Loud, vibrant, and energetic. That’s how you would commonly describe a music festival. With flaring lights, thumping bass, and endless rounds of drinks, the adrenaline rush never seems to end. However, as fun, as music festivals are, they can pose great security risks.
Despite having plenty of security guards stationed throughout the event venue, it doesn’t take long for someone’s safety to get compromised. Especially when large crowds form and mosh pits become the norm.
That is why in this blog, we’ll outline all the common security hazards that arise during a bustling music festival.
- Weather
Although you cannot control the weather, it is still one of the most common external factors that cause security mishaps. An open, outdoor event venue can fall prey to unpredictable weather. For instance, standing crowded under the sun in summer could lead to dehydration or even heat strokes for some. Whereas during winter, people could easily contract the flu, get frostbite, and in rare cases, hypothermia. Not to mention, monsoon season can be extremely dangerous. Be it for the festival goers or the artists performing, safety threats such as flooding, spontaneous fire breakouts, electric shocks, etc., can be a nightmare to deal with. - Medical Emergencies
When you have hundreds of people all squashed together, with not even enough space for the air to pass through, medical emergencies are bound to sprout. From fainting to getting a severe injury, having qualified security guards and medics in such cases is necessary. Attendees with chronic health conditions like hypertension, diabetes, asthma, etc., could be in serious trouble if there are no proper event safety guidelines in place. Moreover, at such festivals, drug overdoses could also be a usual sight. - Too Much Alcohol = Rowdy Fights
Even though alcohol helps people loosen up, having too much of it can lead to rowdiness and fights among the festival-goers. Trained guards should be present at the site at all times and remain vigilant to diffuse any aggressive situation if it may arise. - Artist Safety
One might think that since artists performing are elevated on a stage; they’re bound to be safe. However, that’s not always the case. Fans going rogue and climbing atop stages, harassing the performers, causing a disruption, etc., isn’t quite unusual. Jeopardizing the artist’s safety could lead to major legal lawsuits, which is why ensuring a tight-knit security system near the stage and on top of it is so crucial. - Petty Crime
Amidst the mayhem of reckless crowds of people, vandalism isn’t all that uncommon. The bigger the event, the higher chances of petty crime occurring. Nonetheless, if the hired security guards remain alert, they might be able to catch these disruptive vandals and remove them from the festival site. - Sexual Harassment
Putting herds of people in a small, confined space can lead to serious harassment cases. Perhaps this is why it’s a source of anxiety for women to attend live music events alone. In addition, without strict policies and attentive guards on the premises, it could put their safety in grave danger. This is why it is vital to take legal preventive measures to avoid such acts from taking place - Cramped Space
If your venue has a tiny, cramped space, it could cause serious issues. For instance, festival-goers could get trampled on or lost during crowd surfing. Plus, if it’s a rock or metal music festival, it can even lead to death, thanks to how savage moshpits are.
Hire Professional Security for Your Event, Today!
If you’re thinking of organizing a festival, make sure to have professionally trained security guards to help keep the event in check. However, if you’re going as an attendee, take all the precautions to ensure your safety. This way, you can prevent common security threats at a music festival. For more information, contact Western Eagle at (281) 496-6800.