The detail
Methods, variations and how we deploy.
A single page can't replace a walk-around and a written proposal, but this is what the work looks like in practice, so you know what you're comparing.
Gate, search and wristband operations
The gate sets the tone for the whole event. We staff entry lanes to your expected arrival curve rather than a flat headcount, so peak-hour queues clear without officers rushing searches. Search policy is agreed in writing with you and, where relevant, your police licensing officer: what is prohibited, how refusals are handled, where confiscated items are logged and stored, and how children and vulnerable attendees are treated. Wristband and ticket checks run alongside the search rather than behind it, and every refusal is recorded so you have an evidence trail if the decision is later challenged.
Pit teams, barriers and crowd dynamics
Front-of-stage work is a specialist discipline. Our pit officers understand crowd surge, wave behaviour, crowd-surfing extraction and the hand signals that keep stage management, medical and security reading the same picture. We build a barrier plan with your production team covering pit capacity, extraction routes, water provision and the point at which a show stop is recommended. Where you run multiple stages, each pit has its own lead reporting into a single head of security in event control, so a developing issue at one stage never goes unheard.
Campsites, welfare and overnight cover
Camping festivals do not go quiet at 1am, they simply change shape. Overnight teams patrol camping fields in pairs on a defined route, deal with noise, theft, tent damage and lost attendees, and hand welfare and drug-harm cases to your welfare or medical provider rather than trying to manage them alone. We work hand in glove with medical teams, including our own FREC 4 and paramedic-level crews, so an intoxicated or vulnerable attendee reaches clinical care instead of being walked to a gate.
Vehicles, backstage and artist areas
Traffic and pedestrian conflict is one of the most under-planned risks at outdoor events. We manage vehicle gates, escorted movements during show hours, and accreditation for crew, artists, traders and contractors, so a production truck never reverses into a moving crowd. Backstage, artist and VIP areas run on colour-coded accreditation with officers briefed on who holds what access, and on the professional discretion those areas require.
Licensing, SAG documentation and compliance
Local authorities and Safety Advisory Groups increasingly want to see the security plan, not just a headcount. We provide SIA licence numbers in advance for vetting, written search and ejection policies, radio and communications plans, and shift schedules that show cover across build, live and de-rig. Public liability and employers' liability cover is held and certificates are supplied for your compliance file. Every officer signs on and off shift, and every incident is logged in a format that stands up months later.
Weather, contingency and show stop
British festivals are decided by weather as much as by line-up. Our plans include contingency positions for high wind, saturated ground, lightning hold and emergency evacuation, with officers briefed on their specific role in each scenario before gates open. Show stop procedure is agreed with production and event control in advance so the decision, and the messaging, is already rehearsed rather than improvised in front of ten thousand people.
