The music festival industry is responsible for the creation and construction of some of the most impressive stage set designs. For anyone interested in getting into this line of work what are the formal qualification options available and what can they expect from a career in this specialised field. 

The music festival sector relies on an enormous support industry of companies and experts to make events happen. One of the most specialised and essential roles is that of the rigging professional responsible for the safe installation and use of stage and light rigging used at every music festival.

A large music festival can cater for hundreds of thousands of festival-goers making the need for robust evacuation planning essential. It is the responsibility of festival organisers to plan and operate events that are safe for all visitors at all times. What can festival organisers do to ensure the safety of everyone should a site evacuation be required.

Many festival organisers are getting busier now as their plans take shape for next year's festival season. A key part of this planning phase is ensuring that sufficient operational talent is in place as festival entities enter the busy months leading up to festival dates. What does the current job market look like for anyone seeking employment with a festival organisation.

The biggest contribution to a music festival’s carbon footprint comes from the thousands of festival-goers attending. Festival organisers can do everything in their power to reduce their carbon footprint and waste but making music festivals greener remains difficult. What challenges are there to change festival-goer behaviour to contribute to greener events?

A music festival site can be exposed to inclement weather and temperature extremes. Festival organisers need to ensure their devices used on-site are sufficiently protected from the elements as well as the increased likelihood of receiving knocks and bangs. Are rugged devices a worthwhile investment for festival organisers and what are the benefits.  

Commercial sponsorship of music festivals still provides a significant portion of the revenue an event organisation receives. In an increasingly competitive environment providing excellent customer service to potential and existing sponsors can make the difference between closing a deal or not.

Organisers of music festivals are facing some of the biggest challenges they have ever faced in operating a successful event in 2023. Extra attention to detail for every facet of organising a festival is required along with a creative approach to planning and logistics to overcome the current challenges.

The ‘sustainability’ topic for music festivals is trending and organisers are increasingly having to manage a multitude of facets related to operating their events. A new sustainability ‘circular toolkit’ has been made available online which may help those seeking clarification and help in setting tasks and priorities to achieve their sustainability objectives.

Festival-goers are encouraged to contribute towards making music festivals more environmentally friendly and using sustainable toiletries is a big part of this. The waste generated by discarded toiletries that cannot be recycled still presents a challenge to organisers. How can festival-goers make their toiletry choices more sustainable.

In the UK the government sponsors public organisations that provide a scientific nature conservation service to protect certain areas. Music festival organisers need to consider any potential Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) when planning their events in remote countryside locations.  

Selecting a venue for a music festival can be a complex decision-making process with numerous factors influencing the final decision. Choosing a venue site within a forest can make the festival very appealing but what are the practical steps that organisers need to take in making this possible.

Festival-goer tastes may be changing when it comes to food purchased from on-site vendors at music festivals. Organic and sustainably sourced foods are increasing in demand and vendors are adapting their menus to reflect this. What are the challenges for vendors offering perishable fresh foods in this changing market. 

Every year music festivals strive to wow audiences and festival-goers with impressive stage designs and layouts that seemingly always improve on previous years. Who are the army of people and artisans behind the creation of these magical stage designs that take months to produce.

With a focus on sustainability more music festival organisers are looking at alternative ways to construct and build their festival sites using reclaimed materials. What are the key considerations in using reclaimed materials and how do organisers get started by incorporating this into their site build plans.

It was widely reported in the media this year that many music festivals struggled to recruit sufficient numbers of volunteers for their events. This may be an ongoing trend going into next year's festival season, what can organisers do to ensure they recruit enough volunteers to successfully run their events in 2023.

With many economies in turmoil combined with an uncertain political environment is the music festival sector still experiencing a staffing dilemma? The coronavirus pandemic forced many experienced festival staff to switch careers making it challenging for organisers to recruit experienced personnel in 2022, how has this situation developed in the final quarter of 2022.

The lifeblood of any major music festival is securing sponsorship for their event. Revenue from sponsorship deals can form a significant profit centre for festival organisers. As the popularity of music festivals increasers retailers and other consumer brands are increasing their investment in the sector.

Queues to enter a music festival site are unwelcome by festival-goers and organisers creating frustration for all involved. Aside from associated safety concerns long queues also generate immense dissatisfaction amongst ticket buyers potentially damaging the event’s brand and reputation. What steps can organisers take to manage and eliminate queue times.

The mysterious world of music festival ownership can be complex making it difficult to know who owns what. The transparency of festival ownership various from country to country depending on financial regulations and the history of music festival growth. Why is it sometimes so difficult to find out who owns what in this sector?