Organisers consider an adults-only T in the Park

DF Concerts might change set-up following deaths of two teenagers at last year’s event

T in the Park could become an adultsonly event when it returns to Strathallan next year, festival boss Geoff Ellis has revealed.

Organisers are considering opening the event to over-18s only, after the deaths of two teenagers during last summer’s show.

The family of 17-year-old Megan Bell, who died after collapsing in the Slam tent, called for age restrictions at all festivals to help keep young people safe.

Mr Ellis also said he plans to “dial down” electronic dance music, which he claims has divided audiences.

He told BBC Radio Scotland he still wants to stage the event in the grounds of Strathallan Castle but only after “constraints” as a result of planning conditions can be resolved.

Last year, organisers DF Concerts announced T in the Park would not go ahead this year to allow for more time to get on top of problems which have plagued the show since it moved to its new home two years ago.

Mr Ellis, speaking on yesterday morning’s Kaye Adams programme, said: “T in the Park has always been open-age (under-18s have had to be accompanied by someone over-21) but in the last few years we’ve seen more and more under-18s coming to the event and obviously it is becoming very difficult to police the camp site with all the alcohol that’s been brought in by people who are over-18.

He said: “These issues have always been there and they’re there at every nightclub and every pub.

“It’s just that I’ve noticed younger people going crazier than their counterparts did maybe five years ago.

“But this would mean that families can’t come to the event as they have done traditionally since 1994, but its just something I feel we will have to do.”

Mr Ellis said he has appealed to the Scottish Government and the NHS about tackling “harm reduction messaging”.

“Its how we change the message that goes out to young people,” he said.

“T in the Park can be part of transferring that message to teenagers.

“But I think there needs to be a sea-change in approach.”

Mr Ellis insisted the reason T in the Park had been axed this year was to do with planning constraints, rather than perceptions of crime or under-age drinking.

“It is the planning constraints which are so onerous and we have to fix those and take stock before we can bring the event back,” he said.

“For example, we have to put bridges across water, but we’ve been told they have to be able to withstand a one-in250-year flood risk, which is, frankly, ridiculous.

“At that level of flood nobody would be coming to the festival because the roads would be impassable.”

He said he was “confident and hopeful” that all issues could be resolved by next summer.

Mr Ellis said a return to Strathallan was “still on the agenda”.

“We do events all over Scotland and we are always looking at different sites, but for T in the Park specifically we are not looking at anywhere else at the moment. We wouldn’t want to move it out of Scotland. At this stage, I would rule that out.”

Later, Mr Ellis stressed that although he was considering an over-18s policy, planning was at an early stage and no decision had been taken.

DF Concerts is organising TRNSMT, a new festival in Glasgow Green which will take place in July.

Picture: Andrew Cawley. Geoff Ellis stressed that although he was considering an over18s policy, planning was at an early stage and no decision had been taken.