Tips for working at a festival

Working at a festival can be gruelling. You’ll be standing on your feet all day in all weather conditions, and will need to be sociable, hard-working and easily adaptable. 

Nowadays, there’s a lot of excellent festival management software which means that festivals can run more smoothly than they did ten or twenty years ago. However, working at a festival can still have its challenges. If you’ve never worked at a festival before, you might be unsure what to expect or how to prepare. So, check out the following tips to have the best time when working at a festival.

Pack for the weather

We all know that the British weather can be unpredictable. In fact, it can be disastrous for many UK businesses. We can experience snow, heavy rain, blustering winds and scorching heatwaves, which means that sometimes it can feel impossible to know what we’ll be faced with outside. So, when preparing for work at a festival, it’s important to check the weather forecast and pack accordingly. Even if rain isn’t on the cards, you’d be silly not to pack a raincoat. Don’t forget that evenings can be chilly in the UK, so make sure you have a jumper or two even if it is forecast to be warm in the day. There’s nothing worse than working a shift outdoors in flimsy clothing. 

Rest up

You might find it hard to sleep during your time working at a festival. This is because you’ll probably be camping or staying in a campervan. If you live nearby and have the luxury of going home to rest, you’ll still probably be working unusual hours and the work will be tiring. You’ll be standing on your feet for long periods of time, potentially in unpleasant weather. So, before the festival, make sure you look after yourself and get plenty of rest. You won’t want to be serving drunken customers on a few hours sleep.

Be authoritative

Depending on the type of work you’re doing, you might find that you come across some difficult characters at a festival. While everyone’s there to have fun and let off steam, some people can get carried away and drink too much or take drugs. If you’re working in a bar, you might have to be authoritative and refuse to serve someone. You might also have to refuse to serve someone who doesn’t have ID. Similarly, if you’re working on a campsite, you may need to report suspicious behaviour or escort someone off the premises. You’ll be well trained, but you will need to stand your ground. If you’re made to feel uncomfortable or unsafe, always report this to your manager. 

Enjoy yourself

You’re probably working a festival because you’re a sociable, fun-loving person who likes to be in the middle of the action. So, enjoy your time working there and don’t let the work burn you out. Make sure you see plenty of acts, enjoy the different food options and meet new people. Take time to socialise during your shift and engage with customers. What’s the point in working there otherwise?