Removing Troublesome Visitors form a Music Festival.

A large music festival will attract a very broad group of people and this diversity is encouraged. Unfortunately, this diversity will often mean that unsavoury elements of the population are also likely to attend a festival. How can organisers manage removal of these undesirable individuals without causing disruption.

Festival-goers often reflect the wider population which always includes those intent on criminal activities and organisers must do their utmost to ensure they do not inflict any harm on others. In addition, there are those who have a tendency to be violent sometimes triggered by excessive consumption of alcohol and assaults are still happening at many music festivals. Organisers should put plans in place to handle undesirable individuals and safely eject them from the festival site.

Terms and Conditions. 
When anyone purchases a ticket to attend a music festival it is implied that they agree to the terms and conditions stated by the organiser. With almost all tickets sold now being electronic most buyers will be presented with terms and conditions and agreement needs to be confirmed in the buying process. Agreement will give organisers the power to search visitors on entry and while on-site, failure to consent can lead to ejection or refusal to enter. Terms and conditions may also cover various aspects of anti-social behaviour that constitute a danger to others.

Entry Procedures.
Entrance gates should be controlled by trained security professionals along with volunteers who have responsibility for searching festival-goers and will usually include searches of individuals, clothing, bags and any other items deemed necessary. The same procedures may be conducted at the entrance to any designated camping zones too. The search process should prevent problem individuals from accessing the festival site.

Serious Offences. 
If the search on entry is thoroughly conducted it should pick up anyone trying to bring in anything that could be deemed to be a weapon. Initial searches should also pick up anyone trying to bring in drugs and controlled psychoactive substances. These individuals should be refused entry and may be referred to an on-site police presence for further investigation. Any anti-social behaviour by someone already on-site should be dealt with quickly by security personnel with the help of police where necessary. This could include physical assaults or use of inappropriate offensive language that goes against the inclusive nature of the event.

Minimising Disruption. 
Having a well-trained team of security staff and volunteers is key to minimising any disruption to the running of the event. The ability to identify troublesome individuals quickly and contain situations is essential and staff should work closely with any local police presence. Discreet ejection of undesirable individuals is preferable to avoid causing unnecessary distress amongst other festival-goers. The police will usually have a secure vehicle in which to detain people who have committed serious offences. For less serious breaches of the event’s terms security staff should escort them from the site using a service entrance rather than out of the main entrance gates. 

For festival organisers planning their events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Photo by Erik Mclean via Pexels

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