Charity worker ‘struggles to digest’ aftermath of Leeds Festival in shocking footage

Jaw-dropping footage has revealed the scale of rubbish left behind after Leeds Festival.

Tens of thousands of people partied at Bramham Park over the weekend for the 2023 version of the iconic event.

Festival-goers got to soak up the likes of Sam Fender, The Killers, Billie Eilish and loads of other incredible acts.

However, it seems like many forgot to clean up after themselves.

Drone footage posted by BBC and ITV has revealed the incredible scale of trash that didn't make it to the bin before people left.

However, it was just as shocking on the ground.

Jack Lowe was a part of a charity group that helps dismantle tents so they can be used for refugees in France.

He couldn't believe his eyes when he got to Bramham Park.

Lowe wrote on Twitter: "It’s going to take us a while to digest what we saw when we went to help salvage tents and equipment for a refugee charity at the end of Leeds Festival yesterday.

"This is just a fraction of it - littering on the grandest scale we’ve ever witnessed.

"Utterly appalling."

Lowe added that he also saw loads of tents that were slashed so they couldn't be reappropriated for others who are less fortunate.

He responded to someone on Twitter who asked why so many people just leave their tents behind.

Jack said: "They’re seen as expendable, Joe, indicative of a systemic problem…our industrial consumer society.

"Many of them are clearly designed for this exact market - to be ‘good enough’ to be used for one weekend."

Twitter/@MrJackLowe

He added: "It’s hard to convey the sheer scale of this. There are thousands of tents and associated paraphernalia.

"I’d say the volunteers manage to dismantle less than 1% of them.

"Many are damaged (some purposefully). Most will be scraped up and put into landfill."

The director of the company that organises Leeds Festival had a message for concert-goers before the event had wrapped up.

Melvin Benn of Festival Republic told ITV News: "The message to festival goers all of the time is to try and look after the environment really.

"We work really hard on making sure that people recycle and take their belongings home with them.

"Most people do, some people don't. Some people are untidy and we have to tidy up after them."

LADbible has contacted Festival Republic for comment.

Topics: UK News

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Senior Journalist at LADbible. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign. He is in charge of the LADbible Australia editorial content and social presence.

@stewartperrie