Beyond The Valley delivers verdict on pill-testing trial

The launch of a landmark new pill-testing trial at Australia’s Beyond The Valley has been hailed as a huge success by promoter Untitled Group.

The festival – which took place from 28 December to 1 January at Hesse’s Barunah Plains Homestead some 125km from Melbourne’s central business district – was chosen as the first of ten events that will host the estimated $4m trial over the next two summers.

The pill-testing service was available to an estimated 35,000 festivalgoers who attended Beyond The Valley across the four days, making it the largest-ever event in Australia to provide access to pill testing.

The mobile site was staffed by 16 chemists, health and support workers who utilised “world-leading technology to test the make-up of most pills, capsules, powders, crystals, or liquids and identify harmful chemicals that can lead to death”.

Festivalgoers could drop by a testing tent between 1 pm and 7 pm each day, where their substances would be tested and they’d receive health information to help them make “better decisions”.

More than 700 people accessed the confidential service, with early data revealing that nearly 40% planned to take less of their drugs after testing. Over 70% reported it was their first “open, judgment-free discussion about drug and alcohol safety with a health professional”.

“The feedback from the BTV community has been resoundingly positive”

“The feedback from the BTV community has been resoundingly positive,” Nicholas Greco, co-founder & managing partner of Untitled Group, tells IQ. “We are proud to have facilitated this in collaboration with the Victorian Government, the Department of Health, YSAS, The Loop Australia, and Harm Reduction Victoria.”

In the wider industry, the Australian Festival Association hailed the trial a “significant win” for harm reduction strategies and festival safety.

“Victoria’s first pill-testing trial at Beyond The Valley has set a new benchmark for harm reduction at festivals, delivering outstanding results,” the association said.

With a successful trial under their belt, Greco says Untitled Group “would welcome drug-checking at our festivals in the future, including in Victoria”.

Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan has already announced that a fixed pill testing site is set to be established and opened by mid-2025 in inner Melbourne.

“This is not a trial to decide if Victoria will implement pill testing. It’s a trial to understand how to implement it,” she said in a statement.

Beyond The Valley organisers touted the sold-out 2024 edition as the “best festival yet” with standout performances from Natasha Bedingfield, Royel Otis, Tinashe, Lola Young, Teenage Dads and The Rions.

The Australian Festival Association hailed the trial a “significant win” for harm reduction strategies and festival safety

“The incredible turnout at Beyond The Valley this year is a huge validation of what we’ve been building over the years,” Greco tells IQ. “With our 10th anniversary coming up next, it’s deeply satisfying to see all the hard work pay off and to witness the impact the festival has had on culture and trends.

“We’ve never witnessed such an impact of this scale in post-event user-generated content, we’re seeing Beyond The Valley trending globally on TikTok right now. Ultimately the attendance reaffirms that we’re on the right path and drives us to keep elevating the experience year after year.”

This year, BTV organisers focused on evolving the festival experience by reimaging the site layout and elevating their partnerships and activations.

“It’s been rewarding to see how well those changes resonated,” adds Greco. “New hubs like the expanded Dr Dan’s area, and hosted activations like Poof Doof Pride parties and the Schmall Klub, were always busy and had a lot of energy throughout the entire weekend.

“Schmall Klub was reimagined with Smirnoff as a hidden party behind fridge doors in an aesthetic Cornerstore, featuring DJs and surprise sets and Red Bull also delivered with their ‘Unforeseen’ activation – a train station where attendees could discover a party behind the carriage doors.”

Beyond The Valley’s 10th anniversary edition will take place between 28 December 2025 and 1 January 2026.

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