The many perks of festival volunteering

It can’t be denied that volunteering experience is an essential and worthy addition to anyone’s CV, especially for graduates.

A recent Timebank survey stated that 73% of employers would recruit a candidate who has volunteered, over one without, while a staggering 94% also believe that volunteering can improve your current skill set.

Of all the volunteering opportunities out there, nothing can compare to being a festival volunteer, With most of the 700+ UK festivals filling their staff positions with volunteers, they need your help now more than ever.

Not only do you get to enjoy the festival outside of your working hours, but with such a variety of festival assistance needed, you could be working in a role that could benefit your future career.

Roles can vary from the traditional stewarding, bar work and wristbanding, right down to site decoration, reception work and behind the scenes work as a runner.

When you’re not enjoying the festival, many volunteers also receive free meals during their shift, as well as separate camping and shower facilities. Working hours can vary from three hours a day to two sets of 12 hour shifts, with some roles requiring your help before or after the festival, meaning you can enjoy the full event in it’s entirety.

There is often no need to worry about missing your favourite bands either, as the friendly nature of the teams means that many will often swap shifts, or work something out accordingly.

Another benefit to festival volunteering is that no past experience is needed, as all staff receive full training, which can be seen as a free and introductory insight into how large and small scale events are run. When future employers see volunteer experience on your CV this shows adaptability and a candidate with a strong sense of team spirit.

Wikifestivals is a not for profit organisation that aims to inform young people about how to find permanent or temporary work at festivals.