Marlon Hoffstadt urges fans to practise safer drug use and “look out for each other” following Australian festival tour

Marlon Hoffstadt has urged fans to exercise caution if they are taking drugs and to “watch out for each other” following his Australian festival tour.

Hoffstadt made the plea via an Instagram story earlier this week, a screen recording of which has now made its way to TikTok. You can watch it below. 

The plea came after another video, uploaded to TikTok by user @graceclemente_, showed Hoffstadt pausing his set at Wildlands Festival in Perth to urge the crowd to “drink some water, look out for each other and chill a fucking bit”.

In his subsequent Instagram story, the popular Berlin DJ, otherwise known as DJ Daddy Trance, suggested greater education was needed when it came to drug taking and that users should familiarise themselves with safe doses and their own tolerance levels.

“One thing I really noticed at all of these festivals is people passing out,” he said. “I know going crazy and also doing drugs is fun and shit, I’ve been there and done that, but I think to create a safer space on the dance floor there is like a few things that need to exist. One of them is a quite safe use of drugs and to watch out for each other. I’ve seen so many people passing out – so many really young people passing out. I don’t know, maybe it’s time to educate yourself on how much you can do, what these drugs do to you…”

“I know it’s all fun, and all party and shit, but for me it’s not fun seeing people pass out during my sets and being carried out by security,” he continued. “For me, it’s also not fun to take down the music because some person somewhere in the middle can’t get out of the crowd. I think, therefore, do a little less… Guys, drink a little water, do a little bit less. Go longer, not faster maybe. I don’t know, just watch out, because it’s also really fucking dangerous.”

Last month, it was reported that pill testing is to be trialled at New South Wales festivals this year. A 12-month trial will roll out throughout 2025 following approval by the Australian state’s government. New South Wales follows on from other parts of Australia also introducing pill-testing services, with Canberra establishing a permanent one in 2022 and Queensland following that up with two initiatives in March of 2024. 

Last year, a man died after a suspected drug overdose at Australia’s Pitch Music & Arts Festival, which takes place in Victoria, prompting calls for that state’s government to implement similar testing measures. These was trialled last week at the popular Beyond The Valley festival.

Here in the UK, last summer it was announced that drug testing is to resume in the UK this summer following a Home Office licence debacle.

In November last year, it was announced that year-round onsite drug testing would be introduced at Drumsheds and The Warehouse Project by The Loop. The Loop also runs semi-regular online harm reduction courses relating to drug misuse.

Also in the UK, a recently launched initiative, Safer States, has been introduced to address drug safety and harm reduction in nightlife settings.

Revisit DJ Mag’s longread opinion piece on the importance of harm minimisation in UK clubs.