One in Five Music Festival Attendees Had Sexual Encounters: Study

As it turns out, Burning Man isn’t the only festival that brings out the freaks. Based on the results of a new survey by the online prescription service ZipHealth, music festivals could be a bigger haven for sexual activity than they are for endless band reunions and $19 bottles of water.

As part of their very sexy effort, ZipHealth surveyed 1,003 Brits and Americans who have attended a music festival in the last five years, with 79% from the US and 21% hailing from the UK. Each participant was asked not only about past sexual experiences and general preferences, but also about concerns around their personal sexual health and interpersonal relationships. ZipHealth described the results as “raw, revealing, and, at times, a little grimy.”

There’s quite a bit of data and general insights to ~~swallow~~ delve into, but here are some of our favorite tidbits:

One in five (actually 19%) of attendees have had a sexual encounter during a fest. I’m not really sure if that’s high or low, but it explains so many of my own experiences at festivals nationwide.

And who are those people hooking up with? For the most part, it’s someone they already knew, whether it was a significant other (53%), a friend or someone they came to the festival with (16%), or even an ex (16%). That leaves a not insignificant 38% who did it with a stranger.

Approximately one in two attendees (48%) indicated that they were open to a “weekend festival fling.” Unsurprisingly, the responses show a gender gap: 59% of men were willing, compared to 36% of women.

And just which festival attendees are the most frisky and adventurous? Why Burning Man, of course, with 47% of attendees hooking up at some point. That’s followed by Download (42%) and Coachella (34%). Wouldn’t it be funny if No. 1 was instead, like, Newport Folk Festival?

So, how does nationality factor into all this? UK attendees were 7% more likely to have had a sexual experience compared to their US counterparts (25% versus 18%). Hey, guess you finally beat us in something, Brits.

And when they are having sex, here are attendees’ most popular spots: the crowd (33%), a tent (28%), and a car (16%). That sure does change how you maneuver through your next festival, yeah?

Similarly, doggy style was ranked as the No. 1 most preferred position at 31%, followed by missionary at 22% and standing up at 15%. Given the popularity of schtupping in a crowd, doggy does feel like the most logistically sensible position.

If you’re going to do the deed, you always need the right soundtrack. The Weeknd topped rankings for most preferred artist, followed by Rihanna, Lana Del Rey, SZA, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Arctic Monkeys, Dua Lipa, The Killers, and Doja Cat. Who placed surprisingly too high, Arctic Monkeys or The Killers?

Meanwhile, in terms of genre, rap/hip-hop came in No. 1 as the most effective mood-setter. That was followed by R&B/soul, EDM, indie/alternative, and rock. I’d think reggae might make the list, but what do I know?

It’s not all fun and games, either. Some 37% of attendees avoided sexual experiences due to fears of STIs. And just 22% of attendees claimed that fests “promoted healthy sexual behavior.” Seems like something to work on (alongside the lines to the Porta Pottys).

Finally, there’s at least one spot of hope (that’s not extra naughty). Some 13% of attendees claimed they’d fallen in love at a fest, and 9% started a relationship from their mid-fest fling. Talk about a meet-cute, amirite?!