Attendees at Truck Festival in Oxfordshire reported suspected food poisoning after eating wraps from a third-party stall, with many spending long periods in portable toilets and some missing performances. Organisers identified and removed the vendor within 90 minutes of the first complaints and alerted the local Environmental Health Officer. Several people pointed to pork or undercooked chicken as possible sources; at least one person was hospitalised with bloody diarrhoea. Local authorities, including Vale of White Horse and UKHSA, are investigating.
Festivalgoers Report Severe Food Poisoning at Truck Fest; Vendor Removed Within 90 Minutes
Concertgoers from the 2025 Truck Festival in Oxfordshire, U.K.Credit: Katja Ogrin/Redferns
Concertgoers at the Truck Festival in Oxfordshire reported falling ill with suspected food poisoning after eating wraps from a third-party stall, with many forced to spend much of the weekend in portable toilets and some missing headline acts because of severe diarrhoea.
Rapid on-site response: Festival organisers say their medical and health-and-safety teams received multiple reports of similar symptoms on Sunday morning, launched an immediate investigation and identified a third-party food vendor as the suspected source. The stall was removed from service within 90 minutes of the first complaint, and organisers informed the local Environmental Health Officer the same day.
Attendee accounts: Social media posts in a Truck Fest Facebook group described widespread stomach illness. Several people reported eating a pork wrap or a so-called "pork smasher," while others pointed to undercooked chicken. One attendee said they were hospitalised after passing bloody diarrhoea and that doctors were testing samples for foodborne infection.
Concertgoers at the Truck Festival in 2025Credit: Katja Ogrin/Redferns
On-the-ground conditions: Witnesses described crowded, frequently used portable toilets and festival medical staff handing out anti-diarrhoeal medication such as Imodium. Some campers in higher-priced areas said they had better facilities but still missed performances while recovering.
Investigations under way: PEOPLE contacted Event Mobile Catering, the operator named in reports, for comment. Local authorities confirmed they are investigating: a Vale of White Horse spokesperson told the Oxford Mail they were aware of a "potential food poisoning outbreak" and are working with Truck Festival, UKHSA and the trader's registering authority to determine the cause.
"On Sunday morning, our on-site medical team received reports from a number of attendees with similar symptoms," a Truck Fest spokesperson said. "Our Health and Safety team launched an immediate investigation and identified a third-party food vendor as the suspected source. That vendor was removed from operation within 90 minutes of the first report. We reported our findings to the local Environmental Health Officer the same day and are supporting their ongoing investigation into the cause. We share the disappointment and frustration of those whose weekend was affected."
What to expect next: Officials will await lab results and environmental health findings before confirming the exact cause. Anyone who attended the festival and experienced severe or prolonged symptoms is advised to seek medical attention and report the illness to local health authorities to assist public-health tracing and investigation.
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