Shambala Music Festival Is Considering Serving Deer, And Fans Aren't Happy

Shambala music festival has asked fans to vote on whether it serves deer or not.

The festival’s organizers are considering adding venison to the menu after 10 years of vegetarianism, a decision that has already received pushback online.

Shambala is a four-day festival that takes place annually in Northamptonshire, England. It has been entirely meat and fish-free since 2016, and has reported that just six percent of its emissions now come from food, compared to the average music festival’s 21 percent. Meat and dairy are extremely resource-intensive, and animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change, above even fossil fuels.

Prompted by record deer numbers across the UK, Shambala is considering adding a single wild venison trader to the 2026 event. This vendor would, theoretically, exclusively serve venison “culled as part of biodiversity protection efforts.”

The festival said that it would also look to donate a percentage of the trader’s profits to biodiversity initiatives, and to host a talk and workshops on the topic.

“We know that around a third of our audience are vegetarian or vegan,” wrote Shambala’s organizers. “We also know that for many of our community, the ethics of choosing a meat-free lifestyle go far beyond environmental considerations.”

They added, “We appreciate the fact that every trader at Shambala is fully meat free may be of huge importance to you – and we don’t want to overlook or minimise this. So, in true Shambala tradition, we want to put this decision in your hands.”

‘Framing this as a sustainability issue overlooks a deeper ethical question’

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Shambala shared the news on social media earlier today, and the post has already received hundreds of comments from followers, festival attendees, neighbors, and others pushing back on the idea. Many expressed disappointment, and some said they would sell their tickets if Shambala started serving deer meat. One person suggested that Shambala leave meat-serving festivals to transition to venison instead, rather than giving up the benefits of its own meat-free status.

Instagram user Soph said, “I love that Shambala is fully vegetarian! I think that’s the true magic of it. In a world [where] we’re seeing vegan alternatives disappear off shop shelves and restaurant menus, it would be great if you could remain fully vegetarian.”

Susie commented, “I eat meat and actually really enjoy coming to Shambala and not eating anything meat related. (The food is f*ing delicious!) I think nearly all meat eaters that I have met at Shambala feel the same way.”

Lara wrote, “Framing this as a sustainability issue overlooks a deeper ethical question. Deer overpopulation is not occurring in a vacuum, it’s a consequence of human land use, habitat destruction, and the removal of natural predators. We have shaped the ecosystem, and now we are positioning killing as the primary solution.”

The UK deer population and the problem with culling

Photo shows a muntjac deer, a small species that was introduced to the UK from China in the 20th century and now exists in numbers above 50,000. — Adobe Stock There are more than 52,000 muntjac, a small, non-native deer species, in the UK today

The UK’s deer population is unusually large and growing fast. The total number of animals is estimated to be around two million, and exists primarily because humans exterminated natural predators and clear-cut forests to create farmland and housing.

Excessive deer browsing can permanently damage woodland ecosystems and degrade biodiversity, which is a significant problem for the UK, in particular. However, culling is poorly regulated, and aside from the ethics of killing animals at all, the practice often leads to unnecessary suffering and cruelty. Culling is also, at best, only a short-term solution, requiring ever more culling, death, and cruelty.

Rewilding is one viable solution, and it could help restore natural predators and ecological processes to manage the spiraling deer population. Fertility control, improved fencing, and updated forestry practices are also possible stopgaps.

You can read Shambala’s full statement, vote yes or no to venison at the festival, and provide additional feedback here. Voting will end on March 6, 2026, at 11:59 pm. Shambala said it will honor the results of the poll and share them afterwards.