Debrecen4U July 22, 2026

Safety at Campus Festival Ensured by Problem Prevention and Management Through Cooperation

The organisers of Campus Festival and their partners reported on this year’s measures to support safe enjoyment and harm reduction at the festival during a press tour held on 21 July 2026 at the event’s traditional venue, the Great Forest Stadium.

Péter Miklósvölgyi, Managing Director of Debreceni Campus Nonprofit Kft., said that the organisers are looking forward to the festival with confidence, with favourable weather conditions, a well-prepared organising team and a carefully arranged venue all contributing to its success. He emphasised that Campus Festival has been known for its safe operation for many years, which is why, ahead of the event, specialists jointly inspect all key safety points. He highlighted that visitors under and over the age of 18 will once again be distinguished by different wristbands this year, ensuring that minors will not be served alcohol at catering and hospitality outlets. The aim is to ensure that the festival sees as few health or safety incidents as possible.

András Süli, Programme Director of Campus Festival, spoke about the Közbelépő Programme, which was launched last year. This initiative also promotes safe festival attendance, particularly through the prevention of harassment. As part of the programme, volunteers and psychologists provide support to anyone who experiences harassment or other harmful behaviour during the event. In addition, event staff receive appropriate training to recognise such situations and intervene effectively when necessary.

László Páll, the other Managing Director of Debreceni Campus Nonprofit Kft., explained that one day of the festival presents a special organisational challenge, as DVSC will host an international football cup match at the Nagyerdei Stadium on 23 July. He noted that the stadium’s features – including its established infrastructure, evacuation routes and the elevated pedestrian bridges surrounding it – make it possible for the two events to take place simultaneously and safely. Supporters attending the match will be directed along a separate route via a corridor established from Pallagi Road to access the elevated pedestrian bridges without entering the festival grounds. Festival-goers wishing to attend the match will be able to enter the stadium directly from the festival site upon presentation of a valid match ticket. The organisers have spent the past six months coordinating the safety plans for both events, ensuring that both the match and the festival can be held safely.

Deputy Mayor Diána Széles stressed that, as a caring city, Debrecen places particular emphasis on ensuring that young people can enjoy themselves in safe surroundings. For more than a decade, the city has cooperated with the Lelkierő Young for the Young Association, which is responsible for the professional operation of the harm reduction point. Each year, the municipality supports the presence of mental health professionals and provides equipment such as water and vitamins to assist festival-goers experiencing illness or discomfort. Experience from recent years shows that more than one hundred people receive assistance at the harm reduction point during each festival. As Campus Festival is also highly popular among secondary school pupils in the city, the Deputy Mayor asked parents to remind young people to look out for one another: parents should always know who their children are attending the festival with; young people should not leave their friends behind; they should ensure adequate fluid intake; and they should seek help immediately if any problems arise. Diána Széles also noted that holders of the Debrecen City Card are once again entitled to discounted Campus Festival tickets this year.

Béla Szilárd Juhász, Professional Chair of the Debrecen Drug Coordination Forum and President of the Lelkierő Young for the Young Association, outlined the responsibilities of the harm reduction point, which has now been operating for more than ten years. The service will be available anonymously on all four days of the festival from 8.00 p.m. until 4.00 a.m. Specialists will provide a place to rest, a cooled environment, fluids and vitamins, and, where necessary, arrange additional medical care.

The specialist offered five key pieces of advice to festival-goers: arrive with a fully charged mobile phone and, preferably, a power bank; wear comfortable clothing; continue to replace fluids while consuming alcohol; seek help as soon as possible if problems arise; and agree meeting points with friends in advance in case they become separated. He stressed that nobody will suffer any disadvantage for seeking assistance at the harm reduction point and encouraged everyone to approach the specialists with confidence if they feel unwell or encounter any other problem.

The harm reduction point will operate on Wednesday and Thursday on the western side of the Great Forest Stadium, facing Pallagi Road, in the area beneath the pedestrian bridge. On the remaining days of the festival, it will be located only a few metres away, beneath the stadium’s arcade next to the entrance to the referees’ changing room. Every member of the security service and every official member of Campus Festival staff knows the exact location of the harm reduction point and can therefore quickly direct those seeking assistance or even accompany or transport those in need if necessary.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu