‘No one will be able to breathe’: Londoners brace for dusty festival chaos this weekend

If you’re heading to All Points East this weekend, you might want to pack your festival bag carefully.

Anyone who has taken a single step outside in London this summer will have noticed the transformation of our once thriving, lush green parks to barren and yellow wastelands.

It’s a miserable sight. Just one foot on the grass kicks up a cloud of dirt – a dust devil even made headlines recently as it whipped through Greenwich Park.

With around 150,000 people expected to descend on Victoria Park this weekend for the annual festival, concerns are growing online over the state of the site.

Last year, hundreds of festival goers complained about the astronomical amount of dust, which coated their skin, got in their mouths and altogether turned the park into the set of Dune.

And with London having experienced its worst drought on record this summer, people are understandably worried that conditions could be even more dire this time around.

With just a few days to go until All Points East kicks off, people on TikTok have been began sharing their biggest concerns.

‘No one will be able to breathe’, @adoreyoudrada wrote. While @Mel suggested ‘should we all just wear PPE at this point?’

To try and calm people’s nerves, Jim King, the CEO of events giant AEG which runs the festival, told the Times that last year’s ‘well-reported dust issues’ have informed the group’s planning for this year’s event.

He shared that in 2025, immediately after the show, the festival worked with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to get back into the park [and begin] an extensive amount of reseeding, which has reportedly made the park ‘as strong’ as it can be.

The team has also brought in extra ground protection, including plastic coverings in high-footfall areas in the park.

Despite these precautions, another worry has been that the rain forecast for the next few days could turn the site into a massive ‘slip and slide’.

Can’t we just party in peace?

While Lorde’s set list may be the only thing on your mind, it’s important to be aware of the potential health risks these kinds of environments pose.

What are the health risks?

If you’ve already spent time in dusty open spaces like parks during this heatwave, Dr Crystal Wyllie tells Metro you may have already felt the effects.

‘Dusty environments can irritate your airways and can trigger an immune response that causes your airway muscles to tighten and swell, and mucus production to increase,’ she says.

‘This comes from breathing in fine particles that often irritate the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs, and can lead to coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.’

This environment can also mean your eyes begin to water and itch, as well as your skin being irritated.

Of course, some will struggle more than others in these conditions, namely those with ‘sensitive airways’.

‘If you have asthma or COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), you’re highly vulnerable as dust exposure can spark severe asthma attacks and wheezing,’ Dr Wyllie, for Asda Online Doctor, adds.

‘Dry, windy conditions coupled with large crowds moving across bare ground can increase the amount of dust in the air.’

While this is a relatively new problem in the UK, Australia’s National Asthma Council has a whole warning sheet on dust storms and asthma, stressing that ‘the longer you’re exposed, the greater chance for symptoms’.

It may also be wise to carry your inhaler with you whenever you leave the house (if you don’t already), particularly if you’re going to the park.

COPD creates an increased risk because sufferers can have emphysema or chronic bronchitis, where their airways are already inflamed. According to the NHS, this can leave you with sudden flare-ups where it’s difficult to breathe.

Should you bring a mask to All Points East?

The main piece of advice APE veterans keep sharing across social media is to bring a mask or bandana.

It might ruin your outfit, but the dust is more than just an annoyance.

‘If you’re going to spend time outside in a dry and dusty environment, I’d recommend wearing a mask to protect your lungs from airborne particles, especially if you are at higher risk,’ Dr Wyllie says.

In the UK, face masks were made a mandatory safety measure back in June 2020 after the Covid outbreak, and this rule was in place for the next two years. Since then, though, some have chosen to continue wearing them, while others have found them to be annoying.

‘I honestly personally dislike the sensory experience and the inability to see other people’s faces irks me out,’ wrote one person on Reddit. ‘Of course, if you want to wear one, I respect your prerogative to do so.’

‘We’ve collectively decided that masking is “over,” and I get it,’ added another. ‘The pandemic fatigue was real. The mandates were exhausting. Nobody wants to go back to that era. But in our rush to get back to normal, we threw out a pretty useful habit.’

But whether you like them or loathe them, wearing one could protect your lungs in the long term.

‘It’s also essential to stay hydrated, drinking plenty of water to keep throat linings moist, and to help clear mucus,’ the doctor adds.

And it goes without saying, if you’re struggling with your breathing, go and see a doctor or go straight to hospital if it’s severe.

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