Understanding Queue Science at Festivals
Large-scale festivals are magnificent undertakings, but they often come with one universal challenge: queues. Whether it’s waiting to get through the entry gates, lining up at the bars for a drink, or boarding the shuttle back to the hotel, queues can make or break the attendee experience. Seasoned festival producers treat queue management as a science and an art — one that balances operational efficiency with attendee satisfaction.
Instead of viewing lines as a necessary nuisance, top festival organisers view queues as an integral part of the show. From the moment ticket holders arrive, their experience has begun. A poorly managed line can sour someone’s mood before they even see a stage, while a well-handled queue can build excitement and camaraderie. The goal is not to eliminate lines entirely (which is nearly impossible at large events), but to manage wait times, keep people comfortable and informed, and even entertain them in the process.
In this guide, we’ll explore real-world strategies and practical tips for mastering “queue science” at festival gates, bars, and shuttle areas. We’ll draw on examples from major festivals around the globe — from Coachella to Glastonbury, EDC to Dessert Goals — highlighting both successes and cautionary tales. By the end, you’ll see how lines can be transformed from a pain point into a positive part of the festival experience.
Measure Wait Times and Set Targets
The first rule of queue management is “if you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” Leading festival producers continuously measure wait times at key queues throughout their event. At entry gates, this could mean timing how long it takes the average attendee to get from the end of the line to the front. At bars and food stalls, it might involve tracking how many minutes a customer waits to place an order. And for shuttles or transport, it includes monitoring the time people spend waiting for a ride.
By measuring these wait times, organisers can establish clear targets and hold themselves accountable. For example, a festival might set a public goal that “no one should wait more than 15 minutes to get through the main gate” or “bar queues should be under 10 minutes at peak times.” Publishing these targets (on signage or in the festival app) turns them into a sort of promise to attendees, and it motivates the festival team to respond quickly if waits start creeping longer. When fans see a sign that says “Current wait from this point: ~10 minutes (our target is 15 max)”, it sets expectations and shows that the organisers are actively managing the situation.
Some events even use technology to monitor queues in real time. RFID wristbands or QR codes can log when guests enter a queue and when they are served, feeding data to a command center. Others employ staff with clickers or mobile apps to estimate queue lengths periodically. The key is to have a feedback loop: if a wait time is exceeding the target, it should trigger an operational response (like dispatching more staff). This data-driven approach to queue management is akin to theme parks that display wait times for rides — it not only informs attendees but also signals the crew to adjust as needed.
A great example of proactive wait-time management comes from the Dessert Goals food festival in New York. They implemented timed entry waves to avoid overloading the venue. Only a batch of 300 attendees enters every 90 minutes, ensuring the crowd inside remains manageable (www.bizbash.com) (www.bizbash.com). Attendees are checked in while they wait in line by staff with mobile scanners, effectively doing the processing before the gate (www.bizbash.com). This means when the clock strikes their entry time, the line moves fast and they walk straight in to enjoy the event. By measuring capacity and flow carefully, Dessert Goals could confidently promise shorter lines. As co-founder Miraya Berke explained, they figured out the right ratio of space, vendors, and attendees to minimize wait times (www.bizbash.com). The lesson for large-scale festivals: use data and smart planning to set realistic queue targets, and communicate those goals to your audience.
Keep Lines Moving with Relief Lanes and Smart Staffing
Even with aggressive monitoring, there will be moments when queues swell — a surge of arrivals at gate opening, an unexpected rush to the popular beer tent, or the end-of-show crowd piling up at the shuttles. Smart festival organisers plan ahead for these spikes by setting up “relief lanes” and flexible staffing that can be activated at a moment’s notice.
Think of relief lanes as pressure valves for your queues. For example, if you have three main entry lanes and you see wait times climbing, having a fourth lane ready to open can instantly reduce pressure. This might mean keeping an extra gate and staff on standby, or having a few staffers trained to rove and manage ad-hoc lines. At the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, where entry queues can stretch for hours, founder Michael Eavis and his team have incrementally added more gates and widened access points over the years to improve flow (www.glastoearth.com). They also allow campers to start queueing the night before gates officially open, processing them gradually to prevent a massive single surge.
For bar queues, relief lanes could involve opening an additional pop-up bar during peak hours or sending out mobile drink vendors into the crowd for quick sales. If the beer lines are getting long, imagine dispatching a few staff with backpacks of cold drinks to sell to those waiting — suddenly the line is shorter and customers are happier because some got served without even reaching the bar. Many festivals in Australia and Europe deploy roving beer sellers (like stadium hawkers) when main bars back up, redistributing demand on the fly.
Having cross-trained staff is crucial. Your security personnel, for instance, might primarily be checking bags at the gate, but if the security check is going smoothly while ticket scanning backs up, some of those staff can switch to scanning tickets to open up another lane. Conversely, if one gate is overwhelmed and another has a lull, a supervisor should have the authority to redirect both attendees and staff to balance the load. This dynamic approach was highlighted by event pros like Trish Simitakos, who advises adding more staffers or tables and using mobile check-in tech as needed to smooth out entry lines (www.bizbash.com). The ability to scale your throughput at critical points is a hallmark of successful large-scale festival operations.
Proactive Shuttle Operations
Shuttle lines at the end of a festival day can be especially challenging — everyone leaves at once, and tired attendees just want to get back to their beds. To avoid shuttle queue nightmares, festivals must proactively manage transportation capacity. Insomniac (led by founder Pasquale Rotella), the team behind EDC Las Vegas (USA), learned through experience over the years and introduced several relief measures for shuttle operations. They added more buses on standby during peak egress, created separate queues for different destinations to keep things orderly, and even implemented a “shuttle security pre-check” (raverrafting.com). This meant that attendees boarding the official shuttles underwent security screening before they got on the bus; by the time they arrived at the festival gates, they could enter through a fast-track lane without a second check (raverrafting.com). Not only did this speed up entry, it also prevented a secondary queue from forming at the drop-off point.
Another proactive tactic is staggering departures. Some multi-day festivals encourage people to leave at varied times (through after-parties, silent disco cool-down sessions, or even incentives for those who stay an extra hour) to avoid everyone hitting the shuttles simultaneously. Tomorrowland in Belgium, for example, has late-night plaza areas and food courts that remain open after the main stages end, encouraging a gradual trickle toward the exits rather than a mass exodus. By offering something to do post-show, they prevent one giant queue from forming and instead manage a steady flow to the transport hubs.
Streamlined Entry Gates and Security
Your festival’s front gate is where the excitement peaks — and also where long waits often first strike. Streamlining the entry process pays huge dividends in reducing wait times. Successful large-scale events use a combination of technology, layout design, and policy to get people in quickly.
One key is efficient ticket scanning and security screening. Using a robust ticketing platform (such as Ticket Fairy’s system) can allow for lightning-fast scans and even offline verification to prevent holdups if internet falters. Modern systems can scan dozens of tickets per minute when operated by trained staff, so make sure your crew is well-practiced with the scanners before gates open. Some festivals employ a secondary scan line: staff walk down the queue scanning tickets or wristbands before people reach the turnstiles, very much like Dessert Goals did (www.bizbash.com). This “scan-and-go” approach means by the time attendees get to the gate, they’re already cleared to enter, avoiding that stop-and-go at the front.
Security checks are often the bigger bottleneck than ticket scanning. To expedite bag checks and pat-downs, consider a few strategies:
– Dedicated fast lanes for those without bags (or only small clear bags). Many events have adopted a no-backpack or clear bag policy which speeds up inspection.
– Sufficient staff training and enough checkpoints so each guard isn’t overwhelmed. If budget allows, hire professional event security teams that specialize in large crowd processing.
– Pre-communication about prohibited items to reduce the arguments and repacking at the gate. If people know the rules in advance, the line moves faster. Use email, social media, and signage in the queue to remind attendees what to have ready (IDs, tickets, empty your pockets, etc.).
Case in point: Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival is known not only for the politeness of its attendees but also for the efficiency of its entry. Organisers there set up clearly marked lanes, have attendants guiding people to the next open security checker, and make use of volunteers to answer questions in the queue. The result is a remarkably orderly and swift entry process, even with tens of thousands arriving at once. The cultural norm of orderly queuing helps, but it’s the organisers’ layout and preparation that truly keep things moving.
Taming Bar Queues and Food Lines
For many festival-goers, a drink or a bite to eat is as essential as the music. But long bar queues can frustrate attendees and even impact safety (dehydration is a risk if water lines are too long). To tame bar queues, festival producers employ several tricks:
– Menu Simplification: The faster each transaction, the quicker the line moves. At large festivals like Lollapalooza (USA) and Reading Festival (UK), bars often limit choices to a few popular beers, premixed cocktails, or simple highballs during peak rush times. This way bartenders can pour quickly without handling complex orders. Specialty cocktail bars can be placed in less crowded areas for those seeking variety, while main bars focus on speed.
– Cashless Payments and Prepaid Systems: Handling cash or slow card readers can add precious seconds per guest. Many events worldwide have moved to cashless wristbands or fast contactless payments. This not only speeds up service but also increases spending (attendees tend to buy more when it’s quick and easy). The key is to ensure the tech is reliable; offline-capable point-of-sale devices are a must for field conditions.
– Mobile Ordering: Some innovative festivals are testing mobile ordering apps for concessions. For instance, at Coachella (USA), attendees have been able to order food and drinks via an app and then pick them up at a dedicated window, bypassing the main queue (www.tryperdiem.com). Mobile ordering lets people spend their waiting time enjoying a set instead of standing in line, and they only head to the pickup point when notified. While not every festival audience will adopt this, it’s worth considering for tech-friendly crowds because it can dramatically reduce physical lines (www.tryperdiem.com) (www.tryperdiem.com).
– Queue Design at Bars: Make sure your bar queues are well-defined with barriers or markers. A free-for-all cluster at the bar is inefficient and frustrating. Use snake lines (zig-zag queues) for fairness and to keep things orderly, or assign staff as line managers during busy times to direct people to the next open bartender (much like an Apple store or bank teller system).
– Express Lines: If feasible, have an express line for simple orders (e.g., a line that’s “Beer & Water only”). At events like Oktoberfest in Germany (a massive beer festival), there’s a kind of natural express system: servers carry armfuls of pre-poured beers so patrons get served in seconds. You can emulate this by having a stack of ready-to-go drinks for the quickest orders.
Most importantly, keep an eye on hydration points. Water should be quick and ideally free. Festivals have faced heavy criticism when water access was insufficient or slow. A notable incident occurred at SummerDaze Festival in Malta, where attendees encountered hour-long queues at water refill stations that ran dry (timesofmalta.com). The backlash was severe. To avoid this, offer ample water stations and consider giving out water to those waiting in long lines, especially under a hot sun. Many festivals (including EDC Las Vegas) station staff with free water at shuttle queues or entry lines on scorching days (raverrafting.com). It’s a small gesture that can prevent medical issues and earn goodwill.
Entertain (Gently) Where Lines Are Longest
While the primary goal is to minimize wait times, any large festival will have some queues, and they present an opportunity to engage your audience. The key is to entertain gently – you don’t want to turn the security line into a full-blown rave, but a little diversion can go a long way in keeping people happy.
One clever example came from New York Comic Con 2015 (a convention rather than a music festival, but on a comparable scale for crowd management). The organisers, led by Lance Fensterman of ReedPop, partnered with a sponsor to create a whimsical solution for long lines: the “Progressive Insurance Line Patrol.” These were staff dressed as quirky “Protector-corns” (unicorn mascots) who would literally hold people’s spot in line if they needed a break (www.bizbash.com). Attendees could tweet #LineInsurance and a representative would come stand in for them, letting fans go get food or use the restroom without losing their place (www.bizbash.com). While holding spots, the same line-patrol folks entertained the crowd with impromptu dance-offs and trivia contests (www.bizbash.com). This creative idea turned a boring wait into part of the fun (and earned Progressive some good PR as a sponsor).
At music festivals, the approach can be simpler. Consider hiring roaming performers to stroll along the longest lines. A magician doing quick card tricks, a juggler, or a duo with an acoustic guitar can inject a bit of delight. As one event planner noted, even a small magic act can distract a crowd and provide “total escapism” (www.bizbash.com). The trick is to keep it optional and low-key – not everyone will want to participate, and that’s fine. The entertainment should be there for those who are interested, but easy to ignore for those who just want to get through the line quietly.
Another tactic is to make waiting time interactive in other ways. For instance, setting up selfie walls or art installations along the queue gives people something to do. At some festivals, organisers place fun backdrops or giant murals near queue areas so fans can snap photos while waiting. Dessert Goals placed photo props by the entrance line so guests could take pictures for Instagram (www.bizbash.com), effectively turning waiting into a mini-activity. In the age of social media, a well-placed art piece in a queue can even promote your event (all those queue selfies become free advertising).
Importantly, consider the tone of any entertainment. “Gently” is emphasized because if people are tired or anxious (say, waiting for a shuttle at midnight), a loud or aggressive performance might irritate more than amuse. Match the entertainment to the mood: upbeat but not overbearing for daytime lines, and perhaps something more chill (like a busker playing mellow tunes) for end-of-night queues.
Shade, Hydration, and Comfort in Queues
A queue of 5 minutes can feel like 30 if you’re standing under a blazing sun with no water. Conversely, a 30-minute wait can feel shorter if you’re comfortable and cared for. Environmental comfort is a critical part of queue science.
Shade is non-negotiable for outdoor festival lines in daytime. As one veteran event producer quipped, “Tents really aren’t that expensive… not having the sun beating down on you while you’re in line makes a big difference” (www.bizbash.com). Setting up canopy tents, shade sails, or even temporary structures over long queues can prevent heat exhaustion and keep people in better spirits. At Glastonbury 2019, a particularly hot year in England, the festival provided extra shaded areas when lines for water grew long (www.theguardian.com) (www.theguardian.com). They knew that with temperatures hitting 30°C, shade was a matter of safety. Even if your event is in a cooler climate, consider the weather: rain, wind, or cold all require their own mitigation (hand out ponchos if rain is expected and people must wait outside, or use portable heaters for queues on cold nights).
Hydration is the other side of weather preparedness. Long lines and heat are a dangerous combination if water isn’t readily available. We already touched on making water easily accessible at bars and via roaming staff. It’s wise to have water stations or vendors placed specifically near queue areas. For example, if you know the shuttle line at the end of the night could be a 20-minute wait, station a water refill station or give away sealed water bottles there. It costs very little and can prevent fainting or dehydration cases. Some festivals partner with sponsors for this: e.g., an electrolyte drink brand might set up a sampling booth handing out free drinks to folks in the entry queue — solving a queue problem and marketing at the same time.
Comfort measures can go further: consider providing seating or rest opportunities in very long queues. The Anime Expo convention in Los Angeles once creatively built “shoulders” into their hallway queues, effectively little alcoves where people could sit while waiting (www.bizbash.com). At a festival, this could be as simple as placing some benches or even hay bales along a snaking line. It’s unrealistic to seat everyone, but a few tired souls will deeply appreciate the option. If your venue layout allows, think about queue lines that go through grassy areas rather than concrete, or that at least have space for attendees to stretch their legs.
Also, communication is a form of comfort. When people are in line and unsure how long they’ll be there, anxiety grows. A well-placed volunteer or staff member who can walk the line, inform the crowd about wait times (“folks, it’s about a 10-minute wait from here”) or answer questions (“yes, cold drinks just around the corner once you’re through security”) can really calm nerves. If something goes wrong — say one of the gates is temporarily down — communicate that openly: “We’re opening another lane shortly, thank you for your patience.” Festival-goers are much more patient when they know their inconvenience is being addressed and for how long.
Finally, don’t overlook sanitation needs in queues. Waiting in line for 45 minutes with no toilet access can become its own crisis. Ensure there are some portable toilets near the longest queues (for example, near the shuttle pickup or main entry during peak ingress). Attendees will strategize to avoid losing their spot, but if someone really needs to go, having a nearby toilet is a blessing. Likewise, if it’s an exit queue at night, maybe having a couple of staff with trash bags do a quick sweep collecting empty bottles or trash from people in line helps keep the area clean and shows attentiveness.
Lines Are Part of the Show
The overarching mindset for a festival producer should be this: the festival experience begins the moment your attendee joins a queue. It’s not just what happens on the stages that matters, but every touchpoint in between. The best festivals in the world weave their ethos and vibe into even the seemingly mundane parts of the event.
Queue areas can carry festival branding and ambience. If your festival has a theme or visual identity, reflect it in the queue setup. For instance, Tomorrowland is famed for its immersive fantasy decor — even their entry checkpoints are dressed up like part of the story, so lining up feels like entering a new world. Similarly, Disneyland (while not a music festival, it is the master of queue design) treats lines as part of the attraction, with themed environments and interactive elements. You don’t need a Disney budget to apply this principle: simple flags, banners, or video screen content around queue areas can maintain the mood. If it’s a high-energy EDM festival, have some speakers playing music (at a reasonable volume) near the lines so people waiting are still dancing. If it’s a food festival, perhaps the aroma of a nearby grill or a visual menu to look at keeps folks anticipatory rather than annoyed.
Also remember the attitude of your staff in queues sets the tone. Train your volunteers and staff at gates and other lines to be friendly, upbeat, and helpful. A smile and a quick conversation can defuse tension for someone who’s waited a while. At Burning Man (USA), the volunteers at the gate (the “Greeters”) famously welcome arrivals with cheers, hugs, or the chance to ring a bell for first-timers. They turn a potentially stressful hours-long wait on the desert highway into a cathartic, welcoming ritual. While Burning Man is a unique case, the concept can translate: make the moment someone reaches the front of any line feel rewarding. A small “welcome to the festival!” or handing them a programme leaflet as they finally get in can psychologically bookend the wait with something positive.
On the flip side, learn from failures. When queues go wrong, they go really wrong, and those stories stick. The infamous Fyre Festival in 2017 showed what happens when organization is absent: massive lines (for emergency flights, for food) that led to panic and chaos. Attendees compared it to a survival scenario instead of a luxury event (www.buzzfeednews.com). While Fyre is an extreme, more established events have also faced backlash for poor queue management. In 2025, Coachella’s first weekend saw car campers waiting up to 12 hours in gridlock to enter the grounds (www.freep.com) (www.freep.com) – a PR nightmare for an elite festival. The lesson is that no festival, no matter how famous, can afford to neglect logistics. Organisers must approach queue planning with the same creativity and commitment as booking artists or designing stages.
In summary, queue science is about being attentive, proactive, and attendee-centric. Every festival will have lines, but it’s how you handle them that separates a smooth event from a frustrating one. By measuring and managing wait times, opening relief lanes when needed, adding thoughtful touches to entertain and comfort your guests, and viewing each line as an extension of your festival’s experience, you’ll turn queues into something much more than idle waiting. They’ll become part of the show – a chance to build anticipation, foster community (hey, people often make friends in festival lines), and even reinforce your event’s image as a well-oiled, welcoming place to be.
Key Takeaways
- Continuously monitor wait times at entry gates, bars, shuttles, and other choke points. Use data and staff feedback to keep waits within target limits and adjust operations in real time.
- Set public targets for acceptable wait times (e.g., 15 min max at security, 10 min at bars) and strive to meet or beat them. Communicating these goals shows attendees you prioritise their time.
- Be ready with relief lanes and extra staff whenever lines grow. Design your site and train your team for flexibility – open additional entry lanes, deploy more bartenders or mobile vendors, and redirect crowds as needed to prevent bottlenecks.
- Streamline the entry process with technology and good design. Utilize fast ticket scanning systems (like Ticket Fairy’s) and efficient security checkpoints. Consider measures like timed entry or offsite pre-checks to dilute peak crowds.
- Improve bar and food service speed by simplifying menus, using cashless payments, and even exploring mobile ordering. Clear, well-managed queues at concessions keep people happy (and spending).
- Take care of people in line – provide shade, free water, and nearby toilets. Comfort and safety in queues are just as important as anywhere else on the festival grounds.
- Add light entertainment or engagement in long queues. Use roaming performers, music, photo ops, or fun distractions to make waiting more enjoyable. Keep it low-key and optional, but available.
- Train staff to treat lines as part of the experience. A friendly, informed staffer in a queue can answer questions and keep the mood positive. The way you handle lines reflects on your festival’s overall hospitality.
- Learn from other festivals’ successes and failures. Emulate events known for smooth operations (e.g., the organizational prowess of Tomorrowland or the timed entry system of Dessert Goals) and avoid the missteps that led to backlash (like Fyre Festival’s chaos or any widely publicised queue fiasco).
- Remember that lines are part of the show. Approach queue management with creativity and care, so that even the waiting time adds to the story of your festival rather than detracts from it. When done right, a queue can buzz with excitement instead of impatience.
27th September 2025