Opening Doors Early – A Family-Friendly Festival Strategy
Large festivals and local events alike are always looking for ways to improve the experience for attendees. One often-overlooked strategy that can make a world of difference for families is offering early entry windows on peak days. By allowing parents with children to enter select zones of the festival 30 minutes early, organisers can create a safer, calmer start to the day. This small head-start for families – complete with soft-open performances and vendor previews – can reduce gate crushes and set a positive tone. As more families attend festivals than ever before (www.hellomagazine.com), these “little wins” can truly change the day for everyone.
Why Early Entry for Families Matters
Families are becoming a significant portion of festival audiences, and their needs differ from those of typical 20-something festivalgoers (www.hellomagazine.com). Children have shorter patience for long lines and crowded entrances. Parents juggling strollers, diaper bags, and excited kids often find the opening rush overwhelming. An early entry window exclusively for families acknowledges these challenges and offers a solution that benefits both attendees and organisers:
– Reduced Stress: Getting through the gates more easily means families start the day relaxed, not frazzled. A calm child (and calmer parent) is more likely to enjoy the festival rather than needing recovery time right after arrival.
– Safety and Comfort: Separating families from the main crowd surge improves safety. It prevents young children from being caught in dense, pushing crowds during the initial entry rush.
– Positive Word-of-Mouth: When families have a great experience, they tell others. A stress-free entry is the first impression of the event – nailing that helps build a festival’s reputation as truly family-friendly.
Organisers have noticed that small adjustments can yield big improvements. For example, major music festivals like Austin City Limits have introduced measures such as dedicated family entrance lanes to make entry easier for parents with kids (do512family.com). This reflects a broader trend: festivals globally are investing in family-friendly policies, from kids’ zones to child ticket discounts. Early entry windows take this a step further by addressing one of the most chaotic moments of any event – the gate opening.
Implementing Early Entry Windows on Peak Days
To successfully introduce early entry for families, careful planning is essential. Here’s how experienced festival producers approach it:
1. Identify Peak Days and Zones: Start by pinpointing which festival days draw the largest crowds or tend to have congested entrances. Often, the first open day or a weekend day (like Saturday) is the busiest. On those peak days, designate specific zones or entry points to open 30 minutes early for families. This might be the main gate with a special family-only lane, or a side entrance nearest to a family camping area or kids’ activity zone. Keep it limited to certain parts of the venue – for instance, the family activity area, a secondary stage, and some food vendors – rather than the entire site if full operations aren’t ready yet.
2. Coordinate Staffing and Security: Opening gates early, even for a subset of attendees, means your team’s schedule will shift. Ensure that security personnel, ticket scanning staff, and support staff (like volunteers or greeters) are in position earlier than usual at the designated family gate. Brief them on how to verify eligibility: for example, you might require at least one child (under a certain age) present with the group, or use a special family wristband or ticket marker. Veteran festival organizers note that the staff’s friendly, helpful attitude during this early window can set the tone for the families’ entire day – so pick team members who embody patience and hospitality.
3. Partial Venue Access: Allowing families in early doesn’t mean every festival attraction must be live right away. A practical approach is to give access to a holding area or select zones where families can gather and get settled. This could be a lawn near the main stage, the kids’ activity zone, or a food court area where vendors are prepared to open early. Use temporary barriers or staff to section off areas that are still closed, ensuring safety while equipment tests or final preparations continue elsewhere. Essentially, you’re executing a controlled “soft open.”
4. Soft-Open Performances: One way to make the early entry enjoyable (and not just a waiting period) is to program a small performance or entertainment specifically for the early arrivals. Many festivals have local artists or street performers who can do short sets – this is their time to shine. For a family-friendly festival, consider a children’s musician, a puppet show, or an acoustic folk set that creates a gentle atmosphere. These soft-open performances serve a dual purpose: they entertain the kids (preventing boredom while waiting for main gates to fully open) and act as a live soundcheck for your crew. For example, Camp Bestival in the UK – co-founded by veteran producer Rob da Bank – has built its programming around families, with morning yoga sessions and children’s shows. Adding an early-entry mini-show at Camp Bestival or similar family-focused events would fit right into this style and further delight early birds.
5. Vendor Previews and Perks: Alongside entertainment, have a few key vendors ready to go early. Think about what families might appreciate first: perhaps the coffee stand for parents in need of caffeine, a breakfast or snack stall for hungry kids, or the merch booth with kids’ ear-protection headphones. Some festivals offer free samplers or special deals during the early window – a vendor might give out small freebies or “happy hour” discounts for that half-hour. It not only incentivizes families to use the early entry, but it gives vendors a chance for additional sales without the crush of a full crowd. At large events like Lollapalooza’s Kidzapalooza area, sponsors have provided free samples of kid-friendly snacks and drinks (www.lollapalooza.com) – an early entry period could amplify this by letting families access those goodies before lines form. A few creative perks (face-painting, photo ops with a costumed character, etc.) can transform early entry from merely functional into part of the festival’s fun.
Smoothing Out the Gate Crush
One of the biggest advantages of early family entry is reducing the initial rush when general admission gates open. Crowd management is a critical aspect of festival logistics and risk management. Letting even a fraction of attendees in early can dramatically improve flow:
– Eased Congestion: If families with children make up, say, 10–15% of your attendees, moving them through gates 30 minutes early means the remaining crowd has that many fewer people to squeeze in alongside. The result is shorter lines and quicker processing for everyone else too.
– Improved Safety: History has shown that overcrowding at gates can lead to dangerous situations if not managed – nobody wants to risk gate stampedes or bottlenecks. An early entry window acts as a pressure release valve, lowering the volume of people piling up at once. Security teams can process families in a calmer setting first, and then handle the main rush more efficiently.
– Happier Staff: It’s not just attendees who benefit. Staff and volunteers at the entrance face tremendous pressure during opening time. A staggered approach means they can warm up by checking in families first – typically an easier group since they often arrive early and prepared – then they’re not as overwhelmed when the masses arrive. Happy, less-stressed staff will provide better customer service throughout the day.
Real-world events have embraced similar staggered entry concepts with success. Many camping festivals, for example, offer an “early arrival” option on the day before gates officially open to ease traffic, or separate entrances for VIPs and different ticket tiers. In the UK, the legendary Glastonbury Festival – organised by the Eavis family – opens its campgrounds several days early for attendees to set up, so by the official start day much of the crowd is already inside. On a smaller scale, All Together Now festival in Ireland allows early camping entry on the Thursday before the main weekend (www.irishtimes.com). These approaches all boil down to the same principle: avoid a single tidal wave of arrivals. By carving out a special early entry for families, a festival is applying this principle in a focused, family-friendly way.
Of course, it’s important to manage expectations. Make it clear that early entry doesn’t mean front-row access to the main stage before anyone else, and families might still encounter checks or waits – but far gentler ones. Also plan for any contingencies: for instance, if an unforeseen delay pushes back general opening, ensure families aren’t stranded too long in the holding area (have water and shade available, and be ready to communicate updates). With good planning, these scenarios should be rare, but a responsible festival organizer always has a backup plan and extra patience on hand.
Communication is Key – Spread the Word Early
A brilliant family early-entry program won’t help anyone if the intended audience isn’t aware of it. Clear, proactive communication is absolutely vital. Here’s how to get the message out effectively:
– Ticketing Emails and Platforms: Leverage your ticketing system to target families specifically. If your festival offers child tickets or family packages, you already have a list of buyers who likely have kids. Send them a friendly email well before the event explaining the early entry option: include the where, when, and how. For example: “On Saturday, families with children can enjoy early entry! Gates at the Family Welcome Entrance will open at 11:30 AM – 30 minutes before general admission – exclusively for attendees with kids. Join us for a special acoustic set and first crack at the food stalls!” If you’re using an advanced platform like Ticket Fairy, you can segment ticket holders and automate these targeted messages, ensuring the right information reaches parents without spamming those to whom it doesn’t apply.
– Festival Website and FAQ: Dedicate a section on your website’s FAQ or “Know Before You Go” page to family accommodations, and highlight the early entry details there. Present it as a feature of the festival: many parents will be researching what you offer for kids (stroller access, baby-changing facilities, family camping, kids’ activities, etc.), and an early entry perk is a compelling addition to that list of benefits.
– Social Media Announcements: Use your social channels in the lead-up to the event to promote the early entry window. A short video or graphic can help – perhaps featuring a family who attended last year, with a quote like “It was so nice to get in early and settle before the crowds.” Emphasise how it makes the experience easier for families. Encourage followers to tag friends with kids so the news spreads organically in parenting circles.
– On-site Signage and Staff Alerts: Despite advance communications, some attendees will miss the memo. At the festival, place clear signs at the main gate and parking areas: “Family Early Entry 11:30 AM at Gate C – families with young children skip the line!” Also consider having staff roving the line or at the entry queue start, identifying anyone with small children and directing them to the correct entrance. It’s frustrating for a parent with a toddler in tow to learn about the special entry only after they’ve stood in the regular line for an hour, so do everything you can to intercept them beforehand.
– Communicate Conditions and Benefits: Be transparent about what’s included. If only certain zones or services are available during that early window, list them (“Family Zone and Main Plaza open early; other stages begin at posted times”). Also clarify that general entry still begins at the normal time so other attendees understand they’re not missing out – this prevents confusion or resentment. Often non-parents will appreciate the rationale when it’s explained that it’s to ensure safety and comfort for kids.
By communicating clearly and often, you not only ensure that families take advantage of the offering, but you also demonstrate that your festival truly cares about its attendees. Setting this expectation in advance also helps families plan their day better – they might arrive earlier knowing they won’t face a long wait, which in turn staggers arrival traffic more smoothly across the morning.
Little Wins, Big Impact
Introducing early entry windows for families might seem like a small operational tweak, but it can yield outsized benefits. Seasoned festival producers often mention how these “little wins” accumulate to create a significantly better festival atmosphere. When families are happy, their positive energy spreads. Kids starting the day with smiles (instead of tears or tantrums from a stressful entrance) can lift the mood of those around them. Parents who feel looked after are more likely to return next year, leave good reviews, and even volunteer or engage with the festival community.
Consider the difference this could make: A mother from California attending a large music festival with her two young kids shared that being allowed in early was a “game-changer” – they secured a comfy spot on the lawn and the children got to watch a juggler up close without crowds around. “Normally, arriving at a festival is chaos,” she said, “but this time we walked in with zero stress, and it set the tone for the whole day.” Such anecdotes, multiplied by dozens or hundreds of families, show up in your event feedback and stakeholder impressions. Sponsors love to hear that the audience had a great time (happy families are likely taking and sharing photos of those early moments, which is bonus exposure).
From an organiser’s perspective, catering to families is not just a nice gesture – it’s a smart investment in broadening your demographic and increasing your festival’s inclusivity. Countries around the world are seeing growth in family festival attendance. In Mexico, for instance, events like Vive Latino introduced a Kidzapalooza-style children’s area to welcome parents and kids, recognizing that a rock festival can be a family outing. In Australia, Splendour in the Grass offers a “Little Splendour” kids’ festival area and dedicated family camping, and many families who attend once make it an annual tradition. Early entry windows slot perfectly into this global movement by tackling one of the last major pain points for parents attending festivals.
And importantly, these changes don’t alienate other festivalgoers – in fact, they help everyone by relieving entrance congestion. The festival community as a whole benefits when its diverse members (young, old, families, people with disabilities, etc.) are each considered in planning. It fosters an environment of care and comfort, which can be surprisingly contagious.
Key Takeaways
- Open Early for Families: On high-traffic days, allow families with children to enter ~30 minutes before general gates open. Even limited access to a few zones can dramatically reduce stress for parents and kids.
- Soft-Open Activities: Provide a little entertainment (like a kids’ performance or acoustic music) and have key vendors ready with food, coffee, or freebies. This makes early entry feel like a special VIP experience for families.
- Reduce Crowd Crunch: Staggered entry for families eases the peak-time crowds at the main gates, improving safety and entry speed for all attendees. It’s a proactive crowd management tool as much as a family perk.
- Plan and Staff Accordingly: Coordinate with security, gate staff, medical teams, and vendors to start the day slightly earlier. Ensure everyone knows the plan and has a system to verify families (such as requiring a child present or special family passes).
- Clear Communication: Announce the family early-entry option through ticketing emails, your website FAQ, social media, and on-site signage. Be explicit about when and where families should go, and what they can expect during the early window.
- Little Things Matter: Small improvements like this create a ripple effect on the overall festival experience. Families begin their day happy and relaxed, which leads to positive word-of-mouth, higher satisfaction, and a reputation for the event as truly family-friendly.
- Inclusivity and Loyalty: Embracing family needs is part of making festivals inclusive. Today’s parents are tomorrow’s loyal festival patrons (and their kids could be future attendees too!). Showing that you value them will build long-term goodwill and a wider audience base.
By opening its doors a bit earlier for those with little ones, a festival can turn a potentially hectic moment into a manageable, even enjoyable, experience. It’s a small schedule adjustment that carries a big message: everyone is welcome, and everyone’s experience matters. In the end, that’s the kind of festival culture that keeps attendees coming back year after year.
25th August 2025