Nearly one in four (23%[1]) UK festival goers report having tech items lost or stolen at UK festivals, costing an estimated £6.1 billion[2]
‘Phone snatching’ is rife at festivals, with more than one in ten attendees (16%[3]) reporting having had their phones stolen out of their hands whilst using it to film an act
Nearly half (45%[4]) of festival goers admit they have not considered taking any measures to keep their device secure, with 37%[5] admitting to leaving their phone unattended in a tent or having it sto
len from a back pocket
Uswitch telecoms expert Simrat Sharma shares her tips to help festival goers keep their items safe
With festival season in full swing, Brits are being warned to be careful with their tech and valuables this summer.
New data from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service, reveals nearly one in four (23%[1]) festival goers have r
eported phones and other tech lost or stolen at UK festivals, costing Brits an estimated value of £6.1billion[2].
Phone theft remains a high risk across the country as ‘phone snatching’ continues to grow, and festivals are no exception. More than one in ten (16%[3]) festival goers reported having their phone stolen out of their hand while filming their favourite musical act or artist at a festival.
Nearly half of festival attendees (45%[4]) admit they have not considered taking any security measures to keep their device secure, despite 81%[6] saying their phone being stolen or lost would ‘ruin’ their festival experience. A further 52%[7] said it will put them off attending festivals in the future.
Brits with bad festivals habits
When it comes to looking after valuables at festivals, one in five (20%) Brits admit to having bad phone safety habits[4]. Among the most common is keeping a phone in a back pocket, with 37% of those surveyed having had a phone stolen as a result[5].
Other common issues include 37% reporting their phone stolen after leaving it unattended in a tent, and 29% saying they have had their phone lost or stolen by leaving it in a festival toilet[4].
Outside of phones, the most common lost or stolen items at festivals are money (24%), followed by clothes (20%), wallets (18%), jewellery (17%) and headphones (17%) - and more than one in ten (14%) festival attendees say they’ve even had their tent lost or stolen![8]
| Item | Percentage of festival goers reporting lost or stolen | Average cost[8] |
| Money | 24% | £213 |
| Clothes | 20% | £197.60 |
| Wallet | 18% | £252.60 |
| Phone | 17% | £303.40 |
| Jewellery | 17% | £231.70 |
| Headphones | 17% | £248.80 |
| Camera | 15% | £272.40 |
| Smartwatch | 14% | £266.10 |
| Tablet | 14% | £312.50 |
| Laptop | 14% | £313.50 |
| Speaker | 14% | £243.50 |
| Tent | 14% | £256.80 |
To help avoid a theft spoiling festival season, Simrat Sharma, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com shares her top tips for Brits heading to festivals: “Whether you’re finding your friends, capturing memories or buying a drink, our smartphones will hardly be out of our hands at a festival.
“Sadly, the high value of our devices, and all the personal information contained within makes them a target for criminals so it’s important to remain vigilant.”
Simrat’s top phone and valuables safety tips:
Keep your phone in a secure place such as a bum bag or running belt and never in your back pocket! There are a variety of straps, bungee cords and carabiners available to attach your phone to your body, which can keep it safe if you’re trying to keep your hands free, for example when eating or drinking.
Change the picture on your lock screen to an ‘In Case of Emergency’ contact. This means if someone finds your phone, they will be able to return it to you easily without needing to unlock it.
Many phone thieves will try to use your phone to access your online banking which is why we recommend turning off notification previews, as many banks and other apps now use one time passcodes (OTPs) that come through via message.
Consider investing in a cheaper “burner” phone to use at a festival and a short term SIM-only deal to reduce the potential to lose a high value item.
Be especially vigilant when you are unlocking your devices, as this is the time thieves most often look to strike, so they can access the device once taken.
Record your phone’s IMEI number. This 15-digit number identifies your device specifically, and can help identify your device if it is lost or stolen.
Features such as “find my phone” for Android devices or “Find my Friends” on the iPhone will allow chosen friends or family to see the location of your device, meaning they can help if you or your phone get lost.
And one for those who’ve suffered from a missing tent in the past - use tech to your advantage by placing an AirTag, SmartTag or smart tracker in your tent to help you find it at the end of the night.
Harriet Atkinson
Telecoms PR Manager
harriet.atkinson@uswitch.com
Notes to editors
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from 05 July 2024 – 09 July 2024.
Respondents were asked “Have you ever attended a music festival in the UK? Please think of any music festival including day festivals and ones that include camping. 39% of respondents selected “Yes. 38% of the UK adult population (53,646,829) is 20,922,263. Respondents who selected “Yes” were asked “Have you ever lost or had stolen any of the following at a UK music festival? Phone, Smartwatch, Tablet, Laptop, Speaker, Camera, Wallet, Money, Jewellery, Clothes, Headphones, Tent”. 23% of festival-goers (4,812,120 people) selected “Phone, Smartwatch, Tablet, Laptop, Speaker, Camera, Headphones”
Respondents above were asked “What is the estimated value of the item lost or stolen?”, and respondents selecting the tech items above specified costs averaging £1,268.66 per-respondent. £1,268.66 x 4,812,120 = £6.104 billion.
Respondents were asked “You mentioned that your phone was lost or stolen. Which, if any, of the below best describes how this happened? Please select all that apply”. 16% of respondents selected “Taken out of my hands when filming/taking pictures of an act/show.”
Respondents were asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?”. 45% of respondents selected NET: Agree that “ I haven’t considered taking any preventative security measures in the case of my phone being lost or stolen at a festival”. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?”. 20% of respondents selected NET: Agree that “I consider myself to have bad phone safety habits at festivals”.
Respondents were asked “You mentioned that your phone was lost or stolen. Which, if any, of the below best describes how this happened? Please select all that apply”. 37% of respondents selected “Taken out of my back pocket” 37% of respondents selected “I left it unattended in a tent“. 32% of respondents selected “I left it unattended in a public space when charging“
Respondents were asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?”. 81% of respondents selected NET: Agree that “Losing or having my phone stolen would ruin my festival experience”.
Respondents were asked “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?”. 52% of respondents selected NET: Agree that “I would be put off attending festivals in the future if my phone was lost or stolen”.
“Have you ever lost or had stolen any of the following at a UK music festival? Phone, Smartwatch, Tablet, Laptop, Speaker, Camera, Wallet, Money, Jewellery, Clothes, Headphones, Tent”. Respondents were also asked “What is the estimated value of the item lost or stolen?”.
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.
