DanceSafe at TomorrowWorld
Last Updated: August 1, 2022
A step towards the World of Tomorrow
DanceSafe was thrilled to join TomorrowWorld and take part in North America’s first chapter of TomorrowLand, which is considered Europe’s largest dance music festival. Given the recent influx of hospitalizations at EDM events in the U.S., DanceSafe was asked to bring their harm reduction services to TomorrowWorld to share with its over 140,000 attendees. DanceSafe worked closely with heavyweight European promoters, ID&T, who are longtime advocates of the harm reduction movement fully utilized their expertise to prioritize the health and safety of their patrons. For three days (Sept 27, 28, 29) we were a part of the story that was the birth of TomorrowWorld in the US.
DanceSafe volunteers from around the country joined in Atlanta to take part in our biggest event to date. Eighteen harm reductionists from 5 different chapters donated their time to come show the international crowd how to enjoy the event with safety in mind. Organizers equipped us with a 20 x 20’ space in an area that was impossible to not pass by! We were provided with lounge seating for attendees to take a break, engage in healthy conversation about drug use, grab an ice cold drink of water and obtain additional health and safety resources. Throughout the course of the weekend, our site stayed very busy, with over 10,000 visitors. Virtually every guest we interacted with expressed gratitude and support for our mission. And with TomorrowWorld offering single day passes, we were able to reach new patrons each day.
A sampling of the endorsements we received from guests:
- “I preach about what you do all the time!”
- “Thank you so much for helping me get a medic for my friend yesterday.”
- “The ear plugs you gave me saved me last night!”
- “I hope they let you do pill testing next year! But Thank You for what you all are doing!”
Mobile outreach volunteers roamed the crowd providing our services to guests throughout the festival. Each volunteer was strapped with a bag full of literature packets, condoms, earplugs, and sunscreen as well as a clipboard and evaluation sheets to assess their findings. Our volunteers also helped maintain crowd safety by being an extra set of eyes for any guests needing the assistance of caregivers and medics on site.
It’s our hope moving forward that the organizers of TomorrowWorld set the precedent for other festival promotion companies. We understand the pressures faced by large scale promoters to address drug use at their events while adhering to “zero tolerance” drug policies. The success of TomorrowWorld and the incredible safety record of its first and arguably one of the United States most successful events in recent years proves that exquisite care for their patrons and a b Harm Reduction presence can go a long way towards making these events safer and more enjoyable. The concern for most event holders should no longer be providing harm reduction services at your event, but in choosing not to provide any at all. DanceSafe looks forward to empowering more dance music patrons to make educated decisions based on the success of our inclusion in TomorrowWorld.
Thank You to and all who joined us and promoted and celebrated safety and fun while experiencing the Wisdom of TomorrowWorld’s Storytellers.