Music festivals have the capability to draw in huge crowds, young and old, and are a central component of the music industry and our lives in general. More often than not, music festivals are vast successes where everyone gets to blissfully enjoy their favourite artists. However, whether it be because of unpredictable weather or inadequate organisation of amenities such as portable toilet hire, music festivals have the capability to turn into full-fledged disasters. Read on to learn more about the most disastrous festival moments, how they happened, and how these catastrophes could have been avoided.
Glastonbury, 2005
Taking place in the usually benign month of June, Glastonbury Festival was going very well in 2005, until, in the early hours of Friday, a month’s worth of water fell in only a few hours. This flooded campsites, cause tents to wash down the hills, and one stage was even struck by lightning. Flooding was up to 6 feet in some locations, and in a rather grim turn of events, many people became seriously ill from the muddy water mixing in with the contents of the inadequately installed portable toilets.
Woodstock, 1999
In theory, Woodstock ‘99 was designed to be a reinvigoration of the 1969 festival of the same name, which famously symbolised the pacifistic anti-Vietnam spirit of America’s youth in the 1960s. However, the festival planners underestimated the attendance figures, with a lack of water and portable toilets, or even effective anti-vandal offices and cabins for the staff.
In a coldly ironic turn of events, the organizers severely lacked the resources to control large, intoxicated, and ultimately violent crowds, making Woodstock ‘99 a place not of peace and love, but hatred and inhumanity. This has been tragically depicted in recent popular documentaries on the subject.
Fyre Festival, 2017
Planned as a luxury festival to be populated by social media influencers, Fyre Festival was hotly anticipated, with many punters paying upwards of $1,000 for a ticket. However, the festival was essentially a scam run by the now-imprisoned Billy McFarland. Contrary to the organizers’ promises, there were no “‘luxury villas”, or even basic tents installed, with only primitive food and a lack of portable toilets available.
With The Bahamas being hit by stormy weather, Fyre Festival symbolized a cynical cash grab from our social media-driven culture, one which prioritises vacuous material aspiration rather than any larger cultural movement.
Manchester Cabins Ltd
The lifeblood of music festivals is put down to their organisation, and it is essential that portable toilet hire, service toilets, and anti-vandal offices are installed properly to ensure the safety of both the organizers and the attendees. If you’re organizing a music festival or any sort of event that requires portable cabins, portable toilet hire, or anti-vandal offices, contact Manchester Cabins today, at 0161 684 3333 or info@manchestercabins.co.uk.
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