Weather Monitoring & Lightning Holds: Defining Measurable Triggers, PA Scripts, and Restart Plans to Keep Your Wine Festival Decisive and Safe

Outdoor wine festivals offer memorable experiences – sipping regional varietals under open skies – but they also expose organisers and attendees to Mother Nature’s whims. A sudden thunderstorm or lightning risk can turn a perfect day into a perilous situation in minutes. Effective weather monitoring and clear lightning hold protocols are essential to protect guests, staff, and the festival’s reputation. Seasoned festival producers around the world stress the importance of predefined weather triggers, scripted public announcements, and solid restart plans to make fast, confident decisions that prioritise safety. This article distills decades of festival production wisdom into actionable guidance on weather preparedness, ensuring your wine festival remains as decisive and safe as it is delightful.

The Importance of Weather Preparedness in Festivals

No matter the festival’s size or theme, weather is a critical factor that can impact everything from guest safety to equipment integrity. History provides sobering reminders of what can go wrong if weather risks are underestimated. In the summer of 2011, a series of severe storms caused stage collapses at major events in the US and Europe, resulting in tragic fatalities (www.avclub.com). These incidents – including the Indiana State Fair collapse and Belgium’s Pukkelpop festival disaster – were wake-up calls that prompted the live event industry to overhaul its weather safety protocols. Outdoor festival producers became far more vigilant about monitoring rain, wind, and especially lightning, realising that hoping the storm misses the site is not a plan (www.festivalinsights.com).

Modern festivals now treat weather as a top-priority “act” that commands constant attention. From boutique vineyard gatherings to massive music-wine crossover events, experienced festival organisers know that being proactive and prepared for bad weather is non-negotiable. The goal is to prevent injuries and damage, avoid panic, and minimise downtime. In practice, this means having a detailed weather action plan that defines when and how to respond as conditions change. As one safety maxim puts it, “When thunder roars, go indoors,” emphasising that lightning is a life-threatening hazard that demands immediate action (www.festivalinsights.com). With climate change contributing to more unpredictable weather globally, festivals in regions from California to India to Australia all need robust contingency plans for storms, heat, and everything in between.

Continuous Weather Monitoring: Tools and Tactics

Successful festival organisers treat weather monitoring as a continuous operation before and during the event. It starts days in advance by checking forecasts and extends to real-time surveillance throughout festival hours. Here are some tools and tactics widely used across festivals:

• Professional Meteorologists or Services: Large festivals often hire meteorologists or subscribe to specialised weather services for pinpoint forecasts. For example, Tennessee’s Bonnaroo and the UK’s Glastonbury have on-site weather experts feeding live data to control centres. These experts use doppler radar, lightning detection networks, and local weather models to give early warnings of approaching storms.
• Weather Apps and Radars: Smaller wine festivals may not afford a dedicated meteorologist, but they can leverage high-quality weather apps (with radar) and lightning tracking tools. Organisers should use reliable sources like the National Weather Service (NOAA) in the US, the Met Office in the UK, or MeteoFrance, depending on locale. Many festivals designate a “weather watcher” on the team to monitor radar loops and alert the group if concerning patterns emerge (momsteaminstitute.org) (momsteaminstitute.org).
• Weather Alert Systems: Consider subscribing to commercial lightning detection alerts or text/email warning systems. These can notify festival leadership the moment lightning is detected within a certain radius or if a severe thunderstorm warning is issued. However, always ensure staff are trained to interpret these alerts properly – technology is a supplement to, not a replacement for, human judgment (momsteaminstitute.org).
• On-Site Indicators: Keep an eye on local conditions. Darkening skies, sudden wind shifts, temperature drops, or that first distant rumble of thunder should all trigger heightened vigilance. Some festivals equip staff with handheld weather meters to measure wind speeds and other data on the spot.

The key is redundancy and vigilance. Don’t rely on a single source; cross-check multiple weather inputs. At a wine festival in the mountains of Spain, for instance, organisers might monitor both local village reports and regional radar due to microclimates. In coastal Australia, a festival might watch for afternoon sea breeze storms on satellite imagery. Regardless of location, maintain situational awareness: assign dedicated personnel at the command centre solely to weather so that brewing trouble gets immediate attention.

Understanding Lightning and Storm Hazards

Lightning is one of the most acute threats to outdoor events. It can strike with little warning and kills thousands of people across the globe each year (www.festivalinsights.com). Importantly, lightning often strikes even when it’s not raining directly overhead – blue-sky strikes can occur up to 10 miles (16 km) from a storm cell. For festival crowds, that means hearing thunder is an immediate warning sign: if you can hear it, lightning is close enough to pose a danger.

For wine festivals, which are frequently held in open landscapes like vineyards, fields, or parks, lightning risk is heightened because there are often few tall structures apart from festival installations. Attendees meandering between tasting tents or lounging on grass are vulnerable in open ground. Moreover, many common shelter options at events – marquees, pop-up tents, picnic umbrellas – do not protect from lightning. Tents without grounding and open-sided structures can actually be dangerous, as lightning can travel through metal framing or poles. The safest refuge is inside a substantial building with wiring and plumbing (which help ground lightning) or a fully enclosed metal vehicle (momsteaminstitute.org). Never assume a tent is safe when lightning is near; part of your plan must steer people to truly safe shelters (for instance, a permanent winery building, a solidly built barn, or attendees’ cars and buses).

High winds and heavy rain are additional hazard factors. Strong winds can topple tents, signage, or even stages if gusts are severe, and heavy rain can create slippery conditions or flooding. While rain itself usually won’t stop a festival unless it’s torrential, wind and lightning are common deal-breakers for outdoor events. A prudent festival producer will be as cautious with wind gusts as with lightning – both can quickly escalate into life-safety situations. Many festivals adopt wind action triggers (e.g. securing or lowering stage scrims at 20–25 mph winds, evacuating large tents at 40+ mph, etc.). In 2019, a gusty thunderstorm at a Midwest wine and music festival led organisers to rapidly evacuate the main tent to prevent a repeat of incidents like the Indiana State Fair tragedy. By understanding these hazards and their potential severity, you can set the right precaution levels in your plan.

Defining Measurable Weather Triggers

A cornerstone of decisive weather management is having measurable triggers that dictate when to take action. During an event, there’s often pressure to “wait and see” or hope the storm skirts by. Clear, predefined triggers remove guesswork and emotion from the equation – if the metric is hit, you act. Here’s how to establish and use such triggers:

• Lightning Distance Triggers: Determine a radius around your festival site (in kilometres or miles) for lightning danger. A common standard is 8–10 miles (?13–16 km). For example, Newport Folk Festival’s team in the USA sets an evacuation radius between about 5 to 7 miles when lightning is detected (www.avclub.com). This means the moment lightning is confirmed within that distance, the festival will pause and begin evacuating people to safety. Your chosen distance might vary based on local guidance (some authorities recommend even up to 10 miles). The key is picking a number and sticking to it. Modern lightning apps or services can usually be configured to send an alert at that set radius.
• Time Triggers (“30/30 Rule”): Adhere to the widely used 30-minute rule for lightning all-clear. This rule says you should wait at least 30 minutes from the last observed lightning flash or thunder before considering the threat passed (momsteaminstitute.org). Each time lightning is seen or thunder heard, the clock resets. Only after a full half-hour with no signs of lightning is it deemed safe to resume. This prevents rushing back out only for the storm to strike again.
• Wind Speed Triggers: Set specific wind speed thresholds that will prompt action. For example, if sustained winds exceed 25–30 mph (40–48 km/h), you might decide to pause performances on large stages and instruct crews to lower any high rigging or secure loose items. If gusts over 40–45 mph (64–72 km/h) are measured or imminent (perhaps via a weather alert), you might evacuate big top tents or even clear the site if structures could become airborne. These numbers should be determined in consultation with your structural engineers, stage providers, or tent vendors, as they often have safety limits for their equipment. The important part is having those numbers decided beforehand.
• Rainfall and Other Factors: Heavy rain might not require evacuation unless flooding or lightning is an issue, but you might still set triggers like “if rainfall exceeds X mm/hour and is causing dangerous conditions, pause the event.” Other triggers could include hail (which can injure people and damage property) or extreme temperature (heatwaves or cold snaps affecting attendee health). Tailor these to your festival’s context – for instance, an ice wine festival in Canada will have temperature/windchill thresholds for outdoor activities, while a summer wine concert in Arizona will have heat index triggers.

Document these trigger points clearly in your Event Safety Plan and share them with all key decision-makers before the festival. Some festivals create a simple “trigger chart” – a reference table or flowchart mapping out each hazard threshold and the corresponding action to take (www.hubinternational.com). This chart might list entries like “Lightning within 8 miles –> initiate hold/evacuation procedure” or “Thunderstorm Warning issued –> delay opening gates”. By reviewing this in pre-event briefings (and even doing a drill), your team will be ready to act without hesitation when conditions reach the predefined point (www.hubinternational.com).

Chain of Command: Deciding Who Pulls the Plug

Decisiveness in bad weather depends on having a clear chain of command for weather-related calls. Everyone on staff should know who has the authority to stop the festival or order an evacuation. Is it the festival director? The safety officer? A committee that includes local authorities? Identify this in advance and avoid ambiguity.

At larger festivals, a weather or emergency management team is often established, including the festival producer, safety managers, and sometimes representatives of police or local emergency services. They might convene in a command centre to monitor and discuss incoming weather data (www.hubinternational.com). However, it’s crucial to determine who has final say to “pull the plug” on the music or to evacuate if needed (www.hubinternational.com). This prevents delays due to debates during critical moments. For example, in some events the rule is: if the on-site meteorologist or safety officer says stop, the stage manager and production teams immediately comply, no second-guessing.

Communication among leadership is key. Use radios or a dedicated communication channel to relay weather info and calls to action. Make sure stage managers, vendor coordinators, and security leaders are all in the loop once a hold or evacuation decision is made, so they can act in unison. A tragic lesson in command confusion occurred during the 2011 Indiana State Fair incident – while one official had determined it was time to evacuate as a storm neared, another staff member announced on the PA that the show would go on, resulting in a deadly delay (www.hubinternational.com). This underscores that once a decision is made, it must be communicated consistently and followed by all departments. One voice, one message.

For a wine festival, the chain of command might include roles like the festival director, the site operations manager, and local police or fire liaison if applicable. Even at a small community wine fair, decide in advance who’s watching the sky and who gives the call to pause tastings or shut down the music stage. When everyone knows who’s in charge of weather decisions, the festival can react faster and more decisively.

Communicating Weather Holds to Attendees

When bad weather forces you to pause or evacuate, how you communicate with attendees makes all the difference. Panicked, confused crowds can turn a weather hold into a secondary disaster. That’s why savvy festival organisers prepare clear, reassuring PA scripts and communication plans for weather emergencies:

1. Pre-Script Your PA Announcements: Craft the exact wording for emergency announcements beforehand. In the heat of the moment, having a script ensures you convey the right information calmly and completely. The script should address what is happening, what attendees should do, and assurances if possible. For example, a lightning hold announcement could be: “Ladies and gentlemen, may we have your attention. Due to nearby lightning, we are temporarily suspending the festival for your safety. Please calmly proceed to the designated shelter areas or your vehicles immediately. Festival staff will guide you. This is a temporary hold – the program will resume once it is safe. Thank you for your cooperation.” Adapt the language to your festival’s tone, but always keep it clear and instructive. Avoid jargon or causing alarm; the goal is to motivate immediate but orderly action.

2. Use Multiple Channels: Don’t rely solely on the stage PA system. Modern festivals use multiple communication channels:
– Audio: PA speakers, stage microphones (ensure all stages halt entertainment so safety announcements can be heard clearly).
– Visual: If you have large screens or digital signage, flash emergency messages there. In a night event, flashing lights (not strobe) can signal attention for an announcement.
– Mobile/Text/App Notifications: Many festivals now push out alerts via their mobile app or SMS system. If your ticketing platform (such as Ticket Fairy) supports direct messaging to attendees, have a template ready to blast a text like “Weather Alert: Lightning in area. Event on hold. Seek shelter now and stay tuned for updates.” This reaches people who might not hear the PA (for example, those in restrooms, parking lots, or far from speakers).
– Social Media: Quickly post updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and any official channels: “We have a weather delay due to storms in the area. Please take shelter in a vehicle or inside our designated safe zones. Updates to follow – safety first!” Attendees often check their phones for info, and media or community members will spread the word, so make sure your messaging is out there.

3. Train Your Staff and Volunteers: All staff (servers, booth vendors, security, volunteers) should be briefed on what the PA announcements will sound like and what they should do when one occurs. They essentially become on-the-ground ambassadors to guide guests. For example, if you have winery staff pouring tastings in tents, instruct them that if they hear the lightning hold announcement, they should urge people to move to shelter (instead of continuing to pour wine). Staff can help repeat instructions to guests nearby and assist those who might need extra help moving quickly. High-visibility vests for key staff can be useful so attendees know who to ask for guidance.

4. Stay Calm and Reassuring: The tone of announcements should be authoritative but calm. Use a clear voice (consider having a designated person with a strong, clear voice to read scripts). People take cues from the messenger – if you sound panicked, the crowd will panic. If you sound confident and in control, they are more likely to follow directions. Emphasise that their safety is your top priority and that the interruption is temporary. In many cases, attendees appreciate decisive action; they want to know someone competent is looking out for them. After the hold, you can even thank the crowd for their cooperation and patience over the PA, reinforcing a sense of community and care.

Executing a Lightning Hold: Step by Step

Let’s walk through what a typical lightning hold procedure might look like at a wine festival, incorporating the elements we’ve discussed:

1. Detection & Decision: Your weather monitor (or service) alerts that lightning has been detected within your trigger radius – say 8 miles away and closing in. The command team confers, confirms the data, and the festival director makes the call to initiate a hold/evacuation without delay.
2. Stop the Entertainment: Immediately signal all stages to stop performances or presentations. This can be done via radio to stage managers: “All stages, we have a Red Weather Hold, stop now.” Lights can be brought up on stages if in evening, and any music should cease to allow announcements.
3. Announce to Attendees: Deliver the pre-scripted PA announcement across the venue, informing everyone of the lightning hold and instructing them where to go. Repeat the message a few times, possibly in multiple languages if your crowd is international (for instance, an English and Spanish announcement if you have a diverse audience).
4. Guide People to Safety: Security and staff fan out to guide attendees to the predetermined safe areas. If you’re lucky to have a permanent indoor space (like a convention centre hall next to an outdoor tasting area, or a large winery building), direct people there in an orderly fashion. If not, encourage folks to go to their cars or buses (a fully enclosed metal vehicle is quite safe in lightning (momsteaminstitute.org)). For those who don’t have vehicles or arrived by public transport, identify other options – even small structures like concrete washroom buildings can shelter some people if they have to wait out the storm.
5. Secure Equipment & Infrastructure: While attendees are moving, your crew should be executing their own storm plan – powering down sound equipment (to protect from power surges), securing loose gear that could blow, lowering lighting trusses if high winds are imminent, and covering anything that shouldn’t get wet. Ensure all fuel-powered generators are tended to (heavy rain can sometimes dampen or flood equipment – a safety check on power is wise before restarting).
6. Monitor and Wait: Once the site is cleared or everyone is in safe zones, the command team monitors the weather. Keep constant tabs on lightning strikes and radar. You’re looking for that all-clear window (e.g. 30 minutes with no new strikes). Use this time to also check in with emergency services if they are on standby, and update your team via radio on any changes (“Storm overhead now, heavy rain coming, stay under cover” etc.).
7. All-Clear & Site Check: When the storm has passed sufficiently and your criteria are met (e.g. lightning has moved out and 30 minutes have elapsed since last thunder), communicate an “All Clear” to staff. First, do a quick assessment: are any areas flooded or unsafe? Any damage from wind or lightning (like a downed tree or tent)? Have medical or security reported any issues? Address any immediate hazards if found.
8. Attendee Communication to Resume: Once you’re confident it’s safe, make an announcement (and push notifications) that the hold is lifted. For example: “Thank you for your patience – the severe weather has passed and we have been given the all-clear to continue the festival. Please make your way back to the festival grounds. Entertainment will resume shortly.” This message lets people know it’s genuinely okay to return. Some festivals may also send staff around to physically inform people in shelters or parking lots that it’s safe now.
9. Resume the Schedule (Adjust as Needed): Restarting a festival after a weather hold requires flexibility. You may be behind schedule, so decide how to adjust. Communicate with your entertainers/vendors: perhaps you shorten each remaining music set, or if it’s a wine tasting schedule, you extend the closing time by an hour (if local regulations allow) to make up for lost time. Work with what’s feasible. The priority is to get back on track safely without rushing. Ensure technical crews power systems back up methodically to avoid electrical issues after a wet pause.
10. Debrief and Learn: After the festival, conduct a brief review of how the weather hold went. What went well? Did everyone get the message and move in time? Were there bottlenecks at any shelter areas? Use this to improve future plans. Also, don’t forget to acknowledge your team and attendees for handling it well – perhaps a social media shoutout praising the community for cooperating during the storm hold.

Throughout this process, remember that safety is the only priority higher than the show itself. It can be very hard for a festival organiser to halt an event – after months of planning and excitement, no one wants to be the one to yell “stop”. But having measurable triggers and a practiced plan makes it easier to execute that decision with confidence, knowing it’s the right call. As many veteran producers say after pulling off a smooth evacuation or hold: “We can always replace equipment or restart the music, but we can’t replace a life.”

Engaging the Community and Stakeholders

Effective weather preparedness isn’t done in isolation. The best festival organisers engage with local community resources and stakeholders as part of their plan:
– Local Emergency Services: Coordinate with local police, fire, and medical services about your weather action plan. Provide them copies of your evacuation routes and shelter areas. In some regions, authorities may even have mandated evacuation triggers (for example, a county might stipulate that any event must stop if lightning is within 8 km). Work together so that if you have to hold or evacuate, the police and medics on-site are ready to assist and not caught off guard.
– Community Buildings: If your wine festival is in a town or near facilities like schools, libraries, or community centres, arrange in advance if those can serve as emergency shelters if needed. A great example comes from a wine and jazz festival in France that arranged with a nearby town hall to open its doors to festival-goers during a sudden hailstorm – local volunteers welcomed attendees inside, turning a scary moment into a heartwarming display of hospitality. Such community support can be invaluable (and it gives locals a sense of being part of the festival’s safety net).
– Vendors and Sponsors: Inform your wine vendors, food trucks, and sponsors about the weather plan. Let them know how they should secure their booths and products, and what the procedure is if a hold is called. For instance, wineries showcasing expensive bottles will appreciate a heads-up to cap and stow their open wines quickly before a storm hits. If sponsors have activation tents or fragile displays, include those in the wind/rain securing plan.
– Ticketing and Refund Policies: Be transparent with your audience about the festival’s weather policy before they arrive. On your website, tickets, or promotional material, mention that the event is rain or shine but will pause for dangerous weather. Clarify refund or re-entry rules if applicable (most festivals state no refunds for weather delays if the event resumes). Using your ticketing platform, like Ticket Fairy, you might send a pre-event email outlining the basics of the weather plan (e.g. “In case of severe weather, listen for announcements and follow staff guidance to shelter; we’ll communicate updates via social media and email.”). Setting expectations early helps attendees cooperate if the time comes.

Building these relationships and communications in advance fosters trust. It shows that the festival takes attendee safety seriously, which bolsters your reputation. Many festivalgoers will remember how an event handles a crisis more than how good the wine tasting was. If you impress them with swift, caring action in a thunderstorm, they’re more likely to return next year (and tell that story of “remember when they safely got us through that crazy storm”).

Special Considerations for Wine Festivals

While all outdoor events share core principles of weather safety, wine festivals have some unique factors to consider:
– Older or Diverse Audience: Wine festivals often attract a broader age range, including older adults who may not move as quickly or may be less familiar with festival protocols than a younger concert crowd. Plan to assist those with mobility issues to reach shelter (perhaps with golf carts or shuttles ready if needed). Ensure your messaging is accessible – use clear signage and consider having staff who can translate or explain to anyone confused, especially at events with international tourists.
– Less Centralised Gatherings: Unlike a music festival where most people face a main stage, wine festival attendees might be spread across tasting pavilions, workshops, and picnic areas. This means communication and coordination must cover the whole site. Use multiple PA announcement points or roving ambassadors with megaphones if necessary to reach remote corners. The diffuse nature also means evacuation might not be a single orderly march; people will leave from various exits. Ensure all exit paths are clear and have lighting for visibility if weather darkens the skies.
– Delicate Products and Equipment: Wine and food vendors have products that can be ruined by weather (imagine a downpour diluting open wine bottles or a sudden temperature drop harming a food stall’s setup). Provide guidance for vendors on protecting their goods – e.g., have plastic covers or lids for every pouring station, and backup ice or cooling for when power is shut off. Encourage them to secure anything that could tip or blow away. This not only helps them salvage their product in a storm hold, but also prevents debris or hazards.
– Beautiful Venues with Challenges: Many wine festivals take place in scenic locations – vineyards, historic estates, waterfront parks – which can pose logistical challenges in emergencies. A vineyard might only have a small tasting room building, not enough for a large crowd shelter. Recognise these constraints in your planning. You may need to get creative, such as using buses or shuttles on standby as shelter, or splitting the crowd to multiple smaller safe zones (some to a cave cellar, others to an outbuilding, etc.). Also, vineyards can be more prone to muddy conditions if heavy rain, so consider ground protection in high-traffic areas (so evacuation routes don’t become slippery mudslides).
– Alcohol Factor: As with any festival serving alcohol, some attendees may be inebriated when a crisis hits. This is worth mentioning because wine tastings, while generally more low-key than beer chugging at a music fest, can still lead to impairment. Ensure security and medical staff are alert during evacuations for anyone who might be disoriented or non-compliant due to intoxication. Having a firm, friendly approach (“Let’s get you to safety, folks!”) helps manage this. Also, remind vendors to pause alcohol service during a severe weather hold – focus is on safety until the all-clear.

By tailoring your weather plan to the nuances of wine-focused events, you cover those extra bases and ensure the refined atmosphere of a wine festival doesn’t become a vulnerability in a storm. The aim is to safeguard both people and the pleasant experience, come rain or shine.

After the Storm: Resuming and Recovering

When the weather threat passes and it’s time to resume festivities, a festival organiser’s job isn’t over – the post-hold phase is just as important to get right. How you handle the return to normal can either salvage the event’s success or compound the disruption. Here are some post-storm tips:

• Thorough Site Inspection: Before giving the go-ahead to restart, have your operations team do a sweep of the grounds. Check stages for puddles or electrical hazards, ensure no structural damage occurred (for instance, inspect that stage roofs, lights, or speakers are all still securely rigged after high winds). Examine vendor areas for any fallen objects or damage. If any area is not safe (e.g. a tree branch fell in a walkway or a tent is partially down), cordon it off and keep people away until fixed.
• Adjusted Scheduling: Communicate any schedule changes clearly to attendees once they return. Perhaps put up a revised schedule at info points or push it via the festival app. If the lightning hold lasted an hour, you might announce, “We’ll be resuming with XYZ Band at 4:30 pm, and extending the final tasting session by 30 minutes to 7:30 pm.” Most people will be understanding if you keep them informed. If certain acts or sessions had to be canceled outright due to time lost, acknowledge it and, if possible, offer an alternative (maybe the canceled chef demo will be streamed online later, or a musician does a shortened acoustic set).
• Mood and Momentum: It’s normal for a weather incident to leave a crowd a bit shaken or subdued. As you restart, consider injecting some positive energy. Have your MC or festival host say a few uplifting words: “Thank you all for hanging in there! We’re thrilled to see you safe and back with us. Mother Nature gave us a challenge, but now let’s enjoy the rest of this beautiful day together!” Maybe play an upbeat song over the PA as people re-enter to lighten the atmosphere. The goal is to quickly rebuild the festival spirit and assure people it’s okay to have fun again.
• Staff Debrief and Rotation: Recognise that your staff and volunteers just went through an intense situation too. Check in with them, even briefly. Provide drinking water, a few minutes to breathe, and if anyone is too stressed, have backups take over their position for a while. A weather hold can be physically and emotionally draining for the crew managing it. A little compassion for your team goes a long way – they’ll perform better for the rest of the event if they feel supported.
• Document for the Future: After the event is over, incorporate what happened into your planning documents. Update your weather plan if you noticed any shortcomings. Perhaps the lightning radius could be extended, or maybe you realized more exit signs were needed. Capture these lessons while fresh. Also, consider sending a follow-up survey or message to attendees thanking them for their cooperation and maybe asking for feedback on how the communications felt from their end. It shows you care about their experience, even the emergency part of it.

Key Takeaways

• Monitor Constantly: Always keep an eye on the weather using reliable tools and designated staff. Don’t let clear skies lull you into complacency – conditions can change fast.
• Set Clear Triggers: Define specific, measurable thresholds (lightning distance, wind speed, etc.) that will prompt holds or evacuations. This removes guesswork and ensures timely action.
• Safety First, Always: Never hesitate to pause or stop the event if needed. It’s better to delay a schedule than to risk attendee safety. As the saying goes, “You can restart a festival, but you can’t reverse a tragedy.”
• Effective Communication: Prepare PA scripts and use multiple channels (audio, visual, mobile, social media) to immediately inform everyone on-site what to do. Clear, calm instructions save lives in a crisis.
• Solid Chain of Command: Establish who makes weather decisions and ensure all staff follow that unified direction. Mixed messages can create chaos – one team, one plan.
• Shelter and Evacuation Plans: Identify safe shelter locations (buildings, vehicles) and have a strategy to guide the crowd there quickly. Never assume a tent or stage cover alone is sufficient protection.
• Practice and Brief: Rehearse the weather emergency plan with your team beforehand. Make sure vendors, crew, and volunteers know their roles when a hold is called.
• Resume Smartly: After a hold, inspect everything. Communicate new schedules or changes clearly. Ease attendees back into the event with positivity while ensuring all is safe.
• Learn and Improve: Treat each weather encounter as a learning opportunity. Gather feedback, tweak your plans, and share knowledge with the wider festival community.
• Community & Support: Work with local authorities and the community for resources and support. Weather safety is a team effort beyond just the festival staff.

By embracing these practices, festival producers can protect their attendees and staff while preserving the magic of the event. Rain or shine, heatwave or lightning storm, a well-prepared wine festival will navigate the challenges with professionalism and care. In doing so, you not only ensure everyone stays safe – you also earn the trust and respect of the public, turning a potentially bad situation into a story of effective leadership and community spirit. With diligent weather monitoring and decisive action plans, your festival’s legacy will include not just great wine and entertainment, but also exemplary safety and reliability.