Tech Used for Safety and Crowd Management at Festivals

As Glastonbury is set to light up Worthy Farm once again this weekend, as it has done most years since 1970, it’s not just the music that’s making headlines – it’s the sheer scale of the operation. Welcoming over 200,000 attendees, Glastonbury is more than just a festival, it’s a temporary city, complete with its own transport systems, sanitation networks and emergency services.

Thus, behind the scenes, months of planning and coordination go into making sure that everything runs smoothly, and central to that effort is one of the most critical yet often overlooked elements – crowd management.

In an environment where tens of thousands of people are constantly moving between stages, food stalls, campsites and queues, managing the flow of people is essential, not only for the sake of the comfort of festival-goers but, more importantly, for their safety. When done well, crowd control keeps spirits high, bottlenecks low and chaos at bay. But, when it fails, the results can be catastrophic.

While traditional methods still play a role, technology is now at the heart of how large-scale events like Glastonbury operate – not only does it make it more efficient, but these days, it also provides so many ways to improve existing systems. From drones buzzing overhead to track real-time crowd movement, to wearable tech and AI-driven monitoring systems, the festival industry is undergoing a quiet transformation. These tools aren’t just flashy add-ons, they’re becoming essential to keeping attendees safe, informed and in control. Because who wants to pay a fortune to go to a festival that’s supposed to be oozing with fun only to worry about safety and organisation?

As festivals become bigger and more ambitious, the pressure on organisers to maintain order grows too. And with past tragedies fresh in the industry’s memory, the importance of smart, effective crowd management has never been more apparent.

With Glastonbury once again setting the tone for festival season, now’s the perfect time to explore how technology is changing the way we experience and safeguard live events.

 

How Is Modern Tech Becoming the New Backbone of Festival Safety?

 

Gone are the days when walkie-talkies and stewards with clipboards were enough to manage the complexities of a modern music festival. We’ve gone far beyond mere people managing people.

Today, technology is playing an increasingly vital role in keeping events safe, secure and running smoothly. With vast crowds, unpredictable weather and the high energy of live music, festivals are high-risk environments, and real-time visibility is key to managing them effectively.

One of the most impactful tools now being used is drone surveillance. Drones offer a bird’s-eye view of the entire site, allowing organisers to monitor crowd density, spot bottlenecks and respond to developing issues in minutes rather than hours. When paired with AI-powered crowd analytics, these systems can automatically detect unusual movement patterns, congestion hotspots or unsafe behaviours – this can provide security teams with live data to help them make informed decisions quickly and in some cases, prevent problems from arising at all.

RFID wristbands and smart access systems have also revolutionised how people enter and move around festival grounds. Not only do they speed up queues and reduce fraud, but they also provide valuable insights into crowd flow and behaviour. Some festivals are even implementing digital twins – that is, real-time 3D models of the event space that update dynamically based on sensor and camera data, allowing operators to simulate scenarios and adjust plans on the fly.

Unfortunately, the importance of this technology becomes painfully clear when we look at festivals where crowd management has failed. For instance, the Astroworld tragedy in 2021 resulted in multiple fatalities due to overcrowding and delayed emergency intervention. Woodstock ’99 spiralled into chaos partly due to poor infrastructure and inadequate oversight. In both cases, a lack of real-time data and coordination made it impossible to prevent or respond quickly to escalating dangers.

By contrast, today’s digital tools offer a proactive approach. They allow organisers to plan more accurately, adapt in real time and ultimately prevent problems before they arise. For attendees, that means safer experiences, faster access and better communication during critical moments. As festivals continue to grow in size and complexity, integrating smart tech into crowd control isn’t just helpful, it’s becoming absolutely essential.

 

 

RFIC Wristbands

 

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) wristbands have become a festival staple in recent years. At Glastonbury and similar events, these wristbands are used for ticket validation, cashless payments and even access control.

When scanned, they provide organisers with real-time information about where attendees are entering and exiting, helping them to monitor crowd movement across different zones. This data can be used to prevent overcrowding, redirect foot traffic and identify pressure points.

In emergencies, knowing where people are concentrated can help direct medical or security teams more quickly. They also cut down on queuing times and fraud, streamlining entry and improving the overall attendee experience.

 

Facial Recognition

 

Although more controversial due to privacy concerns, facial recognition technology is slowly finding its place in festival safety strategies, especially for access control and security. And these days, it’s used commonly in cell phones and elsewhere too, so it’s not exactly unusual.

Used at select high-profile events, facial recognition can speed up entry by matching faces to registered profiles, reducing the risk of ticket fraud. More importantly, it can be used to flag banned individuals or persons of interest to security teams in real-time. While it’s unlikely to be used broadly at Glastonbury without public consultation, it could play a growing role in back-of-house operations or restricted zones, where managing staff access is just as important as controlling crowds.

 

Surveillance Drones

 

Surveillance drones offer a powerful overhead view of festival grounds, which is particularly useful for sprawling sites like Glastonbury – the festival covers over 1,000 acres and has in excess of 100 different stages and performance areas, so there’s plenty of space to cover!

Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging can monitor crowd density, detect unsafe gatherings, and observe how people are flowing between stages or exits. Unlike fixed CCTV cameras, drones provide mobility and can focus on changing hotspots in real-time. They allow organisers to identify bottlenecks or potential hazards before they escalate, enabling rapid intervention from ground teams. Drones are especially useful at night or in areas with poor visibility, where spotting problems from the ground is more difficult.

 

Crowd Tracking Software

 

Advanced crowd tracking software uses data from cameras, drones, wristbands, and sensors to build a live picture of how people are moving through the event. These systems can detect changes in crowd density, flag erratic movement patterns and even predict crowd surges based on historical behaviour or environmental triggers (like a headline act starting).

For festivals like Glastonbury, this software allows for proactive rather than reactive crowd control. If a stage area is getting dangerously full, teams can be alerted to open alternative routes, adjust signage or communicate with the crowd via screens or mobile alerts.

 

Smart Turnstiles

 

Smart turnstiles use sensors, RFID readers and facial recognition (in some cases) to speed up entry while gathering data. These systems reduce bottlenecks at entrances and exits, ensure only authorised ticket holders get through, and help track attendance in real time. At festivals, they can be used to manage access to different zones – things like VIP areas, backstage or licensed bars.

For safety, knowing how many people are inside a given area is vital for enforcing capacity limits and preparing evacuation plans. Turnstile data can also be combined with crowd tracking to adjust crowd flow strategies on the fly.

 

IoT Sensor Networks

 

IoT (Internet of Things) sensor networks play a behind-the-scenes but critical role in modern crowd management. These sensors can be placed around the site to monitor temperature, air quality, sound levels, crowd density and even ground vibrations. When combined with analytics software, this information helps organisers detect overheating in densely packed crowds, noise thresholds that could signal unrest or dangerous surges in movement.

Some systems also alert staff if temporary structures are under stress or if weather conditions change rapidly. At a massive event like Glastonbury, IoT networks can turn a festival into a responsive, data-driven environment that adapts to conditions in real time.