Coroner Slams 'Market-Like' Drug Dealing at Boomtown After Student's MDMA Death
Winchester, Hampshire – Drugs were being sold openly, "like food at a market", at the notorious Boomtown music festival, where a 22-year-old university student died last August after overdosing on MDMA, a coroner has stated. The death of Ben Buckfield marks the fifth fatality at the annual event since its inception in 2009.
Former film student Ben Buckfield, a recent graduate of the University of Winchester, died after suffering a seizure following the consumption of four MDMA pills in what was described as a 'drug bomb' during the festival in South Downs National Park. His cause of death was confirmed as Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) toxicity.
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During an inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court, Coroner Nicholas Walker expressed, "very worrying", concerns about the widespread and overt drug dealing. He highlighted evidence from Ben's friends that dealers would wander through the festival's campsites shouting, "ket, coke, pills", as an advertisement to revellers, likening it to vendors selling food in a market.
Ben's parents, Georgina and David Buckfield, described the Hampshire event as a "dangerous, enabling environment" for young people, warning that, "it's only a matter of time before there's another death". Mrs Buckfield, from Saffron Walden, Essex, added that it was ,"shocking", her son was the fifth young person to die at the festival.
The court heard that Ben, described by his mother as, "well read and passionate about politics and history", arrived at Boomtown on August 8 with friends. He had attended the festival once before in 2023. While his friends stated that his consumption of cocaine, ketamine, and alcohol was not, "out of the ordinary", for a social event, they also noted that drug sales advertisements were audible approximately every twenty minutes in the tent area.
Ben had brought some drugs into the festival with him and was also believed to have purchased more from vendors in the two days leading up to his death. On the Saturday evening, he was seen, "profusely sweating", in a crowd before trying to exit and subsequently suffering seizures. Medics placed him in the recovery position before he was transferred to the festival's medical tent and then to hospital.
His parents, who were at a wedding in Warwickshire, arrived at the hospital around 11:30 pm and saw their son before he passed away at 3:45 am the following morning despite repeated attempts to save him.
Delivering his conclusion, Mr. Walker stated: "It seems to me that the most appropriate conclusion I can offer in this case is one of drug-related death".
While highly critical of the drug culture, the coroner also stated that he was satisfied with the medical care provided to Ben by on-site staff, deeming it, "entirely appropriate". He further commented that he was satisfied the organisers at Boomtown, "take safety seriously".
Mr. Walker indicated that he would consider issuing a Prevention of Future Deaths report in light of Ben's death and the concerning evidence presented. Boomtown festival is widely known for its incorporation of rave culture into its production and atmosphere.
Former film student Ben Buckfield, a recent graduate of the University of Winchester, died after suffering a seizure following the consumption of four MDMA pills in what was described as a 'drug bomb' during the festival in South Downs National Park. His cause of death was confirmed as Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) toxicity.
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During an inquest at Winchester Coroner's Court, Coroner Nicholas Walker expressed, "very worrying", concerns about the widespread and overt drug dealing. He highlighted evidence from Ben's friends that dealers would wander through the festival's campsites shouting, "ket, coke, pills", as an advertisement to revellers, likening it to vendors selling food in a market.
Ben's parents, Georgina and David Buckfield, described the Hampshire event as a "dangerous, enabling environment" for young people, warning that, "it's only a matter of time before there's another death". Mrs Buckfield, from Saffron Walden, Essex, added that it was ,"shocking", her son was the fifth young person to die at the festival.
The court heard that Ben, described by his mother as, "well read and passionate about politics and history", arrived at Boomtown on August 8 with friends. He had attended the festival once before in 2023. While his friends stated that his consumption of cocaine, ketamine, and alcohol was not, "out of the ordinary", for a social event, they also noted that drug sales advertisements were audible approximately every twenty minutes in the tent area.
Ben had brought some drugs into the festival with him and was also believed to have purchased more from vendors in the two days leading up to his death. On the Saturday evening, he was seen, "profusely sweating", in a crowd before trying to exit and subsequently suffering seizures. Medics placed him in the recovery position before he was transferred to the festival's medical tent and then to hospital.
His parents, who were at a wedding in Warwickshire, arrived at the hospital around 11:30 pm and saw their son before he passed away at 3:45 am the following morning despite repeated attempts to save him.
Delivering his conclusion, Mr. Walker stated: "It seems to me that the most appropriate conclusion I can offer in this case is one of drug-related death".
While highly critical of the drug culture, the coroner also stated that he was satisfied with the medical care provided to Ben by on-site staff, deeming it, "entirely appropriate". He further commented that he was satisfied the organisers at Boomtown, "take safety seriously".
Mr. Walker indicated that he would consider issuing a Prevention of Future Deaths report in light of Ben's death and the concerning evidence presented. Boomtown festival is widely known for its incorporation of rave culture into its production and atmosphere.
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