Belonging at festivals isn’t just about the music, food, or art – it’s about how people feel included and informed. Great festival communication can turn a crowd of strangers into a community. From local cultural celebrations to international mega-festivals, clear and kind communication helps every attendee feel like they truly belong. This guide shares veteran festival production insights on using plain language, multiple languages, coordinated channels, and a compassionate tone to build that sense of belonging.
Use Plain Language and Multilingual Updates
Keep festival information clear, simple, and accessible. Using plain language means avoiding jargon or overly technical terms so that everyone can quickly grasp announcements and instructions. Communication should be “clear, objective and simple, and presented in a manner that is readily understandable.” (www.canada.ca) For example, instead of saying “egress points are now accessible,” just say “you can now exit through all gates.” Simple wording helps native and non-native speakers alike.
Provide information in multiple languages when possible. Cultural festivals often draw diverse crowds, including international travelers and multilingual communities. Embracing multiple languages shows respect and inclusion. Many festivals offer bilingual or multilingual signage, apps, and stage announcements. At the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada, for instance, information is provided in both French and English to cater to its bilingual audience. In Europe, an international event in Germany might accommodate both German and English speakers (www.themiceblog.com). Offering content in more languages “puts your attendees on an even playing field and ensures everyone can engage with your content in the same way” (www.themiceblog.com). Even if your festival is smaller, consider having volunteers or staff ready to assist in major languages spoken by your attendees.
Use symbols and visuals to cross language barriers. Pictograms for facilities (? for toilets, ? for food, ? for first aid) and universally understood icons can reinforce written messages. Many cultural festivals also incorporate local symbols or colors that resonate with community heritage, which can make signage friendlier and more recognizable.
Test your messages for clarity. Before the event, run your instructions or alerts by someone outside your team (or a diverse group) to ensure they’re easy to understand. This extra step is crucial, especially for safety information and directions. Remember that festival-goers are often distracted or in loud environments, so brevity and clarity are key. A short, plain sentence will be more effective over a loudspeaker or push notification than a long, complex one.
Coordinate App, Screens, and Stage Hosts
Consistent messages across all channels prevent confusion. Modern festivals communicate through mobile apps, social media, LED screens on stages, public address systems, and the good old-fashioned stage MC (master of ceremonies or host). To build trust and belonging, all these channels should tell the same story. If there’s a schedule change or an urgent announcement, ensure it’s reflected everywhere: push a notification on the app, update the digital screens, have the stage hosts announce it, and post on social media. Attendees shouldn’t receive mixed messages. A coordinated approach means no matter where someone looks – their phone, the stage, or the info booth – they get accurate, up-to-date information.
Plan ahead with a communication command centre. Large festival organisers often have a control room or communications team monitoring all channels. They’ll distribute official updates to stage managers, social media teams, and the app administrators simultaneously. Smaller festivals can achieve a scaled-down version of this by simply designating one person or team as the “communications hub” to relay updates to everyone who needs to announce them. For example, if rain forces a venue change for a dance workshop at a cultural fair, the comms hub quickly informs the stage MC at that workshop, the person managing the festival’s Twitter or WhatsApp group, and the crew updating the schedule board.
Use technology to your advantage, but have backups. Festival apps are fantastic for direct updates – many festivals like Coachella or Glastonbury have official apps sending real-time notifications for surprises or changes. Social media can reach those on their phones, and on-site screens catch those in front of stages. But also remember that technology can fail or not reach everyone (batteries die, cell signals jam). So back up critical messages with human messengers: stage hosts or even roaming volunteers with megaphones in a pinch. At some outdoor cultural festivals, organisers still use simple methods like loudspeaker announcements or information booths with bulletin boards to reach people who might miss digital alerts. The key is redundancy – important news should be delivered in more than one way.
Leverage direct messaging to ticket holders. Your ticketing platform can be a powerful communication ally. Many platforms (including Ticket Fairy) have features to email or text all registered ticket buyers with updates. Use these for pre-event reminders (“Gates open at 10 AM tomorrow – see you there!”) and urgent notices during the festival (“Venue change for tonight’s show – check your app for details”). Since these messages go to attendees’ personal devices or inboxes, this channel can catch people who might not be actively checking the festival app or social media. It’s another safeguard to ensure important news reaches everyone.
Keep content synchronised. If the festival app says a workshop starts at 3:00 PM, but the printed sign says 3:30 PM, attendees lose trust in the information. Double-check all platforms for consistency. A helpful practice is to have a single source of truth for the schedule (like a master spreadsheet or database) that feeds the app, website, and printouts, so everything updates together. During the event, if one channel updates something, make it standard procedure to update all others as soon as possible. This consistency makes attendees feel confident that they won’t miss out or be misled.
Credit Communities in Every Channel
Acknowledge and celebrate the communities behind the festival. Festivals, especially cultural ones, are often powered by communities – whether it’s local residents, cultural groups, volunteers, artists, or fan clubs. Publicly crediting these groups in your communications makes everyone feel like valued contributors to the event’s success. It feeds collective pride and belonging.
Thank and highlight community partners. Use every channel to show appreciation: in opening speeches on stage, on your website and festival app, in social media shout-outs, and in printed programmes. For example, at a cultural festival in New Zealand, the festival organisers might thank the local M?ori iwi (tribe) on stage for welcoming everyone to their land, and also mention them in Facebook updates and signage at the entrance. In India, a small-town festival might list the neighbourhood committees or youth clubs that helped organise the event, both on posters and over the PA system. These gestures not only give credit where it’s due, but also signal to attendees that the festival is a community effort, not a faceless production.
Spotlight different groups to foster inclusion. If your festival involves multiple cultural or interest groups (e.g. a food festival with Italian, Mexican, and Chinese community vendors, or a music festival with stages hosted by different collectives), make sure each gets a moment in the spotlight. This could be through short introductions by stage hosts (“Let’s hear it for the local Punjabi dance troupe for sharing their talent with us today!”), or features on the app like a “Community Spotlight” section. When people see their identity or contribution acknowledged publicly, it builds a stronger personal connection to the festival.
Share success stories and testimonials. During the event or afterward, share little stories on social media or screens: e.g. highlight a volunteer of the day, or mention “Did you know? This festival started as a small block party by the XYZ community five years ago.” Authentic stories of how the community built the festival give everyone a sense of history and pride in belonging to something bigger. It also encourages attendees to participate and maybe become contributors themselves next year.
Engage two-way with your community. Communication shouldn’t be just top-down. Encourage feedback and participation from festival-goers and community members. For instance, some festivals use live polls or Q&A on event apps, or a message wall on-site where attendees can post their thoughts. Respond to attendee questions on Twitter or Instagram in real-time if possible. When people see their queries answered or their input valued, they feel truly part of the festival family. Always keep the tone respectful and appreciative when interacting with the community online or offline.
Time-Stamp Alerts and Explain Next Steps
During fast-changing situations, timing and clarity save the day. Whether it’s a weather evacuation, a stage schedule shuffle, or a lost child announcement, always include the time of the alert and what actions people should take next. Time-stamping messages (e.g. “Update as of 14:00:…”) lets attendees know how recent the information is. This prevents rumours or outdated news from causing confusion. For example, if a storm hits and you announce “Stage A closed,” people will want to know since when and until when. Saying “As of 2:30 PM, Stage A is temporarily closed due to weather.” immediately gives context.
Be specific about what people should do. Don’t leave the crowd hanging. If there’s an issue, tell attendees what happens now or how to stay safe. A great example comes from Lollapalooza 2015 in Chicago: when severe thunderstorms approached, the organisers sent out clear instructions that at 2:30 PM they were pausing the festival and directed everyone to designated shelter areas (nearby parking garages). They also announced that the show would resume at 4:00 PM with an adjusted schedule, assuring everyone the festival would continue once the weather passed (time.com). This kind of message has all the key elements: timestamp, reason, guidance (where to go), and next steps (when it will likely resume). Festival-goers left the grounds calmly, knowing exactly what to do and that they’d be informed of the next update.
Post updates as situations evolve. If an alert is sent out, follow it up when new information is available or the situation changes. Continuously time-stamp these too (“Update as of 3:00 PM: …”). This trains your audience to look for the latest timestamp to get the current status. It also demonstrates that you’re on top of the situation, which increases attendees’ trust that the organisers have things under control.
Keep notifications concise and calm. In a tense situation, the tone of your alert matters. Use clear but reassuring language. For example, instead of “EMERGENCY: MASSIVE STORM, SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER!!!”, a kind but firm approach works better: “3:45 PM Update: Due to a storm nearby, please calmly proceed to the nearest shelter (marked on the festival map and by green signs). Our staff will guide you. Performances are paused and will restart as soon as it’s safe. Thank you for your cooperation and stay tuned for further updates.” This message tells people what’s wrong, what to do, and does so in a courteous way. Panicky or harsh messaging can cause stress or chaos; friendly but direct messaging keeps people safe and feeling cared for.
Document and learn for next time. After any incident, review how your communications went. If attendees or staff were confused about something (for example, maybe the alerts didn’t reach one area of the venue, or the instructions weren’t clear enough), take note and adjust your communication plan for the future. Over time, these improvements will make your festival communications rock-solid and your community’s trust in you will grow.
Belonging Grows When Information is Kind
The tone of your festival communications plays a huge role in making people feel welcome. Kind information is about empathy, respect, and positivity in your messaging. Even when you’re giving instructions or corrections, you can phrase things in a way that makes people feel cared for, not scolded or ignored. Belonging blossoms in an atmosphere where attendees feel the organisers genuinely care.
Adopt an inclusive, friendly voice. Many successful cultural festivals use family-like or community terms to address attendees. For instance, Tomorrowland in Belgium famously refers to its attendees as the “People of Tomorrow,” creating a shared identity that unites everyone (tomorrowlandaroundtheworld.press.tomorrowland.com). Likewise, some events greet the crowd as “festival family” or “tribe.” The idea is to speak to your audience as members of a community. This can be as simple as using “we” and “us” in communications (“We’re all looking forward to an amazing day – let’s keep each other safe by staying hydrated!”) instead of a more distant tone (“Patrons must stay hydrated.”). An inclusive tone helps attendees see themselves as partners in making the event great.
Be positive and courteous in messaging. Whether it’s an emergency update or a social media post about festival guidelines, wording it kindly makes a difference. Compare two approaches: “No outside food allowed. Violators will be removed.” versus “Please support our food vendors on-site and refrain from bringing outside food. Thank you for understanding!” Both convey the rule, but the second does so with appreciation and an explanation, rather than a threat. Whenever possible, explain the “why” behind rules or changes in a respectful way. People are more likely to comply when they feel respected and informed, rather than policed.
Show empathy when things go wrong. If you have to cancel an activity or there’s a long delay, acknowledge the crowd’s disappointment and inconvenience. A message like, “We know you’ve been eagerly waiting for the fireworks, and we’re sorry about the cancellation. Your safety comes first, and the high winds make it unsafe to proceed. We appreciate your patience and hope you enjoy the other activities tonight,” shows that you get how they feel. This can turn a potentially frustrating moment into one where attendees still feel goodwill towards the festival. In contrast, a cold announcement (“Fireworks canceled due to weather. Tickets are non-refundable.”) would breed bitterness and erode trust.
Celebrate the audience and encourage mutual kindness. Set expectations that attendees treat each other with respect too. Many festivals now include gentle reminders in their communications like “look out for one another” or “if you see someone who needs help, notify staff.” This promotes a culture of care. After the event, sending a thank-you message to attendees – for example via email or a social post – leaves a lasting positive impression. Recognize their energy, creativity, and positivity in making the festival special. As one festival community observer noted, festivals can become “a safe haven where people can express themselves freely… the inclusivity found within festival communities creates a sense of belonging that allows everyone to feel seen, heard, and valued.” (freedomravewear.com) Such an environment is cultivated not just by the content of your festival, but by the kindness of your communications.
Lead by example with your staff and crew. Ensure all staff (from volunteers to security) are briefed to communicate with attendees in a friendly, helpful manner. The way a security guard answers a question or a volunteer gives directions can either make someone’s day or sour their mood. Festival leadership should model respectful communication in all internal briefings as well – a team that feels respected will pass on the positivity. When everyone involved in the event practices kind communication, it naturally extends to attendees and reinforces that feeling of belonging across the whole festival.
Conclusion
Effective festival communications blend clarity, consistency, and compassion. It’s about conveying the right information at the right time, in the right tone. When festival-goers feel informed, acknowledged, and cared for through communication, they’re not just attendees – they become part of a community. From speaking plainly and in many tongues, to uniting all channels, giving credit generously, and always adding that human touch, these practices turn logistical messaging into moments of connection. In the end, the festivals that truly shine are those where everyone feels at home. After all, belonging grows when information is kind.
Key Takeaways
- Speak clearly and inclusively: Use plain language and offer multilingual communications so everyone can understand and feel addressed. Avoid jargon and explain the “why” behind information when needed.
- Unify your communication channels: Coordinate updates across apps, social media, screens, and stage announcements so attendees receive consistent information. Plan a central communications hub to keep messages aligned.
- Recognize community contributions: Acknowledge and thank the communities, volunteers, cultural groups, and partners involved, across all channels. Shining a spotlight on others fosters pride and collective ownership of the festival.
- Be timely and instructive: Time-stamp important alerts and include clear next steps or guidance. Frequent, calm updates during any incident help maintain safety and trust.
- Use a kind, empathetic tone: Frame messages in a friendly and respectful way. Whether enforcing rules or delivering news, compassionate communication makes attendees feel cared for and strengthens their bond with the festival.
17th September 2025