Lush terminates partnership with Download Festival amid controversy surrounding the festival’s anti-trans toilet policy
Global beauty retailer Lush has terminated its collaboration with Download Festival amid controversy surrounding the music festival’s policy on toilet facilities for trans attendees.
The partnership saw Lush and Download Festival team up to create a limited-edition “festival-revival trio” kit, which included a “Circle Pit Bath Bomb,” “Download 22 Soap,” and “Ace of Sprays Body Spray".
However, controversy began after the festival organisers’ decision to align their toilet policy with interim guidance issued by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which followed the Supreme Court’s anti-trans ruling regarding the legal definition of “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act.
Download’s policy stated: “We will be following the guidance issued by the EHRC on 25 April, [which] states that trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women’s facilities, and trans men (biological women) should not be permitted to use the men’s.”
Ref Download and its trans exclusion policy…. Partner companies are pulling out. Just had this from Lush who had a partnership with the event. Thank you Lush Team for putting morals ahead of profits. ✊🏳️⚧️✊
— STRIVE (@strivecampaign.bsky.social) 29 May 2025 at 13:12
[image or embed]
Singer Noahfinnce questioned the festival’s decision on X, asking: “How have you got the gall to invite trans people like me to play your festival, then ban them from using the toilet? If the only way we can piss is by outing ourselves, then you’ve created an unsafe environment”.
Lush confirmed the termination of their partnership in an email shared on Bluesky by trans rights group Strive on 29 May. A Lush representative was quoted as saying: “We are terminating our collaboration with this event, so we will no longer be participating”.
Lush has a history of supporting the trans community, having recently partnered with trans-led groups TransActual and My Genderation to produce a free booklet and release a special edition Liberation bath bomb to raise money for these organisations.
