Lush Pulls Out of Download Festival After Trans Toilet Controversy

Lush has officially cut ties with Download Festival following backlash over the event’s toilet policies for trans fans—another blow in what’s becoming an increasingly public mess.

It started with a leaked email from Download confirming it would follow the UK’s Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance, effectively barring trans women from women’s toilets and trans men from men’s. The fallout was swift. Artists like NOAHFINNCE, Witch Fever, Zand, and Pinkshift slammed the decision, calling it “a complete fuckin’ tragedy” and warning it put trans attendees at risk.

Download responded with a statement claiming the “majority” of toilets would be gender neutral, while single-sex facilities would still be provided. The wording was vague, and critics weren’t satisfied—especially since the festival didn’t clarify if EHRC rules would still apply to those single-sex loos. If you’re trans, that detail kind of matters.

Enter Lush, who just last month launched a cutesy “revival kit” collab with Download—bath bomb, body spray, the whole self-care shebang. But after fans flagged the controversy, Lush quietly pulled the plug. In a customer service email circulating on social media, a rep confirmed: “We are terminating our collaboration with this event so will no longer be participating.” The partnership has since vanished from both websites like it never happened.

For context, Lush has a history of backing the trans community with more than just rainbow logos. They’ve worked with trans-led orgs like TransActual and My Genderation, published zines, and dropped special edition bath bombs that actually funnel funds to support services. So yeah—this wasn’t a PR stunt. They pulled out because the values didn’t match.

Download’s attempt to walk both sides of the fence has clearly backfired. Fans want clarity, not corporate hedging. And if one of your biggest sponsors walks because your policies don’t pass the sniff test, that’s not just bad optics—it’s a warning shot.

With the festival just weeks away, the real question is whether Download will get off the fence—or risk losing more than bath bombs.