Crew for festivals, builds and event days
A build team needs different experience from a bar team. Tell people exactly what the job involves: pitching tents, moving kit, putting up fencing, serving customers or helping run a site. Include the hours, physical requirements and any tickets needed.
Post the number of people you need and the skills that matter. If the build and pack-down happen on different days, add both date windows to the same brief.
Festival staffing on CrewPool is direct: no staffing agency sits between you and the crew. Build crew are typically recruited 4-8 weeks before the build starts; on-event crew (bar staff, stewards, catering) 2-4 weeks out. You agree the rate and arrangements yourself - no agency percentage comes off the top.
From brief to conversation
1. Post the details. Add your site postcode, dates, roles, headcount and rate. Confirm your email so invitations can go to matching crew.
2. Review the replies. See who is interested, read their experience and reference information, and check whether their background fits the work.
3. Agree the job directly. Speak to your chosen people and confirm hours, pay, travel, equipment and the meeting point. A reply is the start of that conversation, not a completed booking.
Festival staffing across the UK
CrewPool has registered crew across the UK. Use the venue postcode when you post: distance and each person's stated travel limit matter more than a city name. Cities with active hirer requests:
London - describe the venue access, start and finish times, and the specific build, site or event experience needed. Post your London brief →
Manchester and the North West - covers Parklife, Creamfields, the Warehouse Project and the wider North West circuit. Include the site postcode and whether the work is a build, event day or pack-down. Post your Manchester brief →
Leeds and West Yorkshire - Bramham Park, the O2 Academy and city-centre venues draw crew from across Yorkshire. Build crew for Download and Leeds Festival are typically recruited 3-4 weeks before gates open.
Bristol and the South West - the circuit that supplies Glastonbury, End of the Road and Love Saves the Day. Build and on-event crew active April through October.
Glasgow and Scotland - TRNSMT at Glasgow Green, the OVO Hydro circuit and the Scottish festival calendar. Festival staffing in Scotland peaks June through August.
Belfast and Northern Ireland - Tennent's Vital at Boucher Road, Belsonic and the Ulster circuit. Northern Ireland festival staffing runs May through August.
Coverage does not mean people are free on your dates. Crew need to reply to your job and agree the arrangements with you. Browse profiles before posting to see who is registered near your site.
See the kind of work posted
The jobs board separates current opportunities from past jobs. Past listings are examples of briefs people posted, clearly marked no longer open. “Marked filled” is a listing status, not proof that a shift was worked.
Hiring festival staff: build, bar, stewards and strike
Festival staff on CrewPool cover the whole event cycle: build crew 2–4 weeks before gates, bar and stewarding staff during the event, and strike crew after. Search the list by your site postcode, see who is available for your dates, and contact them direct. Hiring for a city? Try Glasgow or Bristol, or hire bar staff.
What does it cost?
Posting is free. CrewPool is free to use for crew and companies right now. We take no cut of crew wages. You and the worker agree the rate, payment and work arrangements directly.
Common hiring questions
How do I find crew for an event or festival?
Post the roles, number of people, venue postcode, dates and offered rate. Confirm your email to send invitations to matching crew. Review the replies and profiles, then contact the people you want to discuss the work with.
What roles can I post?
You can post for build and pack-down, marquees and tents, staging, general site work, bar staff, catering, stewarding, driving and other listed event roles. Be specific about the experience, equipment and tickets your job requires.
Are the crew confirmed available when I post?
No. Matching uses the information on each profile, including skills, location, travel limits and any unavailable dates. An invitation asks about your particular job. Confirm the dates, hours, rate and arrangements directly before relying on someone for the shift.
How quickly will people reply?
Response times vary with the role, location, dates and rate. CrewPool does not guarantee replies or a filled job. Clear details and realistic notice give people the information they need to decide.
What does CrewPool cost?
Posting a job is free. CrewPool is free to use for crew and companies right now. We take no percentage of worker pay. Agree the rate and payment arrangements directly with the worker.
What do references and past jobs tell me?
A confirmed reference is a company vouch, not a check of identity, tickets or right to work. Skills and tickets are self-declared, so check what your role requires. Past jobs on the board are no longer open, and a Marked filled label does not confirm attendance.
Can I post separate build and pack-down dates?
Yes. The posting form has an optional separate pack-down date window, so you can describe both parts of the job without implying continuous work between them.
What is festival staffing and how does it work on CrewPool?
Festival staffing covers finding and booking crew for all phases of an outdoor event: build crew (recruited 4-8 weeks before gates), on-event crew (bar staff, stewards, catering, site crew) and break/strike crew after close. On CrewPool, festival staffing works on a direct model: post the roles, dates, site postcode and offered rate free, and we text the crew near your site who match your requirements. You see who responds, review their experience and references, then ring the people you want and agree the rate directly. No staffing agency sits between you and the crew.
How far ahead do I need to post to find crew for festivals?
For build and pack-down crew: post 4-8 weeks before the build start date. Experienced festival build crew are often committed to other productions within this window. For on-event crew (bar staff, stewards, catering): 2-4 weeks is typical. The more specific the requirements - qualifications, tickets, specialist equipment - the more lead time you need. For last-minute cover below 7 days, some crew are available but choice narrows significantly.