Practical Information

By taking part in La Nuit de la Magistrale, you agree that you have read, accepted, and will comply with our charter. Failure to comply with this charter may result in exclusion from the party.

We are signatories of the FestiPlus charter – the Vaud prevention charter for events.

The goal of the FestiPlus charter is to improve the well-being of people attending social events and to provide public event organizers with access to quality services for the prevention of risks related to alcohol abuse and other psychoactive substances.

This Charter was developed by a multidisciplinary group of professionals (prevention, youth services, police) and event organizers under the mandate of the General Directorate of Health. It is accompanied by a catalog of services and a list of prevention stakeholders as resources.

Together, let’s make this a positive experience for everyone.

Consent is a person’s right to decide whether to participate in a sexual interaction. It must be free, informed and revocable.

Any situation in which the consent of festival-goers is not respected will be taken very seriously by the organization, and in particular:

1. Short physical contact: touching clothes, hair, body parts of any kind.
2. Close and prolonged physical contact: kissing, sticking, touching on any part of the body, especially sexual parts of the body.
3. Seduction:
   1. An advance accepted by another person does not imply that my other advances are legitimate (e.g.: offering a drink does not mean that I can kiss or glue the person who has accepted it).
   2. An advance refused by another does not imply that I should insist or resent the person, or that I should take this refusal as an attack on my personal value.

Consent must be:

1. Free: a “yes” obtained through pressure is not free consent.
2. Informed: the person must be in a lucid state of consciousness. A “yes” obtained from a person under the influence of alcohol or psychotropic substances is not informed consent.
3. Revocable: consent can be withdrawn if the person who gave it so wishes. Giving consent for an interaction does not imply that subsequent interactions are automatically consented to.

Refusal to give consent can be difficult to issue and can be expressed in the form of :

1. Oral: an explicitly formulated “no”.
2. Tacit: expressed by more or less forceful body language, such as (non-exhaustive list): silence, averted gaze, etc.

Refusal to give consent can be difficult to issue and can be signified in the form of:

1. Oral: by an explicitly formulated “no”.
2. Tacit: expressed by more or less forceful body language elements such as, for example (non-exhaustive list): silence, averted gaze, tense body or lack of physical reaction, pushing away hand, recoiling movement.

As a reminder, the Swiss Penal Code severely punishes sexual abuse, rape and ill-treatment. We strongly encourage anyone who witnesses or is the victim of inappropriate or dangerous behaviour to report it as soon as possible to a committee, first-aider, staff member or any other trusted person.

Glass guards are available free of charge in all bars to prevent drugs from entering your glass.

We’d like to thank the Equality Office for providing us with these protections.

Please be vigilant: if you feel pain in your arm, hand or leg, and/or if you feel dizzy, nauseous, headachy, feverish or sick to your stomach, tell someone you trust who can take you to the infirmary. These symptoms could be signs of drug intoxication.

Above all, don’t isolate yourself in a situation like this.

NightLife Vaud is a prevention and risk reduction program in the Vaud region, addressing topics such as sexual health and the consumption of drugs and alcohol.

Its goal is to inform and engage with the public about the risks associated with psychoactive substance use and sexual health.

They will offer sniffing kits, condoms, an anonymous and confidential discussion space, and a blood alcohol content calculator app. Additionally, they organize mobile DrugChecking services and provide ongoing support throughout the Vaud region.

The program also offers free weekly DrugChecking sessions in the center of Lausanne every Thursday, in anonymous locations and a confidential setting. You can find more information on their dedicated page

NightLife Vaud brings together several institutions from the canton of Vaud: the Vaud Foundation Against Alcoholism, Georgette in Love from the PROFA Foundation, Le Levant – CAP (Support and Prevention Center), and the AACTS Foundation for the Riviera region.

High-volume music can damage your hearing. In some areas, the sound can reach an average of 100 dB. Prolonged exposure to such high levels can cause permanent damage to your eardrums.

There’s no cure for hearing loss due to high-volume music, so we strongly advise you to protect your precious ears!

To protect your hearing, here are a few tips:

• Wear earplugs during concerts. Hearing protection is available in all bars.
• Avoid exposure to loud sounds for long periods.
• Take regular breaks to rest your hearing.

If you experience one or more of the symptoms of hearing loss, you are strongly advised to report it to a first-aider or come to the infirmary for medical advice. Symptoms may include:

• Earache
• Buzzing
• Difficulty hearing conversations
• Speech comprehension problems

We carry out sound checks throughout the evening to ensure compliance with current legislation.

A Safe Zone is available for everyone, next to the infirmary.

If you feel uncomfortable in a situation or with other people, ask a staff member to help you. He or she will know how to help you and will take you to the safe zone if you wish.

Ask to speak with Angela at the bar or with any staff member. You’ll be discreetly taken care of accordingly, depending on your situation.

A staff member will also be stationed at the exit of the venue to ensure everyone leaves the event safely.

If you’re feeling psychologically distressed, you have a question, you’ve been the victim of an unreported assault, or you need any help at all, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Here are a few resources to help you:

• The psychological distress hotline (Centrale téléphonique des médecins de garde du Canton de Vaud) is available 24/7 at 0848 133 133.
• La Main Tendue is available 24/7 on 143. This Swiss helpline offers emotional support and advice on how to cope with difficulties. It is also available anonymously, by e-mail or chat.
• If you prefer to get help at EPFL, you can visit the help section of the AGEPoly website.