Yours and Owls Is Hosting New South Wales' First-Ever Pill-Testing Trial at Its 2025 Festival
"Pill testing is something we have been fighting for, for some time now," said Yours and Owls Co-Founder Ben Tillman.
Pill testing is finally coming to music festivals in New South Wales, with Yours and Owls set to host the state's first trial. At the Wollongong fest's 2025 event, which is taking across Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, patrons will be able to have their substances analysed courtesy of the drug-testing facility at the onsite medical tent.
Australia will notch up a first, too — because never before has a government agency run a pill-testing service at a festival, as is happening at Yours and Owls. If you drop in to get your substances analysed, they'll be checked for purity, potency and adulterants. Anyone using the service will remain anonymous, but will be asked to speak with a qualified counsellor as part of the process.
Ian Laidlaw
"We enthusiastically welcome this move by the NSW Government. Pill testing is something we have been fighting for, for some time now," said Yours and Owls Co-Founder Ben Tillman.
"While Yours and Owls maintains a zero-tolerance policy to illegal drugs, we are realists and see the abstinence-only approach as unhelpful. Pill testing is not a panacea. However, it is a proven harm minimisation strategy that has been successfully implemented in many countries overseas for the past twenty or so years."
"Ultimately, we ask individuals to take responsibility for themselves and their decision-making to ensure they have a great time safely. We also encourage anyone who finds themselves or their mates in trouble to seek medical assistance immediately; there will be no judgment, you won't get into trouble, patrons need to remember their safety and that of their mates is the most-important thing."
Ruby Bowland
"Let me be clear, no level of illicit drug use is safe and pill testing services do not provide a guarantee of safety," added NSW Minister for Health Ryan Park.
"There will always be risks involved when consuming these substances. However, this trial has been designed to provide people with the necessary information to make more informed decisions about drug use, with the goal of reducing drug-related harm and saving lives. Illicit drug use remains illegal in NSW. These services will not be made available to suppliers and police will continue to target them."
Ian Laidlaw
Yours and Owls' 2025 fest sees the beloved event mark a milestone. Yes, tenth birthdays are a big deal, especially when you're an Australian music festival that's been navigating a pandemic and the resulting difficult time for the industry for half of your run, and also grappling with the impact of La Niña. Yours and Owls has been on quite the rollercoaster ride across the past decade, clearly, so of course it's celebrating its big birthday with a massive lineup.
Fontaines DC, Denzel Curry, The Kooks, Goo Goo Dolls and Brad Cox lead the roster of talent taking to the stage, as joined by Courteeners, Hockey Dad, The Jungle Giants, Peach PRC, The Veronicas, Elderbrook, Honey Dijon, JPEGMafia and Salute — and plenty more.
This year's event is making Flagstaff Hill, a former military fort on the Wollongong foreshore, its home — marking yet another first.
Jess Gleeson
Yours and Owls Lineup 2025
Fontaines DC
Denzel Curry
The Kooks
Goo Goo Dolls
Brad Cox
Courteeners
Elderbrook
Hockey Dad
Honey Dijon
JPEGMafia
The Jungle Giants
Peach PRC
Salute
The Veronicas
Allday
Babe Rainbow
Coterie
Cyril
Dice
The Dreggs
Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn
Grentperez
Isabel Larosa
Magdalena Bay
May A
Mark Blair
Pond
Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners
Sam Tompkins
San Cisco
Shame
Slowly Slowly
Sycco
Armlock
Autumn Sunset
Battlesnake
Bean Magazine
Becca Hatch
Bodyjar
The Belair Lip Bombs
Cheeky Leash
C.O.F.F.I.N
Crocodylus
Giraffehead
Keli Holiday
Kitschen Boy
Kobie Dee
Lemonise
Le Shiv
L.O.W
Miss Kaninna
Nick Ward
Ra Ra Viper
Satin Cali
Sevilles
Sugar Free
Total Tommy
Y.O.G.A
Mark Blair
Odymel
Tom Trago
Mincy
Dameeela
Lo'99
Sasha Milani
Crescendoll
Sekta
Jun Wan
Unknown Associates
Jjoska
Subtropic
Cove Sound System
Four on the Floor
sezz77
Jade Bates
kowojay
Liza
Theo Cottle
Yours and Owls returns to Wollongong on Saturday, March 1–Sunday, March 2, 2025. For more information, and tickets, head to the festival website.
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