Every music festival relies on volunteers to help make the events successful and run smoothly. Organisers have different methods of calculating the number of volunteers they will need and this can vary between a few hundred and over a thousand. How can organisers recruit the numbers of volunteers they need and what data should they collect from applications.

There are thousands of music festivals to choose from every year in just about every location covering a wide variety of music genres. For the adventurous music festival-goer who wants to try something a little different there are an appealing range of festivals that take place on islands around the world.

In 2022 there was a flurry of activity in the streamed music sector with new product launches from both Spotify and Apple. These leading players in the music streaming business have a new competing App called Instafest that is growing in popularity and allows users to curate their own dream music festival line-up.

With a focus on sustainability and a reduction in the carbon footprint of music festivals some organisers are trying different initiatives to make their events carbon neutral. What options are currently available for festival organisers keen to make their events greener and reduce their carbon emissions.

Technology has enabled the creation of websites that are increasingly user friendly and interactive. The music festival website is a key platform for organisers to communicate to a wide-ranging audience interested in a particular festival. This invariable means the collection of personal data and therefore it is a legal requirement that the website contain a privacy policy.

The Safe Spaces Now is becoming a familiar fixture on music festival sites throughout the UK but there are still only about 100 events that have taken up this campaign. What should festival organisers be doing to embrace this initiative and help keep women and those from marginalised groups safe during a musical festival.

Selling vendor pitch spaces at music festivals is a vital element of the revenue that festival organisers receive. What is happening with pitch space costs at music festivals in 2023 and what options are open to festival organisers to sell all available pitch spaces and for vendors to achieve a reasonable return on their investment in a pitch space.

Any large-scale UK music festival will probably be subject to multiple site inspections at various times during the planning and build phase as well as during the event itself. When being assessed for the event licence application a proposed festival site may require inspections and visits from emergency services and health and safety inspectors.

The use of narcotics and attending music festivals have forever been synonymous with each other. This presents festival organisers with challenges in managing festival-goer safety and they must strike a balance between security and control of illegal substances coming on-site against the provision of support and medical facilities to handle any health issues.

There are numerous music festivals that are family and child friendly where children of all ages are welcome. Attending a music festival with children can present challenges for parents and guardians but if the festival organisers provide sufficient facilities and child focused activities they should be kept occupied and enjoy the event as much as the adults. 

Having good up-to-date information about every aspect of a festival is essential for the smooth operation of the event. Providing information about the festival that is easily accessible will make festival-goers feel comfortable about their attendance safe in the knowledge that every eventuality has been catered for.

The coronavirus pandemic and restrictions on live events had a dramatic effect on the finances and survival of numerous festival organisations and this had a knock-on impact on suppliers to the industry too. Many suppliers now feel nervous about receiving payment from festival organisers and the result has been an increase in the size of deposits requested.

The majority of music festivals in the UK are for the over 18s because of the wide availability of alcohol and the additional requirements needed for providing safety for children. Many organisers operate the Challenge 25 scheme to prevent underage festival-goers entering the site but how can this policy be implemented. 

Despite the non-stop flow of news about a gloomy economic outlook for the UK demand to attend a music festival in 2023 seems as buoyant as ever. It’s still a competitive landscape and festival organisers should be maximising their publicity by collaborating with relevant parties to increase their chances of achieving planned ticket sales volumes.

Music festival organisers are putting great emphasis on their sustainability polices and reduction of an event’s carbon footprint. Encouraging festival-goers to use transport with a low carbon footprint has been popular and some organisers offer free parking for visitors using EVs and PHEVs but why might his increase the event’s overall carbon footprint?

In most countries the economic pressure on inflation and rising prices has been brutal over the last 12 months. Prices for just about everything have risen and especially transport costs which is a concern for festival-goers who are already facing more expensive festival ticket prices. What is the easiest and cheapest way to get a festival this year.

For any music festival organisation that locates an event in an area that has a cultural centre or is has popular tourist attractions there are opportunities to partner with government funded entities. Both parties will gain benefits from the relationship and will have a synergistic impact on the potential success of any proposed festival.

Many multiple day music festivals now have dedicated chill-out zones which are increasingly popular with festival-goers. A chill-out zone gives visitors a chance to take a break from the music performances that can sometimes go on for up to 12 hours a day. What should organisers consider when planning a chill-out zone for their music festival.

Every country operates different rules and regulations for managing noise levels from music festivals. Any event licensing permission granted by local authorities will usually include provisions for noise levels and hours of operation. If any of these are breached it will likely lead to difficulties in obtaining the necessary event licence the following year.

Many music festivals made a return in 2022 after a 3-year break enforced on them by the coronavirus restrictions. In 2023 there are even more events returning after the forced closure but what steps can festival organisers take to get their events successfully up and running again this year after almost 4 years.