18-hour days, heatstroke and sleeping on the floor: life behind the scenes for UK festival workers

New Bectu research has uncovered the often grim reality of working at UK festivals.

The union surveyed behind-the-scenes festival workers and crew, including those working in construction, sound, lighting, production, stage management and more, about working conditions during the 2024 festival season.

Half the respondents said they ‘sometimes’ or ‘usually’ felt unsafe while working at UK festivals in 2024.

3 in 10 had experienced a risk to their physical safety, such as working at height without proper training or equipment.

And worryingly, 35 per cent of respondents were unclear about who they could report health and safety concerns to onsite. 1 in 5 festival workers said working conditions at UK festivals have worsened in the past five years.

The survey found:

• 40 per cent reported working with excessive noise or noise pollution without being supplied with adequate PPE.
• Over 40 per cent reported having to work in extreme heat without adequate provisions.
• Over 70 per cent reported issues of sanitation on site, such as substandard washing and toilet facilities.
• And over 70 per cent reported long hours, with some reporting 18-20 hour days and as little as 3 hours off between lengthy shifts.

Nearly half the respondents said their mental health was impacted as a result of health, safety and welfare issues onsite.

One worker reported having to sleep in a crowded tour bus as crew accommodation, where people outnumbered bunks and some had to sleep on the floor.

Another reported having to sleep squeezed into one trailer of 30 people. Many respondents reported crew accommodation that was cramped, without power and not able to be locked.

Crew were often required to use long drop toilets that were not emptied over the space of a week, and did not have access to any water in crew camping areas, nor access to shower facilities during the festival build.

Other responses from the survey include:

“I was told to work despite my protests about safety.”

“I was offered less than minimum wage as a day rate for a role that was managing a campsite of 25,000 people.”

“You have people who are responsible for the health and safety of what is effectively a huge and packed city, and they are on a knife edge of sleep deprivation.”

“It was 42 degrees while rigging. I collapsed due to heat stroke.”

Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said:

“The UK is known for its world-class festivals but the reality for those working behind the scenes can be very different.

“The issue of long working hours and the physical and mental health risks this creates is well-established in other sectors of the creative industries, such as film and TV. But many festival crew told us they often work 18+-hour days back to back, with many of them then operating heavy machinery or working in risky environments.

“Our members are highly skilled professionals without whom the live events industry would not survive. Yet they often face precarious work, low wages and, as our survey has highlighted, significant health and safety issues on site.

“Many of the stories we heard are unfortunately commonplace and almost normalised – but no one should have to put up with these conditions.

“The more members we have, the stronger our influence and the more we can lobby for change. If you work in the UK’s live events sector, joining a trade union is one of the best things you can do to help improve working conditions.”

Production Manager Alice Black, from Bectu’s Live Events Network, said:

“Our survey uncovered what many of us who work at festivals know only too well. Poor sanitation, long shifts and risky work without proper protection – often in combination – are unfortunately all too common.

“The festival industry can’t do without us, but we are often treated like second-class citizens.

“Bectu’s Live Events Network is working to change this. We encourage anyone working behind-the-scenes at festivals to get involved to help improve conditions for everyone.”