Wristbands are the cheapest way to show access on a site where thousands of people move around. Colour tells staff what a person may enter without anyone reading a word.
How they are used
- One colour for the audience, printed with the event and the day.
- Another for artist and crew.
- A third for production, suppliers or vendors.
- Sometimes a separate band for stage access or one specific area.
Multi-day festivals issue a single band for the whole event, tightened so it cannot be removed and passed on. Day tickets get a different band per day.
Why they replaced paper tickets
A band survives rain, is checked in a second and cannot be swapped at the fence. Many European festivals now put a chip in it, so the same band is the cashless payment card and the entry scan at each stage.
What to check
A band that is too loose comes off, and it is not replaced for free. Check the colour matches the access you were promised while you are still at the accreditation gate. Arguing at the side of a stage never works.