Health and Safety: Cambridge Folk Festival

Written By We Are OPS

Background

OPS have supported Cambridge City Council on a variety of their events over the years, including 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, having launched in 1965. It attracts a loyal audience of around 14,000 attendees, many of whom return year-on-year. The festival is renowned for its unique atmosphere and eclectic mix of music: the best 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

  • The only production road runs through the middle of the main campsite, meaning that vehicle and pedestrian segregation is 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.

  • Following our recommendations, the festival implemented new public walk routes through the festival campsite this year, to keep the roadway clear. These were a big success and significantly reduced the risk of vehicle-pedestrian conflict.

  • This festival also saw a shift in ticket sales, with more day tickets than camping tickets. This meant the pedestrian egress route was more heavily utilised than before. Following OPS’s review and recommendations, the festival implemented a pulse system during egress to relieve pressure on the final exit gates from the park.

Delivery

  • On-site Event Safety Advisor

  • Daily Incident Reporting

  • Event Risk Assessment

  • Site Rules - Traders

  • Site Rules - Suppliers & Contractors

  • Supplier Auditing

  • Management Control Document

Results

  • Thousands of attendees safely enjoying the 4-day event

  • Successful implementation of new vehicle segregation

  • Exceptional feedback from the client, who is keen to continue the longstanding relationship with OPS

We Are OPS
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