Large outdoor music festivals have emerged as part of a general expansion of licensedrecreational activities, but in research terms they have been largely impenetrable due tocommercial sensitivities. These sensitivities notwithstanding, the number and scale ofsuch events necessitate a greater understanding of alcohol and drug use and the potentialto promote normative protective behaviours in this context. This study examines self-reported alcohol and drug behaviours of 1589 attendees at a music festival in Scotlandduring the summer of 2008. Similarities between the outdoor rock music festivals and thedance club scene are considered alongside the challenges associated with risk reductionin these settings. Results show that alcohol was consumed by the majority of samples;however, negative consequences were reported by a minority of respondents, suggestingevidence of controlled hedonism within a situation traditionally associated withunrestrained excess. Similarly, the majority of samples did not use drugs. The majorityalso report a number of self-regulating protective behaviours suggesting that alcohol anddrug use is contained within a developing social culture of ‘controlled intoxication’.Results further suggest that although music festivals are transitory events, there is a degreeof consistency amongst attendees. Music festivals may therefore be atypical butpotentially effective environments to increase protective behaviours using normativemessaging and modern communications media. This study was resourced exclusivelyby local alcohol and drug partnerships.