Event Security Jobs: Festivals, Stadiums And Concerts

Event security is hard work in bad weather for long hours. It is also one of the best ways to learn crowd behaviour, radio discipline and teamwork quickly. A summer of festivals teaches more than a year on a quiet static post.

What the work involves

• Searching at entry points and managing queues.
• Pit work in front of stages, pulling crowd-surfers and spotting people in distress.
• Patrolling campsites, response teams and welfare support.
• Backstage and artist areas, where discretion matters more than size.

Licences and requirements

Most event roles in the UK need an SIA Door Supervision licence. Stewarding roles that do not involve licensable activity are available without one and are a common way to try the industry first. Many event companies also value a spectator safety qualification for crowd management work.

Getting onto the good crews

Event companies remember the people who turn up on time, stay until the end and do not disappear when it rains. Do a season properly and the better jobs — stage, artist and VIP areas — tend to follow. Supervisors are usually promoted from within.

If you have protection or military experience and want artist or VIP work rather than general crowd roles, set that out in your profile so it is clear from the start.