Queer acts call out Download Festival for ‘unsafe’ trans toilet policy
The festival was blasted by acts including NOAHFINNCE and Pinkshift who encouraged others to 'say something' about the matter
By Gary Grimes
Download Festival has come under fire from trans artists who are criticising the festival‘s “unsafe” policy for trans people using toilets.
NOAHFINNCE, a British singer-songwriter and YouTuber who performed at the rock festival in 2024, took to social media to share a screenshot of what appears to be an email from the festival answering a query about its toilet policy.
“We are proud of the reputation the Download community has in terms of diversity, and will always look to promote the safety and comfort of all festival attendees, including transgender and non-binary customers,” the email in the screenshot reads.
Hey @DownloadFest what the fuck are you doing. How have you got the gall to invite trans people like me to play your festival and then ban them from using the toilet? If the only way we can piss is by outing ourselves then you’ve created an unsafe environment… pic.twitter.com/W0oLIa5P4U
— NOAHFINNCE👹 (@noahfinnadams) May 27, 2025
“We will be following the interim guidance issued by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on 25 April 2025 here,” it goes on to say. “Their guidance states that ‘trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women’s facilities and trans men (biological women) should not be permitted to use the men’s facilities’”.
This development comes in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling which determined that the word ‘woman’ refers only to “biological women” under the Equality Act 2010.
Commenting on this response from the festival, the artist, who came out as a transgender man in 2017, said: “Hey @DownloadFest what the f**k are you doing? How have you got the gall to invite trans people like me to play your festival, then ban them from using the toilet? If the only way we can p*ss is by outing ourselves, then you’ve created an unsafe environment.
“If you’re playing [Download Festival], playing it or even just aware of it, say something about it” – NOAHFINNCE
The ‘LIFE’S A BIT’ singer goes on to say: “I had a great time playing last year but will not be attending again if I have to queue up for the ladies’ and my trans sisters have to risk outing themselves in the men’s. All this does is put trans people in danger.
“If you’re playing @downloadfest, playing it or even just aware of it, say something about it,” the artist concluded.
NOAHFINNCE’s sentiments were echoed by the American band Pinkshift. The band, whose lead singer Ashrita Kumar identifies as nonbinary, wrote on an Instagram story saying: “Playing @downloadfest was fun last year but what fucking music festival polices gendered bathrooms?
“That’s crazy and so unsafe, thanks @noahfinnce for being the only artist I’ve seen talk about this,” the post continues. “If Download is part of your life then speak up, they think they can get away with discrimination in the ripe year of 2025.”
In a statement provided to Attitude, the Festival says: “At the heart of Download is acceptance – we stand with all members of our community and want everyone to feel safe, supported and welcome at the festival. We want to reassure all of our customers that at Download, the majority of toilets will be gender neutral and available to all. There will also be single sex toilets provided. Download Festival has always been and remains for everyone.
We sincerely apologise that a previous communication on this was not clear. We are looking forward to seeing you at Download this year.”