Managing Last Minute Technical Glitches for Music Festivals

Almost no music festival takes place without some kind of technical glitch occurring. This can manifest itself into a disaster for organisers or be managed with little impact. What steps can festival organisers take to make appropriate plans and contingencies for these inevitable technical glitches.

Organisers should be planning for failure not perfection and the best festivals are not glitch free but recovery efficient. This requires a framework that gives operational teams the tools to prepare, detect, and respond to last minute glitches, sometimes called predictive resilience. From technical planning and contingencies to managing communications, organisers need to develop robust protocols for any potential last minute technical glitch.

Common Technical Failures.
Music festivals rely on numerous pieces of complex equipment, software and power systems to operate and can always be prone to failures. Probably one of the worst scenarios is for an event to experience a power outage which can affect lighting, sounds systems and Wi-Fi networks but fortunately due to robust backup systems are rarely event ending. Extreme weather can also impact equipment where inadequate protection or cooling can cause overheating and most commonly affect lighting, sound systems and technical stage equipment. A large-scale festival attracting high volumes of festival-goers can overload Wi-Fi networks causing an infrastructure collapse which impacts cashless payment and access control scanning systems. Less common are software errors that can impact sophisticated visual projection systems, or audio processing usually causing sync and latency issues.

Planning for Failure.
Most organisers conduct comprehensive planning for events well in advance of live dates, and this will always include building redundancy into every technical aspect of operating the event. This often includes backup systems for mixers, microphones, cabling, backline equipment, power generators (N+1 configuration) plus UPS for monitors, and digital consoles. Other considerations are using offline handheld scanners for access control and dual internet lines (fiber + 4G/5G failover) to maintain connectivity. During the buildup phase before the festival live dates, all systems should be load tested for resilience with real simulations for common technical failures. Part of the planning and preparation are full consideration for artists' technical specs to ensure they fit with the technical limitations of equipment being used. Soundchecks just prior to events can be an opportunity to fully test real life conditions and allow for changes if necessary. With potentially hundreds of vendors servicing festival-goers during an event, it is prudent to ask them to plan to use offline-first POS systems where RFID taps are still possible with data being synced once connectivity is restored.

Technical Response Protocols.
The planning phase allows organisers to build robust response protocols for technical glitches which document the processes and procedures required. This usually involves assigning a team with specific roles for monitoring and troubleshooting any on-site issues, sometimes called a Technical Response Team, and will usually include experienced technical engineers. Typical assigned duties will include a team of individuals each with responsibility for audio, lighting, power, and IT infrastructure, for example. Protocols will determine a clear escalation procedure so that operational staff are quickly appraised of any technical glitches including severity, technical owner and resolution in progress. If something does happen, it is essential that stakeholders are informed so they can take necessary steps and typically will include those responsible for safety, communications, and artist management.

Communication Protocols.
Performance artists will usually be briefed before the festival on the event's contingency plans for numerous scenarios including technical glitches. This briefing will also include stage managers and support crew, so everyone knows the necessary steps if a technical glitch occurs. Prompt communication with festival-goers is essential to avoid uncertainty and confusion which can lead to audience disruption; silence is not an option. Audience announcements should always be possible using backup systems, including manual megaphones, alternative PA systems, SMS messaging, and social media for example. Messages should briefly describe the problem along with estimated time to full restoration, and further instructions should a site need to be evacuated.

Post Event Review.
Technical glitches are common for large music festivals, and a post-event review of these can enhance the planning and preparedness for future events. All issues need to be accurately logged during the event, including day and time along with what caused the glitch and how it was rectified. This log can be used for protocol planning and staff training highlighting causes, how it was fixed and measures to reduce repeat occurrences at future festivals.

For festival organisers planning their next event 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, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by Cord Allman via Pexels

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