What Festaff does

Festaff Limited is a UK-based private limited company operating a festival volunteer staffing platform that connects music fans with volunteer opportunities at major UK music events. The company runs a web-based volunteer management platform (festaff.co.uk) where users register, create profiles, browse festivals, and submit applications with integrated payment processing. On-site operations rely on ticket scanning and wristbanding equipment at festival gates, alongside an on-site shift allocation system (A, B, C shifts) designed to ensure fair distribution of work among arriving volunteers.

The business model centers on charging volunteers a small non-refundable admin fee (£10 for day events, £15 for camping festivals) plus a refundable deposit (£20 for standard camping festivals) that is returned upon successful completion of duties. Festaff generates the bulk of its economic value through B2B contracts with over 30 UK music festivals—including Glastonbury, BST Hyde Park, Creamfields, Isle of Wight Festival, Boomtown, Kendal Calling, Bloodstock, and CarFest—providing stewarding, gate, bar, and information-point staffing. A secondary paid exception staffing line has been introduced for charity and corporate events (e.g., £180 per role for Halloween 4D event).

Festaff was founded circa 2008 by Sandy Reid and incorporated as a private limited company in England in 2012. The company is headquartered in Carlisle, UK, employs 11-50 people, and has welcomed approximately 16,000 volunteers into its program since inception. The volunteer base is approximately 60% students, with strong repeat participation driven by the #FestFam community culture and word-of-mouth referrals. Festaff also maintains a minor charitable partnership with Education for the Children (EFTC) supporting Guatemalan education.

Name

Festaff

Legal name

Festaff Limited

Website

https://festaff.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Festaff is a UK-based festival volunteer staffing platform connecting music fans with stewarding and gate roles at 30+ major UK music festivals including Glastonbury, BST Hyde Park, and Creamfields, generating revenue via small volunteer admin fees and B2B festival contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Festival Volunteer Staffing Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB)

Keywords

• Festival volunteer staffing
• Event staff services
• Music festival stewarding
• Volunteer management platform
• Live event operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlisle

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Volunteer Admin Fees: Festaff charges volunteers a small admin fee to apply for festival positions. Camping festivals: £15 admin fee + £20 refundable deposit. Day events (BST Hyde Park, APE, LIDO, Roundhay): £10 admin fee. Glastonbury and Boomtown have different deposit structures. The deposit is returned upon successful completion of volunteer duties.
2. Charitable Event Staffing: For special events like Sleep in the Park or 4D Christmas Movies, Festaff provides paid staffing roles. These are exception roles where volunteers receive wages (e.g., £180 for Halloween 4D event) rather than the standard volunteer model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Festaff operates a web-based volunteer placement platform that recruits individuals to staff UK music festivals in exchange for festival access. Volunteers create online profiles, select festivals, pay a small admin fee plus refundable deposit, and are placed in roles such as gate steward/wristbanding, stewarding, bar staff, or information point positions. The company also provides paid staffing for special charitable events.

Product overview

Festaff is a UK-based volunteer staffing platform that connects music fans with volunteer opportunities at major UK festivals. The core product is a web-based volunteer placement platform where users create profiles, browse festivals, and apply for volunteer roles. Festaff offers several distinct volunteer role types including Gate Steward/Wristbanding, Stewarding, Bar Staff, and Information Point Steward positions. The service partners with over 30 UK music festivals including Glastonbury, BST Hyde Park, Creamfields, and others. A companion community platform facilitates communication among volunteers. The company has been operating since 2012 and has facilitated volunteer placements for approximately 16,000 people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Festaff Volunteer Placement Platform Web-based platform that recruits individuals and places them as volunteer stewards at UK music festivals. Volunteers register online, create profiles, browse available festivals, submit applications, and pay admin fees plus refundable deposits. Roles include gate steward/wristbanding, stewarding, bar staff, and information point positions, with on-site supervisors managing shifts (typically 2 x 8-hour shifts) and fair A/B/C shift allocation at festivals such as Glastonbury, BST Hyde Park, Creamfields, Isle of Wight, Kendal Calling, CarFest, Bloodstock, Boomtown, Download, and All Points East.
• Paid Event Staffing (Charitable and Special Events) Paid professional staffing service provided for special charitable and corporate events such as Sleep in the Park and 4D Christmas Movies, where Festaff deploys paid staff (e.g., £180 per role for the Halloween 4D event) rather than the standard volunteer model. Intended for event organizers who require compensated on-site staff for short-duration or one-off events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save approximately £150 per festival compared to purchasing a full-price ticket
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Education for the Children (EFTC)minorOthersFestaff supports Education for the Children Foundation, a charity helping children in Guatemala escape poverty through education. Festaff raised £430 through volunteer donations in 2025, which the company matched to reach £1,000. The company sponsors several children including twins Keyly and Ilse, and has contributed to building a school (Escuela Proyecto La Esperanza). This is a charitable/philanthropic partnership focused on social impact rather than business development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Showsec: UK's largest specialist event crowd-management and stewarding company, providing SIA-licensed stewards, security, and event staff to festivals, concerts, and sporting events. Direct comparable to Festaff in supplying labour to UK music festivals, with a paid (rather than volunteer) staffing model.
• Gallowglass Health & Safety: UK event-staffing firm providing stewards, security, and crew to festivals, corporate events, and live shows. Direct peer to Festaff in providing event labour on-site at UK festivals, though Gallowglass is paid-staffing rather than volunteer-based.
• AP Security: UK festival and event security and stewarding provider working with major events including Reading, Leeds, Download, and Isle of Wight. Competes with Festaff for festival organiser contracts, though operates a paid SIA-staffed model.

Regional players

• MCD Productions: Ireland's largest event promoter and festival operator (e.g., Electric Picnic), with adjacent UK event activity. Comparable to Festaff as a festival-industry operator, though primarily promoter-side and Ireland-based rather than UK volunteer staffing.

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation UK: Global live-entertainment giant with major UK festival ownership and operations (e.g., Download, Creamfields, BST Hyde Park). Overlaps with Festaff as a buyer of festival stewarding and as a controlling counterparty on several of Festaff's key client relationships.
• Festival Republic: Major UK festival promoter (Reading, Leeds, Latitude, Wireless) that organises and operates festivals and often manages its own stewarding and volunteer workforce. Comparable to Festaff as a festival-industry participant that controls a significant share of UK festival demand.
• AEG Presents UK: Live-entertainment promoter and venue operator that owns and runs multiple UK festivals and venues. A buyer of festival staffing and a potential counterparty risk for Festaff, as AEG's owned festivals may run their own volunteer/staffing programmes.

Others

• The Access Group (event software): UK-based software provider serving events and hospitality industries with registration, workforce, and CRM tools. Adjacent to Festaff as an enabling technology provider in the events ecosystem, with overlapping volunteer/workforce management categories.

Emerging players

• Smyle Group: UK-based creative event management agency producing corporate events, conferences, and brand experiences. Comparable to Festaff in the broader UK event services space, though focused on corporate/brand events rather than music-festival volunteer staffing.
• SLS (Specialist Labour Solutions): UK event and venue staffing provider supplying stewards, crew, and hospitality staff to festivals and live events. Comparable to Festaff as a UK festival staffing supplier, though operating a paid-staffing model at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Festaff
• Facebookfacebook.com/FestaffVolunteerStaff
• Instagraminstagram.com/festaff
• TikToktiktok.com/@festaffvolunteering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Festaff