Master Artist Transport and Accommodation Logistics for Music Festivals.

A large-scale multi-day music festival may have in excess of 1,000 performance artists booked. Perfecting the logistics for accommodating and moving artists around can be an enormous challenge with so many variables to consider. What can organisers do to make the process run as smoothly as possible with minimal disruption to artists and schedules.

With large-scale festivals booking so many artists it is not unusual to have a small team solely responsible for organising their accommodation and transportation requirements. This team will need to work closely with stage managers and producers as well as artist’s managers and accommodation and transport providers. This is a logistically complex operation that requires both flexibility and problem-solving skills to satisfy all parties involved. 

Planning and Timing. 
The planning phase for any music festival usually starts a year in advance and the provision of accommodation and transport for artists will form a key part of this process. As artists are curated the team responsible for accommodation and transport can start compiling where artists are coming from with relevant key dates along with performance schedules and any specific requirements. Much of this information will be contained in the advancing data collected from artists during the booking process. Organisers will need to source and allocate accommodation which may include on-site facilities or local hotels along with reliable transport options that may include a mixture of vans, cars and limousines. Organisers will need to allocate budgets for accommodation and transport, those responsible for managing logistics will need to ensure that there is no overspend. 

Bespoke Solutions. 
Whilst the bulk of artists may have modest requirements for transportation and accommodation there will be some headline artists who may demand a more bespoke solution. Such high-profile artists may require limousine transport from airports to a high-end hotel close to the event site. Bands with multiple members and crew may prefer a van or small bus with accommodation that ensures they stay close together. Advancing from some artists may indicate very specific riders that could relate to their transport and accommodation needs. 

Scheduling and Automation. 
Most festival organisers no longer use manual processes for controlling their accommodation and transport logistics. There is software available that can automate much of the process and providers like Festival Pro have a sophisticated module dedicated to this function. All accommodation and transport requirements are entered onto a system linked to artists and schedules which can be changed and amended in real time to allow for changes. Artists, festival staff, transport companies and accommodation providers can all have access to this data and receive notifications of any changes in real time. This provides great flexibility for managing changes in an automated manner. The team responsible for managing these logistics should always build in back up contingency plans and flexibility to allow for changes and this may mean having unallocated drivers on standby and additional unoccupied hotel rooms available. 

International Arrivals. 
For artists coming into a country from overseas the curation and advancing process should identify those who may need a visa to enter the country. Some artists may also be travelling with specialised instruments and equipment which will require customs clearance. These requirements should be arranged and processed well in advance of arrival dates as this ensures that transport arrangements are coordinated in a timely manner and that sufficient allowances have been made for the transportation of equipment and additional crew who may be travelling with artists. 

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 including a dedicated accommodation and transportation module. 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 Kadin Eksteen via Pexels

<< Back to articles