Men report sexual harassment at festivals, often by middle-aged intoxicated women

A survey by Finnish live music association Livefin finds that 4 percent of male festivalgoers report experiencing sexual harassment, compared to 17 percent of women. Middle-aged intoxicated women are frequently the perpetrators, often targeting younger men.

Hannu Auvinen, a 57-year-old security chief, described an incident where a 50-year-old woman, upset over losing a dildo raffle, grabbed his crotch under his vest. He said such behavior—unwanted touching, propositions, or selfies—is common at events he oversees.

Maarit Kinnunen, a festival researcher at the University of Lapland, noted that older generations may not recognize such actions as serious harassment. She added that under-15 boys also report incidents, with most perpetrators being strangers and often intoxicated.

Many festivals now have designated harassment contact persons and trained staff, but underreporting remains an issue. Auvinen observed that some women misinterpret polite security responses as flirtation, escalating to explicit advances.

Livefin’s 2024 survey, with 17,100 respondents, found 20–29-year-old men most frequently report harassment, typically in crowded concert settings.