Music festivals are a popular attraction for cities that want to boost their tourism, especially during the warmer months. Part of having a successful event is reducing the likelihood of security threats to people at the festival. Strategically addressing security risks and using previous events as a teaching tool will help make future events better.
Location
Since localities often compete to host music festivals, this is the opportunity for each site to convince you their location is the safest place for the festival. Generally, indoor festivals can be made safer than outdoor festivals because it's easier to control who enters the facility. If you are planning the festival during the warmer months, you will likely want the festival to be outdoors if the weather is nice. The safest approach will be to create a hybrid environment. A large outdoor space shielded with a tent or canopy can provide the combination of enjoying good weather, protection from bad weather, and some control over the perimeter. Due to issues with mass shooting events, shielding attendees in a manner that prevents them from being targeted by someone outside of the festival is ideal.
Perimeter Enforcement
Enforcing a strict perimeter around the festival will increase safety. People who did not pay to enter the event will have a harder time sneaking inside if you create a fence with strategic entry and exit points. Metal fence panels are an ideal way to create a perimeter because you can make the fence as large as you want simply by locking each panel together. Since the fence is temporary, if anything changes, the fence can be taken down or otherwise altered to suit the particular festival.
Part of reinforcing the perimeter will be considering how you will identify people who paid for entry. Scanning physical or digital QR codes on admissions tickets for initial entry is efficient and difficult to fabricate. Once a guest has their physical or digital QR code scanned, they can receive a wristband, which allows for faster entrance during the remainder of the event. There are many types of wristbands available, so it is harder for people to duplicate the wristband or otherwise tamper with an official wristband. Wristbands made from Tyvek or cloth are good options. Having official wristbands in unique colors or prints will easily stand out if someone has attempted to replicate them or cut them off another person and pass it off as their own.
Music festivals are a popular form of entertainment, especially when people want to enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, having a large crowd in a confined space comes with unique security risks. Careful planning and execution of a security plan will reduce the likelihood of disaster. Reach out to security event guard services near you to learn more.