Introduction. Drug checking services (DCS) identify drug market discrepancies to help people make informed choices about drug use. In this study, we assess the utility of DCS to identify market discrepancies at an Australian music festival through comparison with community surveys and wastewater analysis. We also compare demographic data of DCS attendees and non-attendees and report barriers to attending DCS.

Methods. In 2024, a DCS at a multiday music festival in Queensland, Australia analysed 230 substances of concern from 152 people. A concurrent in-situ survey of 155 festivalgoers assessed festival drug use. Two pooled portaloo samples were analysed for drug metabolites.

Results. Survey respondents reported using cannabis (55%), MDMA (44%), LSD (36%), and ketamine (35%). Drugs most commonly submitted to the DCS for analysis were expected to be MDMA (46%) and ketamine (38%). No survey respondents reported synthetic cathinone or novel dissociative use, but these were detected by the DCS and wastewater. Phenibut and kratom use were reported in the survey and detected in wastewater, but not presented to DCS. The demographics characteristics of festivalgoers who did or did not attend the DCS were remarkably similar. Of those who used drugs the DCS could test, common reasons for not doing so included trusting their suppliers, lack of concern about drug quality, or someone else controlling their supply, with concerns about privacy or policing less common.

Implications. In-situ festival surveys and wastewater analysis can help corroborate DCS detections and identify gaps in service coverage, allowing services to better meet community needs.