Victoria Expands Pill Testing Services at Major Music Festivals
24 Nov 2025
The move follows last summer’s trial, which tested nearly 1,400 drug samples, with 11% showing unexpected substances. Ten drug notifications were issued in 2024, two of which led to statewide advisories.
The 2025–26 rollout will include Spilt Milk, Dangerous Goods 6XXL, and the Pitch Music and Arts Festival, with two additional events to be announced. The Victorian Pill Testing Service fixed site at Fitzroy will also expand its operating hours from 1 December, opening earlier on Thursdays and Fridays and additional days ahead of New Year’s Eve.
The service is strongly supported by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz said, “These sites are staffed by experts who provide health information and discuss substance use behaviours. They allow people to make safer choices and provide critical interventions that can help reduce harm.”
Victorian Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt highlighted the health-led approach of pill testing. “It doesn’t encourage drug use but helps people understand what’s in their substances and make informed health decisions. With the rise of dangerous synthetic opioids, this service is more important than ever,” she said.
During the first six weeks of operation at the Fitzroy fixed site, over 500 samples were tested, with nearly 300 harm reduction conversations held. One in eight samples contained unexpected psychoactive substances, some of which posed serious health risks. Two notifications were issued for counterfeit oxycodone pills containing nitazenes.
RACGP Victoria addiction medicine spokesperson Dr Eric Hadinata emphasised the importance of the service amid emerging drug threats. “Drug overdoses affect real people—our friends, family, and community. Every life matters, and pill testing is a crucial step in protecting them,” he said.
Source: RACGP, Victorian Government
