in moshpits activate crash detection features on smartwatches, sending false emergency alerts.
• What should I do if my smartwatch accidentally calls emergency services?
  Stay on the line or answer any callbacks to confirm you are safe, so emergency responders know it’s not a real emergency.
• Which major artists are performing at Download Festival 2025?
  Headliners include Green Day, Sleep Token, KoRn, plus acts like Weezer, Sex Pistols, Jimmy Eat World, and more.
• What changes has Download Festival made regarding transgender bathroom access?
  The festival now offers mostly gender-neutral toilets while also providing single-sex facilities, aiming for inclusivity.
• Why did Lush end its partnership with Download Festival?
  Lush terminated their partnership due to controversy over the festival’s transgender bathroom policy.

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