Class A drugs buried underground at Creamfields site ahead of 80,000-fan festival

Cheshire Police found ecstasy, MDMA, ketamine and nitrous oxide buried at the Creamfields site in Daresbury ahead of this week's festival.

Drugs haul unearthed at Creamfields ahead of opening day

Cheshire Police have discovered a "large quantity" of class A, B and C drugs concealed underground at the Creamfields festival site in Daresbury, ahead of the event's opening on Thursday, Daily Express reports.

The find came during pre-event searches carried out in the week before Creamfields 2026, which is expected to draw up to 80,000 attendees between Thursday 27 August and Monday 31 August. Specialist officers combed the grounds as part of what police described as "pre-event disruption" work aimed at preventing crime and disorder.

The haul included approximately 204 canisters of nitrous oxide alongside large bags containing ecstasy, MDMA and ketamine tablets. Officers believe the items had been buried at the site months in advance by individuals planning to retrieve them once the festival was under way.

Superintendent Andy Blizard, who is overseeing the policing operation, said the tactic was not new. "Every year we remind those attending Creamfields that there is a zero-tolerance policy regarding drugs and, every year, we counter a number of brazen individuals who think they can outsmart us by concealing drugs from view or burying them at the site months in advance," he said.

Blizard added that further quantities were expected to be recovered as searches continued. "We fully expect to find further quantities as our searches continues, leaving many of those who chose to bury these items very much disappointed to find them no longer where left them when they arrive at the festival to dig them back up," he said.

In a pointed message to those responsible, Blizard invited them to come forward. "Anyone who has buried a rucksack or hold-all bag at the site and would like it back is asked to get in contact with us — officers have already begun conducting enquiries to identify their owners and look forward to speaking to them soon."

Cheshire Police said a visible presence would be maintained throughout the festival, with further searches planned during the event itself.

Source: Daily Express