Consequences of Bad Behaviour Encouraged by Performance Artists at Music Festivals.

There are serious consequences when a performance artist incites a crowd into bad behaviour. Inciting violence and bad behaviour can lead to safety issues along with reputational and financial losses for all involved with the event. What steps can festival organisers take to be proactive in preventing any unsavoury incidents.

In the history of live music performances there has always been an element of rebel behaviour by some artists who sometimes use this behaviour as part of their own branding persona. In the modern era of large-scale music festivals inciting a crowd into violence is now frowned upon with serious legal consequences that can be career ending. The Woodstock ‘99 festival demonstrated the height of bad behaviour where crowds were encouraged by some artists to destroy property. When this was combined with poor organisation and heatwave conditions the event disintegrated into chaos with widespread looting and damage destroying the brand forever. What are the likely consequences and actions organisers can take to prevent incidents like these at their own music festivals?

People Safety and Property Damage. 
There is an obligation on festival organisers to provide a safe environment at their events to protect festival-goers, staff, vendors, artists and sponsors along with any property on the site. Inciting violence or bad behaviour can lead to fights and consequently injuries or worse, it also puts a strain on festival resources for crowd control and security personnel further increasing risks to safety. 

Legal and Financial Consequences. 
When a performance artist incites violence and bad behaviour it is both the artist and the event organiser who can find themselves facing legal action form authorities. Many countries have laws related to such incidents which in certain circumstances can even lead to custodial sentences. Aside from the police or authorities taking legal action there could also be civil actions brought against artists and organisers by individuals who have suffered as a result of violence or property damage for example. If an event gets closed down by the police organisers could face financial compensation claims for ticket refunds. Corporate sponsors could cancel any long-term relationships leaving organisers seeking new funds for future events. In addition, insurance companies may raise their premiums for any festival that has a poor record of bad behaviour further increasing their operating costs. 

Brand Damage. 
Any artist that is involved in inciting adverse behaviour in a festival crowd may face a backlash from fans and followers who may feel obliged to cancel subscriptions and stop purchasing material. They may also find that their reputation is damaged so much that no organisers wish to book them for future events. The music festival could equally suffer from damage to their brand making it more challenging to sell tickets and secure vendors and sponsors for the future. Adverse publicity in the media could mean extra work is needed on reputational damage limitation activity by the festival PR team. 

Preventing Incidents. 
There are some established strategies for organisers to be proactive in preventing any incidents involving artists. The curation process should include a vetting stage to ensure that artists do not have a reputation for inciting bad crowd behaviour. All contracts and agreements can include clauses specifically related to inciting violence and promotion of illegal activities along with consequences which may include withdrawal of any fee payment or financial penalties. Festival organisers can also implement safety briefings for all site staff and volunteers that includes crowd monitoring and early detection of bad behaviour. Safety and expected behaviour briefings can also extend to artists booked to perform which can be conducted on-site prior to their set. Organisers should conduct a thorough risk assessment of their site layout and emergency protocols to ensure there are sufficient medical facilities and that any evacuation processes are robust for any eventuality. 

For festival organisers planning their next 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.

Image by fradellafra via Pixabay

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