Police are investigating a couple who allegedly had sex on the ferris wheel at Download Festival this past weekend.
The alleged incident took place at the Donington festival on Saturday night (June 13), as punters waited for Guns N’ Roses to take to the stage for a huge three-hour headline set.
As reported by the Daily Star, a couple were spotted by other festival goers ahead of the performance, and seemingly engaged in an “intimate act” while in one of the ferris wheel’s pods.
Footage was then captured and shared online over the rest of the weekend, and Leicestershire Police later announced that they were trying to identify and locate the man and woman involved.
“Originally for the first rotation of the wheel people thought he was just standing behind her with his arms around her, looking at the view… But, as it got lower, somebody shouted ‘I can see her pants pulled aside’,” one witness said (via Daily Star).
“They were literally in a glass pod above everyone’s heads at the busiest point of the night, just before Guns ‘n Roses were due on,” the person added, also saying that the incident changed the “atmosphere” at the time.
“It sort of brought everyone together in a weird way, before they were spotted the atmosphere was nervous apprehension because [Guns N’ Roses] are always late on. As soon as the cameras came out and word started getting around about what happened the atmosphere completely changed.
“All I can think is they thought the glass was tinted, but it wasn’t at all, it was actually spotless, you could see everything.” They added: “I just hope they cleaned the cabin after they got out of it.”
The Suffolk Sexual Health Service outlines that having sex in public isn’t necessarily illegal, unless it is done in a public toilet, but the Sexual Offences Act 2003 prohibits indecent exposure in public – meaning that if a witness sees it, the person/people involved could face a fine of up to £5,000, or up to six months in prison.
“Officers are aware of a video on social media concerning two people acting inappropriately while on a Ferris wheel at Download this weekend,” said a spokesperson for the Leicestershire Police. “The incident is currently being investigated and officers are in contact with the organisers of the festival.
“Enquiries in relation to this are ongoing and police are working to identify the people involved.”
Guns N’ Roses headlined Download for the first time in 20 years as part of their huge 2026 run, which kicked off back in April. Alongside other headliners Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, the slot was a UK exclusive for the year.