Building a Diverse Festival Crew: Inclusive Hiring and Team Culture Strategies

Introduction

Bringing together a festival staff that reflects diverse backgrounds isn’t just a moral imperative – it’s a competitive advantage. Research shows that inclusive teams make better decisions nearly 90% of the time (www.forbes.com) and drive greater innovation, meaning a diverse crew can elevate your festival’s creativity and problem-solving. Modern audiences, artists, and sponsors increasingly expect festivals to walk the talk on diversity: to hire inclusively, celebrate all cultures, and foster a team culture where everyone feels valued. High-profile events have faced scrutiny for homogenous line-ups and crews, underscoring the need for change. By actively building a diverse festival crew and an inclusive work environment, festival organizers can align with contemporary values and boost team performance.

Inclusive team practices aren’t limited to any one country or festival type – they’re being embraced worldwide. From large-scale spectacles like Coachella and Glastonbury to small community festivals, leaders are rethinking how they recruit and manage staff and volunteers. The benefits are tangible: better representation leads to improved understanding of your audience, more creative brainstorming, and a happier crew. When everyone on the team – regardless of gender, race, age, ability, or background – feels welcomed and heard, it creates a positive feedback loop that shines through in the festival itself. In the following sections, we’ll dive into actionable strategies for inclusive hiring and team culture, backed by real examples from festivals around the globe.

Crafting Unbiased Job Postings and Recruitment Processes

Building a diverse crew starts with rethinking how you recruit. Unbiased job postings are key to attracting a wide range of candidates. Use inclusive language in your listings – avoid gender-coded words or idioms that might alienate applicants. Focus on the essential skills and avoid overly restrictive requirements that aren’t truly necessary (for example, does a stagehand really need 5 years of experience, or could on-site training work?). Many festivals now include a diversity statement in job ads, explicitly encouraging candidates from underrepresented groups to apply.

Concrete steps to ensure unbiased hiring include:

• Use gender-neutral and accessible language: Terms like “team player” or “looking for crew members” are more inclusive than phrases that subtly skew male or female.
• Standardize applications: Consider blind screening by removing names or photos in initial applications to curb unconscious bias. In Denmark, the organizers of Roskilde Festival even recruit some curatorial volunteers through a “blind” hiring process – applications are reviewed without personal identifiers – to limit recruiter bias and increase diversity on the team (yourope.org).
• Train your hiring panel: Make sure those reviewing applications or conducting interviews understand inclusive hiring practices. Provide brief training on avoiding bias and structured interview guides so each candidate is evaluated on the same criteria.
• Widen your recruitment channels: Don’t post roles only on the usual industry boards. Share opportunities on community forums, diversity-focused job sites, and with organizations that support minority communities. This ensures a broader talent pool sees your openings.

By designing your recruitment with inclusion in mind, you set the stage for a more diverse crew. For example, festival producers can follow Roskilde’s lead in blind hiring for certain roles, or use tools (like gender decoder software) to catch biased wording in job descriptions. The goal is to eliminate unintentional barriers so that qualified people from all backgrounds feel encouraged to join your team.

Reaching Out to Underrepresented Communities

It’s not enough to passively post jobs – proactive outreach is essential. Many festivals have started meeting communities where they are to recruit staff and volunteers from underrepresented groups. This can mean partnering with local cultural centers, advocacy groups, or universities to spread the word about opportunities on your team.

Examples around the world: In the U.K., industry initiatives have helped open doors for ethnically diverse young people to enter music event jobs – the percentage of Black, Asian and minority employees in entry-level music roles jumped from 23% in 2022 to over 32% in 2024 after targeted outreach programs (musiciansunion.org.uk). Similarly, in the U.S., artist Noelle Scaggs launched the Diversify The Stage program in 2020 to connect concert and festival producers with BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and female talent for touring crews (www.tpimagazine.com). Festival organizers can tap into such networks or create their own mentorship and internship pipelines to welcome new talent who might not have insider connections.

Practical tactics for community outreach include:

• Community hiring fairs: Host or attend job fairs in neighborhoods or schools with diverse populations. For instance, a festival in Singapore might visit polytechnic institutes to recruit a multi-ethnic volunteer base reflecting the city’s demographics.
• Partnerships with NGOs and cultural groups: If your festival is in a region with indigenous or ethnic minority communities, collaborate with their organizations. A great example is Afropunk, the global festival celebrating Black alternative culture. Founded in Brooklyn by Matthew Morgan (and now held in cities from Atlanta to Johannesburg), Afropunk’s core mission is to be a platform where people of color can see alternative versions of themselves and celebrate Black excellence (bubblegumclub.co.za). Its organizers engage directly with Black artists, entrepreneurs, and fans – a model for culturally specific outreach.
• Leverage your current crew’s networks: Encourage your diverse staff to refer friends or contacts. Personal recommendations can bring in candidates who trust that your festival is a welcoming workplace.
• Local community roles: Even for a small local festival, consider creating community liaison roles. For example, a food festival in Mexico City could hire bilingual liaisons from different neighborhoods to bring in local volunteers and vendors, ensuring the event crew reflects the city’s vibrant mix of cultures.

Reaching out in these ways not only diversifies your team but also builds goodwill. When underrepresented communities see someone like them on the festival crew or in leadership, it signals that the festival truly values inclusion. In turn, this can expand your festival’s audience – people feel more invited when the folks running the show come from all walks of life.

Implementing DEI Training and Inclusive Policies

Hiring a diverse crew is step one; step two is making sure your workplace is equitable and inclusive once people arrive. This is where clear policies and training around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) come in. Everyone – full-time staff, contractors, and volunteers – should know your festival’s values and expectations regarding respect and fairness.

Start with a strong code of conduct for your team. Just as many festivals have attendee codes of conduct, create one for those working the event that explicitly prohibits harassment or discrimination of any kind. For example, Coachella festival in California rolled out its “Every One” initiative to combat harassment, stating publicly that they are striving for a festival culture “safe and inclusive for everyone” regardless of gender, race, religion, or ability (www.teenvogue.com). Their policy includes zero tolerance for any form of assault or hate, with offenders removed from the site. Festival organizers can take a page from Coachella’s book by adopting a no-nonsense stance on misconduct and communicating it clearly to all crew.

Next, invest in DEI training for staff and volunteers. Training sessions (even brief ones during orientation) help raise awareness of unconscious biases and teach practical skills for inclusion. A good training program might cover topics like cultural sensitivity, using correct gender pronouns, disability awareness, and conflict resolution. Some festivals bring in outside experts or partner with nonprofits to educate their teams. A shining example is Glastonbury Festival in the UK, which partnered with the charity Attitude is Everything to deliver disability awareness training to its staff (www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk). Glastonbury’s long-standing relationship with this accessibility organization earned the festival a Gold award in Attitude is Everything’s Charter of Best Practice, reflecting its commitment to inclusion. This kind of collaboration shows staff that inclusion isn’t just lip service – it’s backed by concrete learning and improvements.

Other policy ideas and training initiatives to consider:

• Anti-bias workshops: Conduct periodic workshops on topics like implicit bias or microaggressions, especially for team leaders. These can be interactive sessions or even brief video modules that everyone watches and discusses.
• Diverse holidays and accommodations: Implement policies that allow flexible scheduling for religious or cultural holidays that may not be mainstream. A truly inclusive team culture respects that your crew may celebrate Diwali, Eid, Chinese New Year, Yom Kippur, etc., and plans schedules accordingly.
• Accessibility training: Ensure your team knows how to interact respectfully with colleagues and festival-goers who have disabilities. (e.g. training security on how to assist a Deaf attendee or a wheelchair user). Many festivals now train all staff on accessibility basics – from using person-first language to knowing where accessibility services are on site.
• Clear reporting channels: Encourage a “speak up” culture by establishing a safe, confidential way for crew to report issues like harassment or inequities. Whether it’s a designated HR contact, an anonymous form, or a third-party hotline, make sure your team knows how to voice concerns and that they will be addressed promptly.

Above all, leadership must actively support these policies. Making DEI a priority can require tough conversations and consistent enforcement, but it pays off with a crew that feels protected and respected. Festivals that excel here often see higher staff retention and a reputation as great places to work – which in turn attracts even more diverse talent.

Fostering an Inclusive Team Culture Onsite

Policies and training lay the groundwork, but everyday team culture is where inclusion truly comes to life. Festivals are fast-paced, high-pressure environments; a strong, inclusive culture ensures that despite the stress, everyone collaborates effectively and has each other’s backs. Here are strategies to cultivate an inclusive culture among your crew and volunteers:

• Lead by example: Festival directors and department heads set the tone. When leaders consistently model respect – pronouncing people’s names correctly, listening to different viewpoints, admitting mistakes – it signals to the whole crew that differences are valued. For instance, the producers of Lilith Fair (the iconic women-led touring festival) made a point of ensuring everyone on the team felt welcome and valued. Founder Sarah McLachlan intentionally hired diversely for the Lilith Fair crew and fostered a “we’re all in this together” ethos (www.ticketfairy.com). Many female festival organizers cite Lilith Fair’s women-positive backstage environment as inspiration to pursue careers in live events, showing how impactful inclusive leadership can be.
• Team-building and bonding: Encourage crew camaraderie in ways that celebrate diversity. Something as simple as multicultural potluck meals during long setup days or team T-shirts that say “One Team, Many Backgrounds” can reinforce unity. At volunteer orientations, include icebreaker questions that let people share a bit about their background or culture if they wish – it helps team members appreciate each other’s uniqueness.
• Inclusive communication: In a diverse team, be mindful of language and group dynamics. Make sure information is accessible to everyone – that might mean translating key safety briefings or signage into multiple languages if your crew is international. During meetings, actively invite quieter voices to share input, so the dynamic isn’t dominated by one group. An inclusive culture makes space for all perspectives. In practice, this could be as simple as a stage manager asking for feedback from junior crew members or as formal as a weekly crew forum for suggestions.
• Celebrate and educate: Take opportunities to celebrate the diversity on your team. If you have a crew member who’s the first in their family to work in events, or if your security team achieved gender balance for the first time, acknowledge it! Some festivals do internal newsletters or social media spotlights on their crew, highlighting stories of different team members. Recognition goes a long way in fostering belonging. You can also provide little educational moments – for example, if your festival runs over a date like Pride Month or International Day of Persons with Disabilities, mention it in the crew briefing and express support. It shows awareness and allyship from the top.
• Zero tolerance for exclusionary behavior: Despite best efforts, issues might arise – a sexist joke, a volunteer being overlooked for tasks, a crew clique forming. How you respond is critical. Make clear that any exclusionary or derogatory behavior will be addressed. Sometimes a gentle but firm reminder is enough; other times you may need to remove a problematic individual from a position. When the team sees that you mean it about inclusion, trust and morale increase dramatically.

A great case study in inclusive team culture is Roskilde Festival’s approach in Denmark. Roskilde’s organizers (who even have a Head of DEI on staff) ensure that the festival’s 30,000 volunteers are supported and heard. They provide on-site social workers and psychologists specifically for crew wellbeing (yourope.org) (yourope.org) – recognizing that caring for the crew’s mental health is part of an inclusive culture. They also set up “safer spaces” and clear reporting systems for any volunteer facing issues, reinforcing that everyone’s safety and dignity matter. Thanks to measures like these, Roskilde’s diverse army of volunteers – from teenagers to seniors, locals and internationals, people of different abilities – consistently return and recommend the experience. When people from all backgrounds thrive on your team, it creates a virtuous cycle: the positive culture attracts even more diverse talent, and your festival benefits from the wealth of ideas and passion they bring.

Success Stories and Lessons Learned

Around the world, festivals of all sizes have begun reaping the rewards of a diverse crew and inclusive ethos. Here we’ll highlight a few success stories (and occasional missteps) that offer learning opportunities for festival producers:

• Burning Man (USA): Known for its principle of “Radical Inclusion,” the Burning Man organization realized it still had work to do in diversifying its largely white, tech-world participant base. In 2021 they introduced a Radical Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (R.I.D.E.) Anti-Racism Pledge to push for more representation in their staff, leadership, and attendee community (journal.burningman.org). By 2022, 13.5% of Black Rock City participants identified as people of color – a notable uptick after years stagnating around 9–10%. Burning Man’s journey shows that even events founded on inclusion must continually recommit and take concrete steps (like outreach programs and internal diversity councils) to live up to their ideals. The lesson? Inclusion is an ongoing process, and transparency about goals and progress can rally your community.
• Glastonbury Festival (UK): This massive festival has made diversity and inclusion a core part of its identity in recent years. Glastonbury’s leadership, including Emily Eavis, has worked to improve gender balance on stage and expanded the range of genres and cultures represented at the festival. Behind the scenes, they enforce the “Worthy Pledge” – a commitment that all staff and attendees treat others with kindness and respect. They’ve also engaged in community hiring, bringing local residents onto the crew, and partnered with accessibility groups for staff training as mentioned earlier. Glastonbury’s team actively monitors and refines their inclusion efforts each year, which is one reason the festival maintains its broad appeal across ages and backgrounds. The takeaway is the importance of weaving inclusion into all aspects of the event, from crew training to programming to audience engagement.
• Michfest (USA) and women-led events: The Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival (1976–2015) was an all-women camping festival that, for nearly 40 years, operated with an entirely female crew – from front-of-house to security to stage construction (www.ticketfairy.com). This was a radical experiment in building a temporary community by and for women. While Michfest itself is no more, its legacy lives on in how it proved that underrepresented groups can run every facet of a major event successfully. Modern festivals don’t need to be exclusive like Michfest was, but can adopt its principle of empowering minority groups in leadership. We now see many events making a point to hire women in technical roles and promote women to production lead positions, correcting the old imbalance. A current example is Spain’s Primavera Sound, which in recent editions achieved a 50/50 gender-balanced lineup and made efforts to hire more women in its production departments – moves that earned public praise for setting a new standard of inclusion in a large festival.
• AfroPunk (Global): As mentioned, AfroPunk has become a powerhouse example of celebrating diversity. Its producers (Matthew Morgan and Jocelyn Cooper) intentionally staff the festival with a multi-ethnic, international crew that can authentically connect with the AfroPunk community. In Johannesburg, for instance, AfroPunk worked with local South African event crews and black-owned vendors, boosting local expertise and ensuring the team on the ground reflected festival-goers. The festival’s success in cities as varied as New York, Paris, and Johannesburg underscores how important cultural competency is – by hiring people who understand the local and diaspora cultures, AfroPunk creates an atmosphere where attendees immediately feel at home. The big lesson here is representation matters at every level. If your festival celebrates a certain culture or demographic, involve those voices in your staff for real credibility.
• Addressing failures openly: Not every effort will succeed immediately. Some festivals have rolled out diversity initiatives that fell short or faced backlash. For example, a European festival once announced a “female-only” day to spotlight women artists and crew, but received mixed responses – some felt it was gimmicky or excluded male allies. The organizers learned to refine their approach by instead integrating gender inclusion across all days of the event rather than segregating. The key is to listen to feedback from your community and crew. If an inclusion effort doesn’t land as expected, engage in dialogue, and be willing to adjust. Showing humility and willingness to improve can turn a misstep into a powerful moment of growth for your team.

Finally, remember that inclusivity improves the festival production itself. Diverse teams tend to foresee a wider range of needs and problems, making the event run smoother. A striking illustration was at Rock in Rio (Brazil), one of the world’s largest music festivals. Their team’s decision to hire and integrate Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) interpreters on stage in 2022 was initially a bold experiment. It required coordinating interpreters, screens, and camera work as part of the production. The result? Deaf attendees traveled from across the country, thrilled that they could experience lyrics in their language – one fan noted that seeing sign language on the big stage sent a powerful message that “you belong here” (www.ticketfairy.com). And hearing attendees embraced it too, finding that it enhanced the show’s emotion. Rock in Rio’s move has since inspired other festivals to add sign language crews and other accessibility roles. It’s a perfect example of how inclusive practices in your team (in this case, hiring sign interpreters and training staff to work with them) can create magical moments and set your event apart.

Key Takeaways for Festival Producers

• Diversity drives innovation and success: A festival crew with varied backgrounds brings fresh perspectives, creative problem-solving and better decision-making – strengthening your production in every way. (www.forbes.com) Embracing inclusion is both a values-driven choice and a smart business strategy.
• Start with inclusive hiring: Craft job postings and interviews that remove bias and encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Widen your recruitment by reaching out to underrepresented communities through partnerships, specialized networks, and personal referrals.
• Lead with clear policies and training: Implement a strong anti-harassment code of conduct and provide DEI training to all staff and volunteers. Set expectations from the top that discrimination won’t be tolerated, and give your team the tools to work inclusively and respectfully.
• Foster a welcoming team culture: Inclusion is an everyday practice. Encourage open communication, celebrate the diversity within your crew, and ensure everyone feels heard. Small gestures – like accommodating cultural holidays or spotlighting crew member stories – go a long way in building trust and belonging.
• Learn from real festival examples: Follow the lead of festivals that have pioneered inclusion. For instance, adopt ideas like Roskilde’s blind hiring and volunteer support programs (yourope.org) (yourope.org), Glastonbury’s accessibility training (www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk), or Coachella’s safety ambassadors for a harassment-free environment (www.teenvogue.com). Case studies from around the world can inspire solutions tailored to your event.
• Include all scales and roles: Whether you run a 1,000-person local fest or a 100,000-strong mega-festival, diversity and inclusion apply. In small teams, even one hire from a different background can make an impact; in large ones, invest in dedicated staff (like a DEI officer or committee) to keep inclusion at the forefront.
• Continuous improvement: Building a diverse crew is not a one-and-done task. Solicit feedback from your team after each event on how inclusive the environment was and where you can do better. Stay updated on best practices and be willing to iterate. Your commitment over time will yield a festival culture that attracts top talent and earns respect industry-wide.

By prioritizing diversity in hiring and cultivating an inclusive team culture, festival producers will not only create a fair, welcoming work environment – they’ll also unlock new levels of collaboration and innovation on their teams. A festival is at its heart a celebration of community and culture. When your crew embodies those ideals behind the scenes, the festival experience becomes richer for everyone.