Music Festival: How To Build A Great Venue That Will Last For Years | Music Think Tank

It’s easy to build a stage. If you want a stage that will still be there for next year’s festival, however, you’ll need to build with a bit more caution. Here are just four tips for constructing a reliable and durable music venue.

Get to Sketching

You’ll need a plan before you can even think about swinging a hammer, and this means drawing up blueprints. It also means accounting for dozens of tiny details. For example, the instruments will be on stage with the musicians, but the sound and lighting equipment needs to go somewhere as well. The crowd will need to be herded and contained around the venue. The bathrooms will need to be easily accessed. The parking lots will need to be within walking distance.

Mind the Weather

Outdoor venues are always at the mercy of the elements, so unless you plan on calling off concerts whenever it storms, you’ll need to plan for rain, snow, ice, mud, wind, and erosion. Do you have good drainage lines when things get wet? Do you have roofs and tarps to keep things from being swept away? Are you prepared for parts of your stage to sag or sink when the soil rises and the wood swells?

Plan for Foot Traffic

This is especially important if you’re anticipating a big crowd. Large groups of people can quickly swell out of control, so you’ll need both physical and mechanical measures to keep them in line. Think about things like automatic gates that only open when prompted by a digital code or key. Think about fences and barriers that will keep people in orderly formations. You might also want to designate official outposts or lines of sight for your security teams.

Construct the Stage

Last but certainly not least, build a high-quality stage that will allow your artists to showcase their talents without fear of accident or injury. This might mean everything from picking good timber to choosing sealants that will prevent water damage. It all depends on the kind of stage that you’re constructing. For example, a permanent foundation can be made out of cement, but a portable one might be better served by clay.

These are just a few tips for planning and building a music venue. Whether you’re hosting operatic concerts or smashing rock festivals, there are a lot of factors that need to be considered before you start handing out flyers for the big day. Use these guidelines to make sure that your event hits all of the high notes.

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