Festival Health and Safety: Eastern Electrics

Background

Since 2023, we have proudly partnered with Eastern Electrics, which has found a new home at Lee Valley Showground. In August 2024, we returned for another exciting event, providing critical operational support. Our team collaborated closely with the festival organisers to deliver a range of services, including Operations, Event Health and Safety Management, Licensing, and Community and Stakeholder Engagement, ensuring a secure and enjoyable atmosphere for all attendees.

The festival showcased an outstanding lineup of artists, featuring Nightmares On Wax, Skream, Jamie Jones, Groove Armada, and Bellaire, attracting an enthusiastic crowd eager to immerse themselves in the music. From the initial planning phases through to the live event, we engaged in Safety Advisory Group meetings, developed essential documentation, and maintained effective on-site management to guarantee a smooth and successful festival experience for all those involved.

Challenges

One of the key challenges was the unique ‘in the round’ stage setup, which allowed attendees to dance on stage. Fortunately, we had successfully implemented this design for Boiler Room events in the past, which informed our approach.
Staff shortages posed another challenge, but we adapted by sourcing personnel from other areas and adjusting deployment strategies to meet the event’s needs effectively.
Egress at the stations was another critical aspect; with a large crowd wanting to leave simultaneously, we implemented a pulsing strategy, ensuring smooth departures through constant communication with our team.
Additionally, we implemented new resident road closures based on feedback from the previous year, aiming to minimise the event’s impact on local residents.

On-site Health and Safety Management
Licensing
Documentation including ESMP, Risk Assessments
Operations Manager
ELT meeting lead with police, council and contractors
SAG lead
Traffic Management Plan
Egress plan development and oversight
Police SPS Planning and liaison
Community and stakeholder engagement