Festival Incident Playbooks: From Heat to Missing Persons

Turning Chaos into Calm with Festival Incident Playbooks

Large crowds, unpredictable weather and countless moving parts – festivals are ripe for unexpected challenges. Incident playbooks are the secret weapon of seasoned festival producers to handle these challenges. An incident playbook is a pre-planned step-by-step guide for responding to specific emergencies or issues, from extreme heat waves to a missing person report. By having a clear process in place, festival teams can react swiftly and confidently, turning potential panic into a coordinated response. This approach has been honed at major festivals around the world, and it’s a must-have for any large-scale event.

Why Every Festival Needs Incident Playbooks

At a large-scale festival, anything can happen. A sudden heatwave can cause attendees to suffer heat exhaustion. A child can wander off from their parents. A severe storm might roll in, or an on-stage accident could occur. For each of these scenarios, having an incident playbook ensures everyone knows what to do immediately. Instead of scrambling to decide on the spot, your team will follow a practiced procedure. This not only keeps attendees safe, but also keeps your staff calm and effective under pressure.

Real-world festivals have learned the value of preparedness the hard way. For example, at Glastonbury Festival 2019 in the UK, temperatures spiked above 30°C. Organizers had a heatwave playbook ready – they shut down non-essential water uses (like showers) to conserve supply, added extra shaded areas, and made frequent announcements reminding everyone to stay hydrated. When false rumours of a water shortage started spreading through the crowd, the team quickly pushed out an official statement to reassure attendees there was plenty of water. Because they had a plan, a situation that could have caused panic was managed with confidence and transparency.

On the other side of the world, at a major U.S. festival in 2021, lack of an effective crowd management playbook contributed to tragedy when a crowd surge went unchecked. Learning from such failures, festivals globally have doubled down on planning every detail of emergency response. Many events now coordinate closely with local authorities, medical teams, and weather services to create robust contingencies. The message is clear: if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail. Incident playbooks are your insurance against chaos.

Plan for Every Scenario – From Heat to Missing Persons

Start by identifying the types of incidents that could realistically happen at your festival. Common scenarios include:

• Extreme Weather (Heat, Cold, Storms): Heatwaves, thunderstorms, high winds, or cold snaps can all impact an event. How will you keep people safe if the temperature soars or lightning is spotted nearby?
• Medical Emergencies: Everything from dehydration and drug overdoses to allergic reactions. Your medical team needs protocols for handling multiple patients or severe cases.
• Missing Persons: Lost children or separated friends. Especially at family-friendly festivals, you need a system for reuniting attendees quickly and safely.
• Crowd Disturbances: Fights, crowd surges, or a collapsed fence – any incident where attendee behavior or movement creates danger.
• Infrastructure Failures or Accidents: A stage lighting rig collapse, fire, or power outage – these require immediate action to prevent injury.
• Security Threats: In rare cases, a security threat like a suspicious package or worse. Clear steps for evacuation or alerting authorities are critical.

For each scenario, write a specific playbook. Think of it as a recipe your team can follow under pressure. A well-prepared festival producer will often collaborate with experts (security consultants, weather experts, medical directors) to cover all bases. For instance, in Australia, several summer festivals improved their heat and hydration protocols after some events saw a spike in heat-related illnesses. They added misting tents, free water refill stations, and scheduled more frequent water breaks in artist sets – all measures defined in their extreme heat playbooks. If your festival is in a region like Texas or Rajasthan and heat is a known risk, your heat playbook might even include having electrolyte drinks on hand and an evacuation plan to shaded areas if needed.

Missing persons (especially children) are another scenario that every large event should prepare for. Many festivals create a Lost & Found Persons Center on-site, often in the welfare or first aid area, staffed with people trained to comfort and care for those who are lost. A good missing person playbook will outline steps like: who should be notified (e.g., security control, all radio channels), what information to collect (description, last seen location), and when to involve local police (for example, if a vulnerable person has been missing beyond a certain time). A great practice at family-oriented festivals in the UK, such as Camp Bestival, is providing parents with wristbands for their kids where a parent’s phone number is written – if a child is found wandering, staff can immediately call the parents. Many festivals also use a discreet code over the radio (instead of blasting a child’s name publicly) to alert staff of a lost child, so that all gates and teams are on lookout without alarming the crowd. The faster you can mobilize everyone, the faster the reunion – often in minutes if handled properly.

Step-by-Step Guides with Clear Owners and Timelines

Each incident playbook should be a step-by-step guide that reads like a checklist. In those critical first moments of an incident, staff shouldn’t have to recall a long policy document or wait for a manager’s instructions. Instead, they follow the steps that have been pre-written and practiced.

Break down the response into clear steps, and assign owners to each step. An “owner” is the role or person responsible for executing that task. For example, consider a heat exhaustion incident during a festival:

1. Initial Identification (0 minutes) – Owner: Nearest staff or medic. Task: Spot attendee showing signs of heat stroke; immediately radio the medical team with location and condition.
2. On-Site Medical Response (Within 2 minutes) – Owner: Medical Team Lead. Task: Dispatch medics to the scene with a stretcher and water. Begin treatment and assess severity.
3. Notify Control Center (Within 3 minutes) – Owner: Incident Coordinator. Task: Inform the festival control room about the situation and whether additional resources are needed.
4. Environmental Response (Within 5 minutes) – Owner: Operations Manager. Task: If multiple heat cases are occurring, consider announcing a heat alert: instruct attendees via PA and screens to hydrate and seek shade. Increase water distribution points temporarily if needed.
5. Monitor and Escalate (Ongoing) – Owner: Incident Coordinator. Task: Monitor if this is an isolated case or part of a wider trend. If many people are collapsing from heat, escalate to Level 2 response (e.g. pause performances, open a cooling tent, call in extra medics, or ultimately evacuate areas if conditions are too dangerous).
6. Resolution and Documentation (Post-incident) – Owner: Incident Coordinator. Task: Once the person is stable or handed off to ambulance, log the incident details (time, cause, actions taken, outcome) for the debrief.

Notice how each step has a specific owner and a suggested timeline (“within X minutes”). In a real emergency, minutes (even seconds) count. By assigning roles ahead of time, there’s no confusion about who must do what. At large festivals like EDC Las Vegas, the producers appoint an overall Incident Commander for each operational period. This person has the authority to make quick decisions and delegate tasks as per the playbook. That kind of clear leadership structure is often built into the playbook so that when something happens, everyone knows who is in charge of coordinating the response.

Timers or time targets ensure urgency. If a missing person isn’t found in, say, 15 minutes, the playbook might dictate that the police on site are notified and all entrance gates are closed or carefully monitored. If a severe weather warning is issued for your event area, your weather playbook might say that 10 minutes before the storm’s ETA the stage show stops and evacuation begins. These time-based triggers keep the response proactive. A great example is at some U.S. outdoor festivals where lightning protocols are strict – if lightning is detected within 8 miles, an evacuation of the open grounds must begin immediately, often aiming to complete within 30 minutes. Lollapalooza in Chicago has refined such timing over the years; during a 2012 storm, for instance, tens of thousands of attendees were evacuated from the park in under an hour to shelter in nearby parking garages, and were able to return once the storm passed. That kind of efficiency only happens with a well-drilled, timed plan in place.

Pre-Load Your PA, App, and Screen Messages

In an emergency, communication is everything. Quick, clear communication can save lives and prevent chaos, but crafting a message on the fly is hard, especially under stress. That’s why top festival organizers pre-write and pre-load their emergency announcements before the festival even begins.

Think about all the channels you have to reach your attendees:
– PA Systems (Public Address announcements) – the quickest way to get a message to everyone on-site.
– Festival App push notifications and SMS – direct messages to attendees’ phones.
– Video Screens and Electronic Billboards – displays at stages or around the venue that can show text alerts or instructions.

For each incident playbook scenario, write out template messages for each channel in advance. Work on the wording to ensure it’s concise, accurate, and uses the right tone. Aim for a calm but authoritative voice. For example, if there’s a lost child, the PA announcement might be a gentle one: “Attention: We have a lost child at the Family Info Tent near Gate 2. If you are missing your child, please head there now. Everyone else, please keep an eye out for a young girl in a red shirt and notify the nearest staff member if you see her. Thank you for your help.” This type of message is clear on what to do, but avoids alarming language. On the other hand, a severe weather alert might sound more urgent but still instructive: “Attention everyone – due to an approaching storm, we are temporarily pausing the show. Please calmly proceed to the nearest exit and seek shelter at the designated safe zones indicated by staff. The performance will resume as soon as it’s safe. Walk, don’t run, and help those around you. Your safety is our priority.”

Having these messages pre-loaded means the moment you need them, you can broadcast immediately. Some festival tech systems (like the Ticket Fairy platform) even allow promoters to send push notifications or texts to all ticket-holders instantly. If you’ve prepared the text beforehand, you won’t lose precious minutes typing out a message when lightning is about to strike or when a person’s wellbeing might be at risk. At giant events like Tomorrowland in Belgium, the organizers have contingency messages ready in multiple languages to reach their international audience over the app and screens. This level of preparedness can significantly reduce confusion.

Don’t forget to also prepare internal communication templates: radio call scripts or code words for staff. Train your radio operators in exactly how to call in a “Code Blue at Stage 2” (for a medical emergency) or a “Code Adam” (often used for missing child in North America) with the right details. Consistency and clarity in internal comms ensure that every crew member understands the situation at hand without misinterpretation.

Another benefit of pre-written messaging is maintaining control of the narrative. In a crisis, rumours can spread fast among a crowd (as we saw with the Glastonbury water rumour). By giving out timely official information, you prevent panic and dispel false information. Audience members are much more likely to remain calm and cooperative if they feel informed by a trusted source – you, the festival organizer – rather than by gossip or social media frenzy.

Drill the Team on Language and Tone

Even the best-written playbook is only as good as the people executing it. It’s crucial to train your festival staff and crews on exactly how to implement the playbooks, including the language and tone to use when communicating. The way an instruction is delivered can make a huge difference in how the public reacts.

Start with training sessions before the festival. Walk through each major incident type in a classroom setting and then in real-life simulations. Some festivals run full simulation drills – for instance, simulating a missing child scenario on-site with the team or a mock fire in the food court area – to practice their response. Everyone from security personnel to stage managers to volunteers should know their part. These drills help identify any gaps in the plan (maybe a step was unclear, or two roles overlapped) and build muscle memory. When people have practiced something, they’re far less likely to freeze up or panic when it happens for real.

Emphasize the language and tone to be used in announcements and interactions:
– Calm and Clear: In any public announcement, the tone should be calm, steady, and confident. Staff should avoid shouting or using overly emotional language. Saying “Please walk calmly to the nearest exit” in a steady voice is far better than screaming “Evacuate now!” over the microphone, which could incite panic. Crews should rehearse making announcements in a calming tone.
– Empathetic and Helpful: Train staff to be empathetic when dealing directly with attendees during an incident. For example, if a festival-goer approaches security about their missing friend, the staff should respond with reassuring words (“We’re going to help find them, our team is on it, stay with me and let’s get details.”) rather than dismissive or panicked ones. During drills, have crew members practice phrases that convey understanding and guidance.
– Consistent Terminology: Make sure everyone uses the same terms for locations, teams, and incident types. If your playbook refers to the main stage area as “Zone A”, then that term should be used in all communications. Consistency prevents confusion. This consistency should be practiced in daily briefings and over the radios. For example, security teams at many festivals carry pocket guides with the exact phrasing for various scenarios – they’ll practice saying codes and messages exactly as written so there’s no deviation under stress.

Drilling the team isn’t just about what they say, but also how they behave. Instruct your staff on body language during crises – they should appear confident and approachable. Panicked or confused staff can inadvertently signal to attendees that things are out of control. Conversely, a well-trained crew member who stands firm, speaks clearly, and projects calm can influence those around them to stay calm as well.

One useful exercise top producers use is a tone drill: have staff read sample announcements in both a “wrong” tone and a “correct” tone. For instance, practice an evacuation announcement once in a rushed, nervous voice (to illustrate the negative effect) and then in a controlled, calm voice. Let staff feel the difference. It may sound a bit silly, but this kind of practice builds self-awareness. The team at Glastonbury and other big festivals often includes experienced radio operators who coach new staff on radio etiquette and tone, knowing that calm communications reduce mistakes.

By the time the festival opens, your goal is to have every key staff member able to execute their part of a playbook smoothly and with the right demeanor. When an incident happens, attendees will take cues from the staff. If your crew has drilled extensively, they will exude the calm, confident aura of a team that has everything under control – and attendees will follow suit.

Debrief Every Incident Within 24 Hours

The job isn’t done when the incident is resolved. In fact, one of the most important phases of using incident playbooks is after an incident – the debrief. Every time a playbook is activated, whether it was a minor situation or a major event, gather your team within 24 hours (or as soon as reasonably possible) to discuss what happened. This immediate review is essential for continuous improvement.

Why within 24 hours? Details are fresh. People still remember exactly what they did, how long it took, and how they felt. By the next week, memories will fade or skew. A prompt debrief captures the reality of the response while you have the clearest picture of it.

In the debrief meeting, be sure to cover:
– Timeline Review: Reconstruct the incident timeline. When was the first sign of trouble? How quickly did each step happen? Did any steps take too long or happen out of order?
– What Went Well: Identify the successes. Perhaps your team followed the playbook perfectly and the issue was resolved swiftly. Give credit to those actions – this reinforces good practices. (For example: “Our weather alert was handled beautifully – we evacuated the field in 20 minutes and it went exactly as planned. Great job on using clear announcements and guiding people to shelters.”)
– What Can Be Improved: No matter how smoothly it went, there is almost always something to learn. Did all staff hear the radio call? If not, maybe the radio network had a dead spot – time to fix that, or repeat critical messages through multiple channels. Did the pre-written announcements fit the situation, or do they need tweaks? Was there any confusion about who was in charge? Encourage team members to speak up about any hiccups or ideas. This isn’t about blame – it’s about strengthening the plan.
– Update the Playbook: If you discovered any shortcomings or new best practices, update the written playbook document right away while it’s fresh. Maybe you realized that the “missing person” playbook should also include notifying the parking lot attendants to watch for a wandering child, which you hadn’t thought of before. Add it now. Incident playbooks should be living documents that grow and adapt after every real-world test.
– Team Acknowledgment and Support: Incidents can be stressful for staff too. Take a moment to acknowledge the team’s hard work and check if anyone needs support. Large incidents, especially serious ones, might warrant offering a brief counseling session or at least some time off to rest. Event professionals care deeply about attendee safety, and a tough incident can be emotionally taxing. Recognizing this in the debrief helps maintain morale and shows that leadership cares about the team’s well-being.

An example of debrief importance comes from a multi-day festival like Belgium’s Tomorrowland or California’s Coachella. These events run over two or three days (or weekends). Their production teams hold morning briefings where they review any incidents from the previous day or night. If something didn’t go as planned on Friday, they adjust their approach for Saturday and Sunday. Maybe the medical team noticed more heat exhaustion cases around a certain stage – in the debrief they suggest, “Tomorrow, let’s distribute free water and electrolyte ice pops at that stage at 2pm and remind the artist to give a water break announcement.” A swift debrief on day 1’s issues can directly improve day 2’s safety. By the end of the festival, a full debrief with all departments ensures that lessons are documented for next year.

The final piece of the debrief is sharing your findings with key stakeholders and partners (and even attendees after the event, if appropriate). If the local fire department was involved in an incident, invite them to the debrief or do a separate one with them. They will have valuable input from their perspective. Similarly, if you used an app to send an alert, your tech team can report on how many people saw it and how quickly. All this information helps refine your strategies. Over years, a festival that consistently debriefs and updates its playbooks will build an incredibly resilient operation that can handle anything thrown at it.

From Panic to Process – The Power of Preparedness

Having detailed incident playbooks transforms the way a festival operates under pressure. Instead of reactive scrambling, you get proactive, confident action. Your crew, artists, and attendees all sense that aura of professionalism. This doesn’t mean things won’t ever go wrong – but when they do, they won’t devolve into chaos.

One shining example was at a festival event in Barcelona in 2017, when a sudden stage electrical fire forced a massive evacuation. Thanks to prior planning, the organizers smoothly evacuated over 20,000 people in minutes, with no injuries or panic. Attendees later reported how calm and orderly the process felt – a testament to turning potential panic into a well-executed process. In contrast, festivals that lack these plans (or don’t enforce them) tend to make headlines for all the wrong reasons, as seen when severe weather or crowd issues catch them off guard.

As a festival producer, your reputation rides not just on the lineup and the experiences, but also on your safety and professionalism. Fans and artists alike remember how an emergency was handled. Was it scary and disorganized, or did the organizers seem prepared and caring? Robust incident playbooks, thorough training, and post-incident reviews all demonstrate that you take responsibility for everyone’s wellbeing seriously. It builds trust with your audience, local authorities, and the industry.

In the end, hope for the best but plan for the worst. By investing time in developing incident playbooks for everything from a heatwave to a missing person case, you are effectively insuring your festival’s success. You’re creating a culture where the team doesn’t panic – they execute. And when your team executes well, even a serious incident can have a positive outcome. The festival can continue, attendees feel safe, and your staff grows more confident with each challenge overcome.

Key Takeaways

• Prepare Playbooks for All Key Incidents: Identify likely emergencies (weather, medical, missing persons, security issues, etc.) and create a detailed playbook for each scenario. No incident is too small to plan for if it could affect safety or the event’s continuity.
• Step-by-Step with Owners & Timers: Break down response procedures into clear steps, assign responsible owners for each task, and include timing benchmarks (e.g., “within 5 minutes”) to keep everyone accountable and prompt.
• Pre-Write Critical Communications: Draft your emergency announcements and messages in advance. Have PA system scripts, app push notifications, and screen display messages ready to go for each scenario, so you can inform attendees instantly and accurately.
• Train and Drill Your Team: Practice makes perfect. Regularly train staff and run drills on various incident scenarios. Emphasize using a calm, clear tone and standard terminology. A well-practiced team will handle real incidents with confidence and composure.
• Collaborate with Authorities & Resources: Integrate local emergency services and tools into your playbooks. Know when and how to bring in police, medical evac, fire services, or special resources. Leverage technology (like festival apps or RFID wristbands) to aid in responses (for example, locating a missing person or sending mass alerts).
• Debrief and Improve: After every incident (no matter how minor), gather your team within 24 hours to review what happened. Celebrate what went well and pinpoint what could be better. Update your playbooks with these lessons learned, ensuring continuous improvement and a safer festival year after year.
• Culture of Preparedness: Ultimately, foster a culture where anyone on the festival crew, from volunteers to the executive producer, understands that safety and preparedness are core values. When playbooks and training turn chaos into order, you protect not only your attendees and staff, but also the long-term reputation and success of your festival.