Health & Safety: Cambridge Folk Festival

Background

OPS have supported Cambridge City Council on several of their previous events (Big Weekend, Mela, Mid-Summer Fair, Christmas Markets and Queen’s Baton Relay). This year, we were delighted to be able to provide Event Safety Services for their iconic Folk Festival.

Cambridge Folk Festival is one of the longest running folk festivals in the world, beginning in 1965. It has been held annually (with the exception of a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic). It attracts a loyal audience of around 14,000 attendees, many of whom return year after year. The festival is renowned for its unique atmosphere and its eclectic mix of music, the best traditional folk artists from the UK and Ireland rub shoulders with cutting edge contemporary acts, the finest American country, blues and roots artists, acclaimed singer songwriters, famous names and world music stars.

Challenges

• Due to the pandemic, the event had not taken place for two years and there were still concerns that audience behaviour may be impacted and that a degree of ‘rustiness’ may be evident throughout the management team and supplier personnel.

• Additionally, the main campsite for the event also sees the only production road running through the middle of it, meaning that vehicle and pedestrian segregation was vital. The secondary campsite is accessed via shuttle bus, meaning that egress needed to be well planned and managed - with a key focus on vehicle/pedestrian segregation.

• OPS provided Health & Safety auditing of all suppliers, a review and update of the event’s Risk Assessments and Management Control Document, as well as providing an on-site Event Safety Advisor for a total of 11 days. We worked closely with the Production and Operations Management teams, feeding into the daily briefings. The Safety Advisor also complied daily Health and Safety reports for the Council team, so they could action any outstanding safety concerns and review the resolutions.

Delivery

• Event Risk Assessment

• Site Rules - Traders

• Site Rules - Suppliers & Contractors

• Supplier Auditing

• Management Control Document

Results

• Sell out show in 2022

• Thousands of attendees safely enjoying the 3 day event