London music festivals have the worst pickpocket rates, with theft happening more than five times above what the average music fan experiences elsewhere.

New research from QR Code Generator looks at ‘theft from the person’ data from police forces across major UK festival locations to name the most at-risk attendees, and offers tips to help people avoid falling victim to opportunistic pickpockets.

Many music fans make the critical mistake of leaving smartphones charging inside tents while watching performances, serving up perfect opportunities for thieves to strike quickly and vanish into crowds before anyone notices.

Metropolitan Police figures covering London events like BST Hyde Park (starts 27th June), Wireless Festival (starts 11th July), and Summertime Ball (15th June) showed 11.5 thefts per 1,000 people – 505.3% above the national average of 1.9.

Manchester's Parklife saw 1.8 thefts per 1,000 people, just below the England average by 5.3% (1.9 thefts per 1,000 people). Leeds Festival had better numbers with 1.1 thefts per 1,000, which sits 42.1% below the average.

Meanwhile, Creamfields stood out as the safest major music event with only 0.3 thefts per 1,000 people, while Glastonbury and Latitude Festival both see similarly low rates of 0.4 thefts per 1,000 people.

However, people who are attending one of the events that report lower theft rates shouldn’t be complacent, as Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, says: “This summer we’re expecting to see record festival attendance and as a result, a significant spike in device theft in coming months. Your mobile can disappear in seconds when you're enjoying a packed festival. Thieves work the crowds looking for easy marks - unzipped bags, phones sticking out of back pockets, or devices left charging unattended by those off watching bands.

“Always keep your phone in a zipped front pocket where you can feel it at all times. Nobody ever thinks they'll become a victim until it happens to them - leaving your phone charging in an empty tent overnight is practically begging for it to be stolen."

The risk of tent theft has exploded compared to traditional pickpocketing, with victims typically discovering their loss many hours after thieves have fled the scene.

"Sort your tracking apps before you even arrive," Porcar tells music fans. "iPhones and Androids both have built-in find-my-device features, but these are completely useless if you haven't activated them before some light-fingered festival-goer pinches your phone.

"Take photos of your important documents and festival tickets before leaving home," Porcar advised. "Save them directly to cloud storage so if your phone vanishes, you can still access everything from any borrowed device or internet cafe.

“Write down your IMEI number by dialling *#06# on your mobile. Police need this unique code to track stolen phones - without it, your chances of recovery drop to almost zero."

Those who do fall victim to pickpockets must act quickly, Porcar insists: "Report to festival security and police the moment you notice your phone missing. Every minute wasted makes tracking stolen devices much harder."

Top five tips to keep your device safe at a festival

Use a crossbody or bum bag. If bringing a bag, use one that zips and sits close to your body. Ideally opt for anti-theft models.
Don’t leave devices in your tent. Carry your phone and valuables with you at all times. Stash anything you have to leave in a hidden spot.
Use your own power bank. Carry a power bank so you don’t have to rely on sketchy charging points. Opt for one that can be attached to your bag.
Turn on tracking features. Make sure Find My iPhone or Find My Device is on and working in the event your phone does get stolen or misplaced.
Mark or customise your things. Put a unique sticker, case, or label on your devices as it will help you describe it to Lost and Found at the festival