Police have discovered 204 canisters of nitrous oxide, along with large quantities of ecstasy, MDMA, and ketamine tablets, buried at the Creamfields festival site in Daresbury, Cheshire. The seizures were made during pre-festival searches conducted by Cheshire Constabulary as part of ongoing disruption efforts ahead of the four-day event, which begins on Thursday.
The drugs were uncovered by specialist search teams during a week of ground searches at the festival location. Officers also noted that they expect to find additional quantities as searches continue in the lead-up to the event. Superintendent Andy Blizard of Cheshire Police emphasized the force’s zero-tolerance policy on drugs at the festival, stating that attempts to conceal substances in advance are routinely countered.
Festival details and enforcement
Creamfields, one of the UK’s largest electronic music festivals, is scheduled to host over 80,000 attendees from Thursday to Monday. The event features performances by high-profile artists including Calvin Harris, Tiësto, Martin Garrix, and Swedish House Mafia. In addition to drug seizures, Cheshire Police confirmed that officers will maintain a visible presence throughout the festival to prevent crime and disorder.
Blizard added that individuals who had buried bags or rucksacks containing drugs at the site are encouraged to contact police, as officers are actively identifying owners of recovered items. Enquiries are ongoing to determine the origins of the buried substances.
Context: Previous enforcement and festival policies
This year’s drug seizures follow a pattern of preemptive policing at Creamfields, where authorities conduct extensive searches prior to the event to disrupt attempts to smuggle or conceal illegal substances. The festival has maintained a strict no-drugs policy, and attendees found in possession of controlled substances face potential prosecution.
Police have not provided further details on the quantities of each drug recovered or the specific locations where items were found. The force has stated that additional searches will take place up until the festival’s opening.