As large capacity events emerge from the impact of coronavirus pandemic nightclubs, concerts and music festivals will start accepting visitors again but with strict entry requirements. It is clear that in pilot schemes the evidence of vaccination or negative test results are no guarantee of excluding COVID-19 positive visitors. Can thermal temperature scanners act as a last line of defence?

With a lot of fanfare and global media attention England* entered their ‘Freedom Day’ on 19th July 2021 where most COVID-19 restrictions were removed. Although this potentially means the return of large capacity music festivals, nightclubs and live music concerts what is the reality for visitors seeking entry to a festival or live event?

The majority of festival-goers have a great experience at their chosen festival but with so many people attending events it's impossible to create a positive experience for 100% of attendees. There will always be negative feedback on just about any subject and festival organisers need to have a clearly defined strategy for handling such feedback.  

There are a minefield of rules regulations and procedures relating to health and safety for any music festival. Aside from understanding all the requirements how can these be successfully implemented to avoid any unnecessary breaches that in the worst case could lead to a premature closure of the event.

Festivals are driven by the skilled professional people involved in managing every aspect of the event organisation and logistics. With large festivals using hundreds of volunteers, staff, artists, crews and contractors it is essential that sufficient facilities are put in place to provide top quality backstage catering solutions.

Despite meticulous planning the power supply for a music festival can fail causing a multitude of issues for organisers, artists, technicians, vendors and festival-goers. What steps can festival organisers take to mitigate the impact of a power outage during a remote site multi-day festival with up to 50,000 festival-goers. 

For music festivals taking place during the summer months in countries with temperate climates an unexpected heatwave can prove uncomfortable and even dangerous. What precautions can festival organisers take to ensure that their event proceeds without any problems associated with high temperatures. 

There are thousands of small festivals taking place every year around the world that have grown out of someone’s hobby. These festivals cover just about every niche conceivable and cater for smaller audiences who have the same interests. How do these hobbies transition from small clubs and local meetings to annual festivals? 

For ticket buyers, artists, contractors and other suppliers how can they trust the organiser of a new music festival? With the legal fallout and debacle from the disastrous Fyre festival (2017) continuing some four years later what lessons that can be learnt and how can trust be earned between all parties involved. 

With funding at a crucial level for many music festivals and many on the cusp of survival can new sponsorship deals save the day? As the number of festivals cancelled has increased there are fewer choices for festival-goers making those that are going ahead sold out, this is an attractive captive audience for many potential sponsors but can they save the sector?    

As the UK (currently only England) starts getting ready for ‘Freedom Day’ on 19th July there is a frenzy of activity in nightclubs and other live event venues plus music festivals as they get ready to welcome visitors again. It is more important now than ever to keep a constant flow of news content flowing out to interested parties.

The online presence of every music festival has become even more important since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the sector. Ticket buyers, vendors, volunteers and contractors now rely on a music festival's online presence more than ever and for these reasons it is vital that this works seamlessly for all concerned. 

With restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic it's been difficult to plan ahead music festival attendance not knowing if an event is going ahead or not. Add into that the costs of tickets, travel and time off work the expense can soon add up. For anyone keen to create their own experience is it possible to run your own private mini music festival? 

For live events and music festivals the staffing is often a mixture of core permanent teams and volunteers. In addition, there may be hybrid roles that fit between the two with longer-term full-time contractors but whatever their status a comprehensive training programme should be in place to ensure successfully run events. 

It has been a financially catastrophic 18 months for the live events industry globally and this will mean changes in the near future. From music festivals to venues and ticketing companies some consolidation is inevitable but what are the likely outcomes going into 2022 and who will be the winners and losers? 

The UK’s Step Four roadmap to reopening was delayed from 21st June to 19th July this year. This has been a big blow for many event organisers with numerous music festivals cancelling 2021 altogether. With so much information circulating currently what are the key points of the government’s current plans?

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the development and adoption of technology for the music festival sector. With virtually 100% penetration of smart phones in the general population organisers are using mobile tech to improve efficiency and to assist in compliance with any new COVID-19 restrictions that will likely apply to future live events. 

Festival goers are usually going to festivals for the music, atmosphere and overall experience but some visitors like to put more emphasis on the fashion too. It's probably a fine balance between practicality and looking good or at least looking the part for a festival that may have a particular theme or genre style. 

Festival goers have generally been happy to gain entry to the festival site and start enjoying the atmosphere. The branded welcome pack containing useful freebies was once the domain of the VIP ticket holder but this is changing and festival-goers now have higher expectations considering the high price of tickets. 

Many live music events are organised and run by music promoters from small intimate live performances in nightclubs to full blown multi-day music festivals. It sounds like a fascinating and exciting career but how easy is it to become a successful music promoter and what kind of skills are required. 

Whilst the world moves to alternative more environmentally friendly renewable energy power sources music festival organisers need to make informed decisions about how they power their events. The focus has been on reduction in CO2 and other harmful emissions but what are the real impacts of using alternative power sources. 

As many music festival organisers have been forced to cancel their main multi day festivals they have moved to other outlets including virtual online shows and smaller pop-up events. Restrictions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic have made large events impossible but small one day pop-up festivals are gaining in popularity.  

In an effort to increase exposure numerous performance artists have taken to the creation of their own music festivals. There may be other numerous reasons for the motivation in taking this route but certainly there are many successfully run music festivals created by performance artists but what are the challenges in pursuing this route? 

Obtaining the right water supplies for any music festival can present logistical issues particularly when considering the type of water, its source and the quantity required. Getting this wrong can lead to a multitude of issues for festival organisers, what are the key factors to consider when organising water supplies? 

Use of technology at music festivals has been rising over the years but its use will accelerate in post coronavirus times. Technology can help make festivals more efficient and logistics easier to manage. Tech can also enhance the festival-goer experience and help compliance with COVID-19 related protocols.  

Motor shows and other transport related shows, events and festivals continue to grow in popularity around the world. Once live events return expect car related shows to continue their growth spurned on by an increase in more specialised sectors catering for a diverse range of interests from the paying public. 

For festival–goers interested in books there are many great titles to choose from so anyone unable to attend a festival in person can at least read about it. Equally many books provide an insight in the music festival world even for those that have never attended a festival but have a keen interest to know more.

In an effort to differentiate the music festival experience from the competition many organisers have added extra attractions to their events in order to spice things up a bit. What is involved in getting these additional attractions organised and what is currently proving popular.

Croatia is located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe on the Adriatic Sea and is well known for its great summer weather and continues to be a popular tourist destination. The number of summer visitors has spawned a thriving music festival season for the small European country with a wide choice for festival-goers to choose from.

One of the biggest headaches in organising any music festival is the management of performance artists along with stage management and show production. It takes time and with so many logistical factors hinging on good artist management is it worth considering outsourcing this to a reputable third party?