Volunteering at music festivals

Smiffy2020 · September 27, 2013

I want to volunteer at at least one festival in summer 2014 preferably in stewarding, first aid or backstage. I've never volunteered at a festival before, but I have excellent voice projection, have my first aid training up to date, have a passion for music and can play four different instruments, have exceptionally good team work and problem solving skills, and can drive :roadrage: (if that's an advantage). Really, I'd love to volunteer at T in the Park, Reading/Leeds, maybe V Fest, and Green Man. I'm 20 so I'm of age.

So what I want to know is how do I go about doing it? What websites are there? And any good tips on how to make the festival employer or manager want me to volunteer for them? And any help for the application form would be good. Thanks a lot! :thumbsu:

**kaosmark2** · September 27, 2013

I've been stewarding at 5 festivals this summer. There's a few things:

Most festivals now require a deposit - usually a bit higher than the ticket price - that gets refunded a few weeks after you complete your shift.

Look at each festival's website for who they source their stewards from. Oxfam do a lot of festivals, although I didn't work for them.

Not many places will be accepting applications yet, the earlier parts of next year once they start announcing things for those festivals will be a good time to do it.

Don't be too worried by the application form. Most places will accept anyone who fills it out and hasn't got a major reason NOT to accept them, and pays the deposit quickly.

Oh, and small festivals are far more fun to work at.

I've no idea about how to end up backstage or doing first aid. I've got a first aid certificate and put that on my applications, but it never really came to anything beyond "If you're trained and feel comfortable, you can do first aid as you call something in for medical".

As a note, while it's been sorted now, as per /topic/178455-advice-needed-green-stewards/">this thread I would firmly recommend staying away from Green Stewards after my experiences with a deposit this summer.

I'm sure I've missed something out, but there's other people around the forums who do it.

grumpyhack · September 28, 2013

I've only stewarded directly for a festival, rather than through a third party organisation and I've always found the festivals to be absolutely reputable.

The deposit cheque is required to avoid the risk of stewards not turning up and the festival organisers finding themselves shorthanded.

Some festivals don't even cash the deposit cheque but just hold on to it and return it when you've done your shifts.

Others will cash it. At the Croissant Neuf Summer Party when I stewarded last year they cashed the cheque but at the end of the final shift you had the money back straight away - in notes.

Check out the number of shifts you have to do. Some fests work you a lot harder than others. At the ones I've worked, which have been relatively small and easy-going, they've even asked stewards if there were particular bands they wanted to see and tried to rota them so they could still see them if possible.

**Neville Street** · September 28, 2013

Wicked Events are good to work for ( Wychwood, EoTR, plus more). Oxfam were fine (BDs), but long shifts. Direct at Chagstock was fun and good food, flexible.

whisty · September 29, 2013

Done it with Oxfam a couple of times and really enjoyed the experience. It's not a breeze by any means but for a good cause I guess and as said you'll almost certainly have a great time in good company.

Think applications start around March some time ish. They cover R&L and Glastonbury amongst others.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/stewarding

Edited September 29, 2013 by whisty