Lost Angels Fund launches to boost fan safety across live music and nightlife

A new industry-backed initiative, the Lost Angels Fund, will launch next month to improve safety standards and fan care across grassroots live music and nightlife spaces.

Created by social utility app BUDDY and supported by the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), the Association For Electronic Music (AEFM), the Electronic Music Alliance (EMA) and the Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA), the fund will provide direct aid to families affected by event tragedies and fund frontline safety training across the sector.

With a focus on collective responsibility, and the belief that everyone has a role to play - from artists and promoters to venues, fans and tech innovators - the goal is to keep the memory of victims alive, and ensuring the protection of future event-goers by supporting grassroots safety programs and awareness campaigns for live events.

Want to support the Lost Angels Fund? Scroll down to donate or learn more about the work it enables.

The early support from the coalition of industry non-profits has been welcomed, and is a hopeful marker of creating real change for the safety of future event goers. 

“At the Night Time Industries Association, we’ve long championed the idea that safety must be part of the culture, not an afterthought,” said NTIA CEO Michael Kill. “That’s why I fully support BUDDY’s Lost Angels Fund - a forward-thinking initiative leading the way in fan care, education, and wellbeing.”

AFEM COO Finlay Johnson added: “No matter the setting, safety should be part of the culture we build, rather than an afterthought. This is why we are so proud of the initiative Lost Angels Fund, our member BUDDY is creating, leading from the front in fan safety and providing useful education and resources for electronic music fans.”

For Janine Jordan, founder of the Electronic Music Alliance (EMA), the fund marks a meaningful intersection between remembrance and reform: “The Lost Angels Fund isn’t just about safety—it’s about honouring lives, holding space for grief, and helping shape a culture that truly cares.”

BUDDY founder Claire Wright, lost a friend at a rave in the '90s. That loss became a lifelong commitment to fan safety, working with organisations like ESTA and EMA to improve standards. BUDDY’s patented technology helps fans stay connected - even without cell service - to reduce risk when it matters most.

“We didn’t build BUDDY to capitalise on tragedy - we built it because we’ve lived it. Fans deserve to feel safe and free at live events. That doesn’t have to be a contradiction. It just takes commitment.”

Want to find out more about the Lost Lives Fund? Visit their website, where you can sign up for their newsletter and donate directly. 

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

Header image credit: Tijs van Leur on Unsplash