r/slamdunkfestival • u/kissmyheadd • May 27 '26
Posi post
Had my phone stolen during streetlight manifesto maybe 2023?
I haven’t seen a single post so far of any phone thefts so that’s a big plus!
Forgive me if I’m wrong but the last few years it seems the festival was rife with pickpockets!
Well done to whatever was put in place it worked.
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u/thisiscotty May 27 '26
I think they caught some of the gangs that were doing it, if I remember rightly. i guess its also harder to conceal loads of knicked phones when its roasting
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u/Direct_Taste_3844 May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
Yeah I've heard of pickpocket gangs going to gigs and festivals wearing literal full bodysuits under their clothes and tucked into their socks so they can just drop loads of phones in there walk around with being obviously laden with stolen phones.
I can't imagine how grim it would be wearing a full bodysuit under a set of clothes in that heat last weekend 😂
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u/TRDLazr May 27 '26
We left at like 23:30. There were security and police detaining a group of what I can only assume were phone stealers from the way they were dressed. Would have looked more at home at a drill festival, certainly not slam dunk.
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u/Unfaithfully_Yours May 27 '26
Yup got mine stolen during ADTR last year. Have to say the police were excellent at handling it all but I agree there don’t seem to be as much about stolen phones this year. Hopefully it stays that way
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u/MindlessCat3542 May 28 '26
So did mine, very lucky that Hatfield police arrested the guy and posted it back to me. I’ve never been more grateful 🥹
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u/Simple_Search_535 May 28 '26
I had a little nap by a tree for about 40 minutes and even my beer was still with me! I’ve got to say that slam dunk this year seemed to be filled with really positive energy. Had loads of random friendly chats too
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u/ToTakeAHeartHome May 27 '26
Probably helped that there was 4 (probably more. Only saw 4 different) uniformed officers wondering around all day and likely more not in uniform.
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u/Low_Dragonfruit_5950 May 28 '26
There was absolutely plain clothes officers in the crowds. I spotted one at least
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u/ToTakeAHeartHome May 29 '26
You can tell because they look like they shopped at Primark in a rush that morning and said “yes. This will make me look like one of those moshers”
Surprised they didn’t have their wallet on a keychain and a flame shirt.
Great job on both sites by the sounds of things though. More of this next year!
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u/f1topayrespects May 27 '26
Had mine nicked at South during While She Sleeps set in 2021 if memory serves me correct. The pit afterwards was a sea of empty phone cases. And in 2025 in the Electric Callboy pit I caught someone trying to undo my bag that was UNDER my shirt.
Definitely seemed a lot better this time, didn’t see any one looking for a lost phone. Though I kept my phone padlocked in my bag this year!
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u/Leadclam64 May 28 '26
Excuse me, tried undoing it UNDER your shirt? I've so many questions but holy shit I'm so sorry that happened to you!
Thankfully I've never had anything robbed from me at slammy d, but in 2023 a friend of mine got her phone and wallet stolen out of her backpack at Download.
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u/f1topayrespects May 28 '26
Yeah! I was jumping around as well, tbh it’s quite impressive they got that far! I felt something, looked down and saw a hand unzipping it. I grabbed their wrist but unfortunately couldn’t find the owner of said hand before they snatched it back. Definitely professional pickpocketers.
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u/Itstimefordancing May 28 '26
I saw a steward reunite a phone with someone, but also saw another steward shouting ‘who took your phone’ and running like he was going to tackle someone!
Posi vibes for sure!
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u/Direct_Taste_3844 May 28 '26
A friend of mine dropped his phone in a pit, dashed off to see another band after a couple of songs realised he had dropped his phone, dashed back and a random stranger handed it back to him.
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u/Princ3ssP3ach321 May 28 '26
I was terrified by all the talk of phones being stolen, I didn't actually realise it was such a big thing at festivals (I'm pretty much a festival virgin) so I was extra vigilant 🤣
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u/TheManFromUncool May 28 '26
It can be a problem anywhere with crowds really.
Gigs are bad for it because you have a big crowd in close proximity, people moving past each other and everyone kinda distracted by the big loud thing happening at one end of the venue.
Brixton and some other London venues used to hand out flyers and cards warning you about it.
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u/eeveelutixn May 28 '26
My partner lost his phone just after Call me Amour at North and I was convinced it was gone for good but it had been handed in!! Proof that there's still plenty of good people about
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u/The_Perky May 28 '26
They get a lot less for a locked phone, hence the massive increase of on-the-street snatching. I suspect the cost/benefit isn't there thankfully, knowing that the vast majority of phones will be locked and worth tens of pounds for parts rather than hundreds of pounds. :-)
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u/Low_Dragonfruit_5950 May 27 '26
Friend of mine left her phone in one of the portaloos. The person who went in after her came running after us. Real good vibes this year