Staff and Crew are the backbone of any festival. Whether it’s a small boutique festival or a massive international event, taking care of the team behind the scenes is essential. A festival’s success can hinge on how well its crew is fed, rested, and supported. Neglecting staff welfare isn’t just unkind – it’s risky. We’ve all heard cautionary tales like the infamous Fyre Festival, where workers laboured round the clock without proper support until the event collapsed (www.theguardian.com). On the flip side, festivals that prioritise crew well-being – providing regular breaks, good meals, and a chance to recharge – tend to run smoother and avoid costly mistakes.
Schedule Breaks – Plan It, Don’t Just Hope For It
In the fast-paced festival environment, it’s easy for staff to skip breaks or work marathon shifts. But scheduled breaks are a necessity, not a luxury. Simply hoping people will take breaks often means they won’t. Plan out shift patterns that include real break times for every staff member, and stick to them. Remember, skipping breaks or pushing staff through 12+ hour days leads to fatigue and errors (www.staffconnect-app.com). Fatigued crew members are more likely to make avoidable mistakes – a misconnected cable, a slip-up in the schedule, or a safety oversight – that can end up being expensive or dangerous.
How to implement this: Build a rota that enforces downtime. For example, if your security team works from noon to midnight, rotate individuals out for 30-minute rest periods at set intervals. Assign floaters or extra crew who can cover positions while others step away. At multi-day festivals, consider staggered shifts so no one works every late night or early morning consecutively. Many countries also have labour laws mandating breaks (e.g. a 15-minute break every 4-6 hours), but even if not legally required for your event’s staff or volunteers, make it a best practice. The team might be so dedicated that they insist “I’m fine to keep going,” but a responsible festival organiser will insist on breaks – for their own good and the festival’s good.
For smaller boutique festivals with lean teams, scheduling breaks can be challenging but is even more vital. Cross-train your crew on multiple tasks so they can relieve each other. Encourage a culture where taking a break isn’t seen as slacking off, but as preventing burnout. By planning rest stops into the schedule, you ensure your crew stays sharp and motivated through the entire event.
Keep Everyone Hydrated and Fed
Long event hours under the sun (or rain) can quickly drain your crew’s energy. Providing meals, hydration, and snacks is a fundamental part of staff care. Hungry or dehydrated staff won’t perform at their best. Make sure there’s always water easily accessible – water stations, bottled water, or hydration backpacks – especially for outdoor festivals in hot climates. In tropical or summer events in places like Australia, Mexico, or India, frequent water breaks can literally prevent medical emergencies.
Meals should be nutritious, timely, and considerate of dietary needs. Relying only on junk food or irregular meal times will backfire. Festival veterans advise offering healthy, energy-boosting food rather than just pizza or burgers. Many experienced festival managers insist that meal service should be available whenever crew are working – expecting staff to eat only at set times is unrealistic (if someone’s on a 2 AM shift, they’ll need food then). The Tall Tree Music Festival in Canada, for instance, limits volunteer shifts to about 6–8 hours and ensures anyone on duty gets food, snacks, coffee, and water provided during their shift (festivalfire.com). This approach keeps people fuelled and feeling appreciated.
If your festival budget allows, set up a crew canteen or enlist catering specifically for staff. Large events like Glastonbury Festival (UK) have entire crew catering teams, serving hot meals from breakfast to late-night so that thousands of staff are fed. Smaller boutique festivals might opt for food vouchers redeemable at select vendors, but make sure those vendors will be open and ready when your crew need to eat (early mornings, late nights, etc.). Have “grab-and-go” snack stations backstage with items like fruit, energy bars, nuts, or sandwiches. A volunteer rushing between tasks might not have time for a full meal, but a banana and a granola bar can keep them going until their next break.
Don’t forget about caffeine and special dietary needs. Access to coffee or tea, especially during night shifts, can be a morale booster (though balance it with plenty of water so people don’t dehydrate). Also, gather dietary restrictions info in advance and try to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or other needs. Inclusivity in crew meals not only protects their health but shows respect.
Provide a Quiet Space Away from the Noise
Festivals are loud, high-energy environments – great for attendees, exhausting for workers. Creating a calm, quiet room (or tent) for crew to decompress can work wonders. This could be a staff-only lounge, a spare trailer, or even a marked-off chill-out tent behind the scenes. The key is that it’s away from blaring PA speakers and crowds. Stepping into a quiet zone for even 10 minutes can help a stagehand or medic recharge mentally and physically.
Think of this space as a minimalist oasis: comfortable chairs or cots, earplugs, shade from sun or shelter from rain, and perhaps some basic first aid or cold packs. Keep some water and light snacks there too. Some festivals have gotten creative by adding amenities like phone charging stations or even massage therapists for the crew during long events – but even if you can’t manage that, a bit of peace and quiet is the greatest luxury on a hectic event site.
For example, Roskilde Festival in Denmark provides “Volunteer Hubs” for their huge volunteer workforce – relaxing lounge areas with free coffee, tea, and soft drinks – and a dedicated volunteer camping for a peaceful night’s sleep away from the main noise (faq.roskilde-festival.dk). On a smaller scale, if you’re running a boutique fest on a farm, you might designate a crew tent far from the stage where off-duty staff can nap or unwind. Make sure all staff know where the quiet room or rest area is, and encourage them to use it during breaks.
Normalize “Tapping Out” When Fatigued
In live events, there’s a bit of a “tough it out” culture – people wear long hours and hard work as a badge of honour. But pushing past the point of fatigue can lead to mistakes or even accidents. Festival teams should normalise the idea that any crew member can “tap out” (step away) if they feel dangerously tired or overwhelmed, without fear of judgement. Let your staff know that safety comes first and it’s always OK to speak up and take a breather.
To make this viable, plan for backup and rotation. One strategy is the “buddy system”: pair up crew or put them in small teams, and have them monitor each other’s condition. If one person is fading, their buddy or a floater can fill in while they rest. At large festivals in the US or UK, it’s common to have a few extra standby crew each shift – essentially runners or utility staff – who can plug gaps when someone needs a break. Even at a small festival, the organiser or department head might need to jump in to cover for a staffer who needs to step away. It’s far better to juggle roles for a short while than to have a burnt-out crew member press on and potentially cause a serious issue.
Importantly, train your team to recognize signs of fatigue in themselves and others: slow reaction times, clumsiness, confusion, excessive irritability, etc. If a volunteer at a music festival gate has been on their feet so long they stop checking wristbands properly, it’s time to swap them out. As the event leader, foster an atmosphere of trust – people should feel comfortable saying “I need 15 minutes” or asking for help. Publicly reward and thank those who do speak up appropriately, so that others know it’s appreciated, not weak. And if someone does tap out, check on them: perhaps they need a snack, electrolyte drink, or just a quiet sit-down. A short pause can revive a team member for the rest of the day.
Industry experts emphasise this: having a plan for fatigue management (like roaming relief staff and designated rest areas) is part of being a responsible event manager (www.blerter.com). It’s literally a matter of safety. An added bonus: when crew members feel cared for, they are more loyal and will give their best effort when they’re on the job.
Debrief Nightly – Celebrate Wins and Tackle Issues
After a long festival day, it’s tempting for everyone to simply collapse into bed. However, holding a short debrief meeting each night can significantly improve operations and team morale. Gather the key crew leaders or the whole team (depending on size) for 10-15 minutes once the stages power down and the attendees have left for the night. Use this time to highlight what went well and acknowledge individual or team accomplishments – this boosts morale and gives everyone a sense of progress. Also, frankly discuss any problems that arose: maybe the parking team ran out of cones, or there was miscommunication on radio channels during an emergency.
By debriefing nightly, you create a feedback loop for immediate improvement. If the volunteer check-in process was chaotic on Day 1, your team can adjust on Day 2 rather than repeating the same mistake. Encourage an open, blameless discussion focused on solutions: What can we fix or adjust by tomorrow? For example, a nightly debrief at Australia’s Splendour in the Grass might lead the site crew to re-route a path that festival-goers clogged that day, and assign extra volunteers there the next morning. Or a small city film festival’s team might realize the 6 PM staff meal timing isn’t working and decide to shift it to 5 PM the next day.
Make sure to also ask your crew how they are feeling. This shows you care about their well-being overnight and into the next day. Sometimes a simple gripe aired in a debrief (“We really need a second coffee station backstage”) can be addressed and prevent simmering frustration. End the debrief on a positive note – a group cheer, a thank-you to all, or a reminder of the mission (“One more day to go, let’s make it even better!”). This ritual can become an anchor for your crew, reinforcing camaraderie and continuous improvement.
Healthy Crew, Healthy Festival
Caring for your staff and crew is not just a “nice” thing to do – it’s a core part of successful festival management. When your team is well-rested, well-fed, and supported, they can perform at their peak and handle surprises with a level head. This directly affects the attendee experience: a happy, alert crew means shorter lines, safer operations, and a festival that feels well-organized from the audience side.
Moreover, investing in crew care pays off in the long run. It helps you retain experienced staff and volunteers year after year, building a loyal community around your event. It also prevents costly mishaps – everything from expensive equipment breakages to legal liabilities can be avoided by having an alert, healthy team on duty. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. A few extra sandwiches, a spare resting tent, or an adjusted schedule is a small price to pay compared to the cost of an avoidable accident or a PR nightmare.
In summary, put your crew first, and they’ll take care of the festival. The most memorable festivals in the world – from boutique arts gatherings in New Zealand to giant music extravaganzas in the UK – all rely on crews who feel valued and supported. By following these principles of staff and crew care, you’re not only preventing expensive mistakes; you’re also cultivating a team that will go the extra mile to make your festival extraordinary.
Key Takeaways
- Make breaks non-negotiable: Schedule and enforce regular breaks for staff and volunteers. Plan shift rotations or have floaters so that everyone gets downtime (www.staffconnect-app.com).
- Feed and hydrate the crew: Ensure plenty of water, snacks, and nutritious meals are available whenever people are working. Don’t let anyone go hungry on the job (festivalfire.com).
- Provide quiet rest areas: Set up a calm, noise-free space (away from stages) where crew can recharge. A designated quiet room or crew lounge with basic comforts helps staff recover energy (faq.roskilde-festival.dk).
- Encourage tapping out: Create a culture where crew can admit fatigue and “tap out” for a rest without stigma. Have backup plans so operations continue smoothly when someone takes a break (www.blerter.com).
- Debrief and improve: Hold brief nightly debrief meetings during multi-day events. Celebrate wins, address issues, and adjust plans for the next day. Continuous feedback keeps the festival running better each day.
- Prioritise crew wellness: Remember that a healthy, cared-for crew is an investment. It prevents costly mistakes and accidents, boosts morale, and builds long-term loyalty and success for your festival (www.theguardian.com).
17th September 2025