Safer Festival Takeovers: Women/Non-Binary-Led Blocks With Teeth

Safer Festival Takeovers: Women/Non-Binary-Led Blocks With Teeth

The Case for Empowered, Inclusive Line-ups

A growing chorus in the festival world is calling for safer, more inclusive experiences, especially in genres traditionally dominated by male acts. Many major festivals still feature overwhelmingly male line-ups, with women and non-binary artists often vastly underrepresented (www.redbull.com). This imbalance isn’t just about optics or fairness – it can impact the festival atmosphere and safety. When line-ups, crews, and crowds skew heavily male, the culture can become less welcoming and potentially riskier for women and marginalized attendees. In extreme cases, the failure to provide safe, inclusive environments has led to drastic measures – such as the women-only Statement Festival in Sweden, founded in 2018 after a major mixed-gender festival was cancelled due to numerous sexual assaults (www.thejournal.ie). While such segregated events underscore the urgency of the issue, the long-term solution lies in transforming mainstream festivals themselves into safe, equitable spaces.

The solution gaining momentum is women/non-binary-led festival blocks “with teeth” – meaning robust programming segments led by women and non-binary talent that have real weight and impact, not just token appearances.

Inclusive programming isn’t a feel-good bonus; it’s a proven strategy to enrich festival culture. International festival data shows a persistent gender gap: for example, in electronic music events only about 20% of acts were female and under 1% non-binary, compared to roughly 70% male (www.redbull.com). Larger festivals tend to have even lower proportions of female and non-binary performers (www.bbc.com). These numbers aren’t merely statistics – they reflect missed opportunities to broaden audiences and create safer environments. Safer takeovers led by women and non-binary artists have the potential to change this narrative by infusing festivals with new energy, diverse perspectives, and a more balanced crowd. But to be effective, these takeovers must be done with full commitment and support – in other words, with real teeth.

Prime Slots and Full Production Parity – No More Token Gestures

A common mistake is relegating female and non-binary acts to short, low-profile slots – for instance, a “Women’s Hour” on a small stage on a Friday afternoon. Such token gestures send the wrong signal. To truly empower underrepresented artists, festivals must offer prime-time slots and equal production quality. That means scheduling women-led blocks during peak evening hours on main stages or high-traffic venues, not hiding them in opening acts or early daytime slots. It also means providing the same level of production – from sound and lighting to LED screens and special effects – as any headline act would receive. When given the platform and resources, these performers can deliver top-tier shows that captivate crowds just as strongly as their male counterparts.

Concrete examples show the impact of true parity. At Spain’s Primavera Sound, the festival’s organizers committed to a 50/50 gender-balanced line-up and gave female artists top billing; in 2025 they went even further with an all-female set of headliners – Charli XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan – dominating the main stage. The result was a sold-out festival with massive global viewership on streaming platforms (noah-news.com). Far from hurting ticket sales, the move generated excitement and proved that showcasing women in prime slots is a commercial and artistic win. A production executive noted how meaningful it was to see three women headlining together, stating “It sends a message to other promoters that women drive this business.” (noah-news.com). In short, festivals that treat female and non-binary acts as main attractions – with the spotlight and technical support they merit – are rewarded with memorable performances and engaged audiences.

By contrast, half-hearted efforts can backfire. When a large festival in Scotland introduced a small all-female side stage after facing criticism for a male-heavy bill, some applauded the opportunity for emerging women artists – but others dismissed it as “a box-ticking exercise” (www.bbc.com) (www.bbc.com) since the main stages remained male-dominated. The lesson is clear: integrate diversity into the heart of the festival, not as a separate sideshow. Audiences can tell when it’s done for optics versus genuine commitment. Festival organizers should aim to normalize mixed and representative line-ups across all stages, so that a women-led block isn’t a novelty – it’s simply part of a great program.

Backstage: Hiring Diverse Crews and Leadership

It’s not only the performers on stage who shape a festival’s culture – it’s also the people behind the scenes. To truly empower women and non-binary talent, festival organizers should hire diverse crews backstage and in leadership roles. Everything from stage management and sound engineering to lighting, artist liaison, and production management benefits from including women and gender-diverse professionals. Having a diverse production team brings a wider range of perspectives to decision-making, helps artists from underrepresented groups feel more comfortable and supported, and signals to everyone that inclusion isn’t just happening on the posters but in the fabric of the event.

Around the world, there are initiatives proving this approach works. In Malaysia, the 2023 Queendom Fest made headlines as the country’s first all-female music festival – not only was the lineup composed of ten female acts, but even the sound engineers and vendors were all women (www.malaymail.com). This demonstrated that women can excel in every festival role when given the chance. On a larger scale, Primavera Sound’s management in Spain proudly noted that since achieving its first gender-balanced bill in 2019, they have prioritized diversity in their team and bookings every year (noah-news.com). Similarly, Underneath the Stars Festival in the UK (a 5,000-capacity boutique event) built an evenly split management team and consequently achieved near parity in line-ups – even featuring an all-female set of headliners one year (www.festivalinsights.com) (www.festivalinsights.com). These examples show that diversity behind the scenes translates to diversity on stage; a team that includes women, non-binary, and other underrepresented members is more likely to book a wide range of artists and create a welcoming atmosphere for all.

For festival organizers, tapping into diverse talent pools is becoming easier. Professional networks and directories now exist to find qualified female and non-binary crew members – from sound engineers and lighting techs to security leads. Organizations like SoundGirls, Women in Live Music, and diversity-focused hiring programs in the live event industry can connect hiring managers with experienced personnel across the globe. By proactively bringing these voices into the production crew, festivals not only set a positive example but also often gain access to fresh ideas and technical innovations. Seasoned festival producers advise treating backstage diversity as integral to the festival’s DNA, not a checkbox. It’s about normalizing women and minority professionals in all roles so that, over time, seeing a female audio tech or a non-binary stage manager is just as unsurprising as seeing them perform on stage.

Gender-Smart Security and Safe Environments

Even with a balanced lineup and crew, a truly safe festival takeover requires addressing security and guest services through an inclusive lens. Festival security teams and crowd staff should be trained in gender-smart de-escalation and harassment prevention. This means going beyond the standard protocols for fights or contraband – staff must understand the types of situations women and LGBTQ+ attendees may face, and how to respond with sensitivity and effectiveness.

One practical step is to implement training specific to preventing and responding to sexual harassment or assault on site. For example, in the UK the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) launched a “Safer Spaces at Festivals” charter that many events have signed onto (tramlines.org.uk). Participating festivals (such as Tramlines Festival in England) commit to measures like staff training in how to spot and intervene in harassment, on-site education campaigns, and clear policies for attendees. Tramlines partnered with UN Women UK on a program called “Safe Spaces Now,” which equipped security and volunteers (dubbed “Guardian Angels”) to handle sensitive situations and help festival-goers in need (tramlines.org.uk). The festival set up a dedicated Safe Space tent for reporting issues and disseminating information, and it reinforced a zero-tolerance harassment policy in all communications (tramlines.org.uk) (tramlines.org.uk). This kind of initiative shows attendees that the festival organizers take their safety seriously and are prepared to act.

Training security in gender-smart approaches can cover simple but critical tactics: how to defuse situations of unwanted attention, how to respectfully support someone in distress, and how to remove aggressors with minimal escalation. It also involves diversifying the security staff itself – ensuring there are female guards or supervisors available whom attendees might feel more comfortable approaching about certain issues. Some festivals have even introduced volunteer “safety ambassador” teams (often comprised of women or mixed genders) who roam the grounds specifically to deter harassment and assist vulnerable individuals. Clear signage, help points, and anonymous reporting channels (like text lines) further strengthen the security net. The bottom line is that a festival with a prominent women/non-binary-led presence should also have a safety protocol to match – so that the inclusive spirit on stage extends to a sense of security in the crowd.

Proving the Impact: Incidents Down, Morale Up

How do we know that these women/non-binary-led takeovers and safety measures are making a difference? One way is to look at outcomes and data. Festivals that have embraced these practices are starting to report tangible improvements in attendee safety and satisfaction. For instance, many festival organizers note that when line-ups become more balanced and crowds more diverse, the number of harassment reports tends to drop and overall crowd behavior improves. A more mixed-gender audience can discourage the pack mentality that sometimes leads to bad behavior, creating a friendlier atmosphere by default. While formal studies are still growing in this area, anecdotal evidence from various events is encouraging.

Take the example of All Things Go, a U.S. indie/pop festival that pivoted to a female-forward line-up in recent years. After bringing women to the forefront (spurred by artist Maggie Rogers urging the festival to address male-dominated bills), All Things Go expanded from a one-day event to a full two-day festival – and promptly sold out its 20,000-capacity venue on both days (www.rfi.fr). The festival organizers observed that not only did incidents of inappropriate behavior remain low, but the overall vibe of the festival shifted in a positive way. The crowd included more women and queer attendees who felt directly represented on stage (www.rfi.fr), which in turn fostered a sense of community and mutual respect in the audience. Artists themselves felt the difference – as the duo Tegan and Sara remarked on stage about the female-led day, “Damn, this is what I wish it had looked like… This is how festivals should look.” (www.rfi.fr). Such sentiment highlights an important point: when people see themselves reflected in an event, they are more likely to feel safe, connected, and enthusiastic.

Festival organizers should actively gather and share these kinds of outcomes. Conduct post-festival surveys asking attendees about their sense of safety, inclusivity, and enjoyment. Track the number of security incidents or complaints and see if they change after implementing policy shifts (for example, before-and-after introducing a Guardian Angels program or diversifying the line-up). Some festivals have reported notable declines in harassment reports after launching awareness campaigns and improving gender balance, though exact figures are often kept internal. Even without public numbers, positive testimonials and media feedback can be powerful. For instance, when a major festival achieved an even gender split, not only did press coverage applaud the move, but social media buzz indicated boosted morale and loyalty among festival-goers who appreciated the progressive stance.

Crucially, sharing these wins with the wider industry creates a ripple effect. Festival producers who have seen incident reductions or improved attendee feedback thanks to a women-led stage or better security training should talk about it in industry forums, blogs, and press releases. Showing that safety and diversity go hand-in-hand with great entertainment and commercial success will inspire others to follow suit. It shifts the narrative from “we’re doing this because we have to” to “we’re doing this because it genuinely makes the festival better on all fronts.” Over time, as more data accumulates, we can quantify how measures like gender-diverse line-ups or trained staff correlate with safer events – but even now the early signs and stories are compelling.

From One-Off to Tradition: Making Lasting Change

Perhaps the most important advice for festival organizers is to make these initiatives permanent and evolving parts of the festival, not one-time experiments. A single “female takeover night” or a lone training session for staff is a start, but real culture shift happens through consistency and tradition. When an approach is repeated year after year, it becomes part of the festival’s identity and ethos – something fans come to expect and celebrate.

Some pioneering festivals have already set this standard. Primavera Sound, after introducing equal gender billing in 2019 as “the new normal,” continued with that commitment every year and kept innovating on inclusion (even upping the ante with all-female headliners in a later edition) (noah-news.com). Because of this, Primavera has cultivated a reputation as one of the world’s most gender-progressive major festivals, attracting diverse talent and audience members who know that each year’s experience will build on the last. On the grassroots side, many smaller events and local scenes have institutionalized women-led showcases. In the drum & bass community, for instance, the collective EQ50 has been hosting takeover events since 2018; they’ve become a fixture at major bass music festivals like Outlook in Croatia, where each year EQ50 curates a stage and boat party featuring women and non-binary DJs and MCs (www.eq50.co.uk). This regular presence not only gives those artists recurring prime opportunities, but also signals to attendees that diversity isn’t a trend – it’s embedded in the festival’s fabric.

Making it tradition can take different forms. It could mean dedicating a prominent stage each year to an underrepresented group’s curation. It could mean ensuring the headliner slots rotate inclusively (for example, always having at least one woman or non-binary headliner each day). It might involve annual partnerships with organizations like Keychange, a global initiative where festivals pledge to achieve gender-balanced line-ups – more than 100 festivals worldwide joined that pledge to reach a 50/50 split by 2022 (djmag.com), and many are continuing the effort beyond that date. Tradition can also be internal: establish ongoing mentorship programs to bring new women/non-binary talent into the pipeline, and recurring staff workshops on inclusion so each new crew member is inducted into the festival’s safety culture.

One-off efforts, no matter how well-intentioned, risk being seen as tokenism or publicity stunts if they aren’t followed up. Worse, if a festival reverts to old patterns the next year, it can breed cynicism among audiences and artists. On the other hand, when a festival clearly embeds these changes long-term, it earns goodwill and credibility. Over time, you may find that you no longer need a “special” women-led block at all – because the entire festival has organically reached parity and inclusivity. The ultimate goal is to make diversity and safety so ingrained that it’s the norm. Until then, championing women/non-binary-led blocks with full support is a powerful catalyst on the journey.

Key Takeaways

• Give Women & Non-Binary Acts Real Spotlight: When programming festival line-ups, integrate women and non-binary artists into prime slots with full production value. Avoid relegating them to token early-afternoon appearances. Audiences respond when these acts are given equal billing and stage power.
• Back It Up Backstage: Ensure diversity isn’t just on stage – hire women and non-binary professionals onto the production crew, security team, and management. An inclusive backstage leads to a more inclusive festival overall, and provides role models throughout the event ecosystem.
• Train for Safer Spaces: Invest in training security and staff on gender-sensitive issues and harassment prevention. Implement clear anti-harassment policies, on-site resources like safe space tents or volunteers, and a visible zero-tolerance stance. A safer environment means a better experience for everyone.
• Measure and Share Success: Track outcomes such as reductions in incidents, improved attendee feedback, and ticket sales growth. Festivals that embraced inclusive practices often report positive results (e.g. fewer reports of misbehavior and higher satisfaction). Share these wins to build momentum industry-wide.
• Commit to Long-Term Change: Don’t treat women/non-binary-led blocks as a one-off gimmick. Make them a regular part of your festival’s identity or strive for year-round balance. Consistency will normalize diversity in your event and keep progress moving forward each edition.

By following these practices, the next generation of festival producers can build events that are not only spectacular in artistry but also safe, welcoming, and progressive spaces. A festival with true production parity and respect for all its participants sets itself up for success – attracting broader audiences, fostering loyalty, and leading the cultural shift towards equity. In the end, safer takeovers with real teeth aren’t just about inclusion for its own sake; they’re about creating better festivals, period, where everyone can enjoy the magic of music and community without fear.