Music Festivals that let you BBQ and Cook On-site.

A common complaint from festival-goers are the restrictions organisers put on food and drink being brought onto a festival site. Consumption of food and drink is often restricted to vendors selected by organisers usually with high prices. What are the options for festival-goers who wish to bring and cook their own food at a music festival.

There are good reasons for organisers to ban festival-goers from cooking their own food on a festival site using gas stoves, open fires or BBQs. The primary reason is to prevent any fire risks or related safety issues. The second reason is often financial as organisers derive a significant income from food and beverage vendors they select to serve site visitors. 

Safety and Fire Risks. 
The increase in wildfires around the world in recent years has made many festival organisers wary of allowing any combustible items or allowing open flames on a site, especially as many events are located in areas designated as fire risks. In the summer months many music festivals take place close to dry grass and vegetation that can easily ignite, particularly when combined with strong winds. In addition to the fire risks there are safety issue related to burns, smoke inhalation or carbon monoxide poisoning. Other safety risks may come from food poisoning and trip hazards for example. 

Festival Rules and FAQs. 
For festival-goers interested in their own cooking either on small portable propane gas stoves or BBQs it is best to check the rules and FAQs of the event they wish to attend, most organisers have very specific guidelines on what is and isn't allowed. For festivals that allow on-site cooking these are usually restricted to designated camping zones which have sufficient fire prevention protocols in place like well-placed extinguishers for example. For organisers that do allow on-site cooking these are usually restricted to small propane gas stoves or BBQs that are raised off the ground. The rules will also specify what festival-goers must do to comply with environmental requirements which will cover the correct disposal of charcoal, propane canisters, and other cooking-related waste. 

Options in the UK. 
The two notable main music festivals that allow on site cooking are Glastonbury and Green Man festivals. Both events allow small gas stoves and raised BBQs in their camping zones, and they have comprehensive guidance on their websites. In both cases open fires are strictly prohibited and BBQs should not be of the disposable variety. 

Options in North America. 
The United State does have more scope for self-catering because there are so many RV/camping and food focused events like the Rhythm & Ribs BBQ Festival in Tifton, Georgia, however, open fires are still banned in most circumstances. For the USA the Electric Forest camping festival in Michigan allows festival-goers to cook in camping zones using small portable propane gas stoves and grills but open fires and charcoal grills are banned. In Canada the camping focused Shambhala Music Festival also allows cooking with propane stoves and BBQs but open fires are not allowed. 

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.

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