At least 66 young people were rushed in ambulances to emergency care from NSW music festivals over summer, according to government health data that appears to show why certain events have been deemed 'high risk'.

As well as this, 20 punters had to be revived by new on-site critical care teams that had been rolled out at five festivals from January.

In several cases, young people appear to have been close to death; their drug reaction was so severe that they needed intubation and ventilation in order to stay breathing. Others were later admitted to a hospital's Intensive Care Unit.

The NSW Health data is an insight into the scale of the drug-related health problems that hit the state's festivals this recent summer.

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Five people died at music festivals over five months, prompting the NSW Government to introduce a strict festival licensing regime.

In January, it announced 14 'high-risk' music festivals would have to meet a checklist of requirements and be approved by a panel in order to go ahead. All 14 have applied to be taken off the list, and two have so far been successful.

The NSW Health data shows the number of drug emergencies that occurred over summer at the remaining 12 festivals on the 'high-risk' list.

Lost Paradise had highest number of drug emergencies

The documents also show punters were found outside Defqon.1 and Knockout Games of Destiny festivals in need of urgent medical attention.

At Knockout, one of those people was 19-year-old Callum Brosnan, who was found near the Sydney Olympic Park train station and later died.

Thirty-two people at the 'high-risk' music festivals were also in need of critical care either in hospital or at the festival itself after taking drugs. That means they needed such urgent care, they couldn’t wait to be taken to a hospital first.

Out of all the festivals, Lost Paradise had the highest number of young people being transported to hospital because of a drug illness: 13.

The data shows that five festivals - Hardcore Til I Die, Electric Gardens, Rolling Loud, Ultra Festival, and Laneway - had the boosted medical teams announced in January.

The teams meant that young people at medical tents were able to get the kind of expert critical care they'd typically receive in a hospital ER. No waiting for an ambulance; a high level of critical care was available on the spot.

In at least one case, the teams saved a young person's life.

Two festivals successfully apply to be taken off the list

These figures go towards whether the festivals on the high risk list were successful in their application to be removed from the 'high risk' list.

Once on the list, approval to hold a festival is determined on a 'case by case basis' by a panel including NSW Health, police, and Liquor and Gaming.

The 'high-risk' list: Transmission

Defqon.1

Subsonic

This That

Knockout Games of Destiny

Lost Paradise

FOMO

Electric Gardens

HTID

Rolling Loud

Laneway

Ultra

Since the license scheme came into action in March, only Newcastle's Up Down and Days Like This in Sydney have successfully applied to be taken off the list.

Meanwhile, NSW Labor is moving to hold an inquiry and then strike out the 'high risk' licensing scheme - saying it was rushed through parliament and could force festivals out of the state.

The Australian Festivals Association (AFA) told Hack the threat of being added to the 'high risk' list has added extra uncertainty to festival organising.

"The festival industry just feels that they could be added at any time, so if anything goes wrong or if anything's deemed unsuitable it does feel like that could be changed at any time," the association's Julia Robinson said.

One of the 'high risk' festivals, Defqon.1 has announced it has been cancelled in Australia because its venue withdrew its support. The festival faced scrutiny when two young people died after taking drugs at the event last year.

The AFA said it's now found festivals can be added to the 'high risk' list at any time.

The NSW Government has said any festival which has had a drug illness or death would be added to the 'high risk' list and the licensing decision would consider the event's likely weather, crowd size, and proximity to a hospital.

However, the AFA has said the guidelines are arbitrary and inconsistent.

Laneway Festival has previously warned the classification could end its Sydney leg.

The AFA said recommendations of an ongoing coronial inquest into drug-related deaths at music festivals should be used as the basis for keeping the festival industry safe.