A woman has shared her experience witnessing the aftermath of a sexual assault at Boardmasters on TikTok. She spotted a young girl at the hospitality area of the 2025 festival, being supported by a male steward.
The steward had helped the young girl as she seemed unwell, and was talking to a security guard who didn’t want to let her inside the area as she didn’t have a VIP wristband. She came to the woman for help, and when asked what happened, instantly burst into tears.
“She kept repeating ‘I just kept saying no, I said no, he wouldn’t stop’ and continued to describe a nasty sexual assault she had suffered in the arena,” the woman said in her TikTok video.
The woman then took the young girl to the sexual assault tent at Boardmasters, where she was able to share her story and was taken to a private room for further help.
This wasn’t the only incident at Boardmasters 2025
She also met a mum earlier on the same day who claimed her sixteen-year-old daughter had been spiked with a needle the previous night. The mother and daughter duo decided not to drink at the festival to stay safe, but the sixteen-year-old started staggering as if she were extremely drunk in the middle of the crowd. They spent that night in the welfare tent, where a mark was found on her arm. The welfare workers confirmed that the injury was a needle prick and advised her to go to the nearest hospital.
@for_the_love_of_riding
Multiple people were allegedly spiked there
Cooper, a seventeen-year-old influencer who also attended Boardmasters, shared a similar experience on social media.
“Got spiked with a needle, touched weirdly multiple times, threatened, and just had my time ruined in general,” he said in an Instagram story being shared across TikTok to raise awareness. Cooper reminded people that he, like most other festival attendees, had just wanted to unwind and enjoy himself.
According to Cornwall Live, eleven people were arrested for drug and sexual assault charges at Boardmasters last year. Despite promises of increased police presence and tighter safety measures, multiple stories about spiking and sexual assault have come out over the past few days, many including underage boys and girls.
Sexual assault and spiking at music festivals has been a huge concern, with the most recent reports stating that one in three women at music festivals are sexually assaulted or harassed.
At the time of this article’s publication, Boardmasters has not responded to a request for comment.
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Featured image by: Boardmasters on Instagram/@for_the_love_of_riding on TikTok.
