Organising an outdoor festival: the organisers' logistics guide

A festival's production is built over 6 to 18 months depending on its scale. Here are the critical milestones.

18 months before: choice of the final site, signing of the agreement with the operator (local authority, private owner), first line-up brief.

12 months before: choice of the structures, audiovisual and security providers. First approaches to artists / line-up.

9 months before: submission of the ERP / GA file to the préfecture. Launch of communications / ticketing.

6 months before: final line-up confirmed, marketing launch, first partial pre-setups if the site is permanent.

3 months before: final safety arrangements confirmed, evacuation drills, last coordination with the préfecture.

30 days before: final visit by the safety commission (mandatory), technical pre-setups.

7 days before: setup of all the structures, stages, sound and lighting. Safety tests.

D-day: operation. 24/7 on-call cover across the whole site.

D+1 to D+7: takedown, handing back the site, operational and financial review.

A large public festival involves several levels of authorisation. Here is the exhaustive list.

Prefectural authorisation (large gathering): mandatory for any gathering of > 1 500 people. Lead time: at least 6 months before. Includes: safety file, evacuation plan, first-aid arrangements, surveillance arrangements, traffic and parking plan.

ERP / CTS file: for each covered structure of > 50 people. Stability report, M2 certificate, layout plan. Lead time: at least 30 days before. Our safety team handles this part.

Temporary alcohol licence: required if alcohol is sold. Application to the mairie, at least 60 days before. Category 3 (wine/beer) or category 4 (spirits) depending on your offering.

SACEM / SPRE declaration: declaration of the musical works performed, payment of royalties. Cost: 4-8% of ticketing revenue for SACEM + SPRE neighbouring rights.

Authorisation to occupy public land: if the festival takes place on public land, a specific agreement with the local authority.

Declaration to the mairie: every festival must be declared to the mairie at least 60 days before, even if it takes place on private land.

Opinion of the municipal or prefectural safety commission: a mandatory visit at least 15 days before the public opening. Without a favourable opinion, the festival cannot open.

Specific safety and protection plan (PPMS) if in a sensitive area (since 2017): terrorist risk, shelter plan, team training.

Public safety is the most sensitive subject. Here are the standard arrangements for a festival of 2 000-10 000 visitors/day.

Safety coordination: a single point of contact (operations manager) who coordinates with the préfecture, the gendarmerie and the fire service. Presence mandatory from 15 days before to D+1.

Private security staff: 1 SSIAP 1 officer per 200-500 people depending on the zone (1 per 100 in the stage zone). The ratio varies according to the safety commission's recommendations. For 5 000 people: 25-50 officers spread out.

First-aid service: for 1 500-5 000 people, a Croix-Rouge or Protection Civile presence (4-8 first-aiders + 1 ambulance). Above 5 000: an emergency doctor on site + 2-3 ambulances.

Anti-intrusion arrangements: site fencing, access controls at the entrances (pat-downs in line with the Vigipirate plan), differentiated team badges.

Evacuation plan: BAES signage on emergency exits, properly sized clearance capacity (1 UP per 100 people), marked external assembly points.

Liaison with public services: a telephone hotline for the gendarmerie / police, fire service and préfecture. Daily meetings during operation.

Emergency plan in the event of a serious incident: a protocol defined in advance (total evacuation, partial evacuation, sheltering), training drills with the teams.

The structures setup represents 25-40% of a festival's total budget. Here are the key choices.

Main stage: a stage marquee of at least 12x8m for festivals of 2 000+ people, with 6-8m clear height for sound/lighting rigging and an integrated 6x10m backstage. Reinforced 900 g/m² fabric, M2 rating.

Secondary or third stage: typically an 8x6m marquee, with reduced rigging capacity, simpler to set up and take down.

Bars: 5x5m marquees spread around the site (1 bar per 500-1 000 people). Dressed counters, secure power supply, a water point for rinsing glasses.

Reception and ticketing: a 5x5m pagoda tent or a 5x10m marquee at the main entrance, access control, wristband management, a separate press area.

Premium toilet units: modules of 10-30 cubicles, hot water, ventilation, lighting. For 3 000 visitors/day: 30 WC cubicles + 8 wash basins + 10 urinals.

Artists' backstage: a dedicated 10x15m marquee, dressing rooms, catering, a relaxation area. Controlled access.

Catering: food trucks or stands under temporary structures. Allow 1 catering point per 200-300 people.

Premium / VIP areas: a pagoda tent or partitioned marquee, a lounge area, upgraded catering, a privileged view of the stage.

Electricity is the second cause of festival cancellation (after the weather). Here is how to size it correctly.

Main stage: 80-200 kW (sound + lighting + screens + back-line). For major festivals, going up to 300-500 kW.

Secondary stages: 30-80 kW each.

Bars: 5-10 kW each (fridge, dispensers, lighting).

Reception and ticketing: 3-5 kW.

Food-truck catering: 5-15 kW per truck.

Toilet units: 2-5 kW (lighting, ventilation, water heater).

Typical total for a festival of 5 000 people / 3 stages: 300-600 kW peak.

Solutions: a temporary Enedis connection (to be anticipated at least 4 months ahead, costly but reliable) or soundproofed generators (200-500 kVA). For major festivals, plan for redundancy (a backup generator). All distribution boards and cabling must comply with NF C 15-100 with a signed report.

Here are the budget ranges observed by item for a mid-size festival of 3 000 visitors / 3 days.

Artistic line-up: 30-50% of the total budget. For a mid-size festival, allow 60 000 to 200 000 € in fees.

Technical production (sound, lighting, video): 15-25% of the budget. 30 000 to 100 000 €.

Structures (stages, bars, toilet units, reception): 15-25% of the budget. 30 000 to 100 000 €.

Safety (officers, first aid, arrangements): 8-15% of the budget. 15 000 to 60 000 €.

Communications / marketing: 5-10% of the budget. 10 000 to 40 000 €.

Logistics (transport, artist accommodation, team catering): 5-10% of the budget. 10 000 to 40 000 €.

Administrative costs (authorisations, taxes, royalties, insurance): 3-5% of the budget. 5 000 to 20 000 €.

Contingency provisions: 5-10% of the budget. Essential to absorb the unexpected.

Typical total for 3 000 visitors / 3 days: 200 000 to 500 000 € depending on ambition.