The Science of… Festivals

What brings the magic of the music festival to life?

Summer in the UK means one thing: festival season! From three days of Drake at Wireless Festival (we’re still not over it) to Glastonbury's legendary Pyramid Stage, or your local community's outdoor music event, ther

e's nothing quite like the buzz of live music under the open sky. But have you ever stopped to think about the incredible science and engineering that makes these massive spectacles possible?

The Sound

Possibly the most important element for a music festival is of, course, the sound.

Indoors, sound waves bounce off walls, ceilings, and floors, creating echoes and reverberation that can be controlled to enhance the music. Outdoors, sound just… dissipates.

This is a massive challenge for audio engineers. To get that crisp, powerful sound to every corner of a huge field, they use sophisticated "line array" speaker systems. Instead of just a few big speakers, line arrays use many smaller speakers precisely angled and stacked. This design allows sound waves to travel further with less loss of energy, creating a more uniform sound field for the entire audience. They also carefully consider factors like wind direction and temperature, which can affect how sound travels.

The Stage

Another ingredient for an epic festival is having incredible stages and set designs, which make sure the show goes on - safely. This is a big job if you imagine the sheer scale of some festival stages – huge structures supporting tons of lighting, massive screens, and powerful speakers, not to mention live bands!

Structural engineers are the unsung heroes here. They use the scientific principles of force, load distribution, and materials science to ensure that stages can withstand everything from gale-force winds and torrential rain (British summer, are we right?) to the vibrations of a mosh pit. They calculate everything from the strength of the scaffolding to the stability of the entire structure, often using advanced computer modelling.

The Spectacles

Now we can’t forget to mention the special effects to finish – who doesn’t love the fiery bursts and dazzling flashes in a pyro display at the end of a set?

‘Pyro’ or Pyrotechnics is the chemistry behind those magic moments. It involves controlled chemical reactions that produce heat, light, sound, and smoke. Different metal salts are used to create specific colours: strontium for red, barium for green, copper for blue, and sodium for yellow. The rapid expansion of gases created by the burning chemicals is what produces a "bang."

And Pyrotechnicians are the specialists behind this. They are highly trained chemical engineering professionals who understand the precise timing, quantities, and safety distances required to create these breath-taking effects without harm.

So next time you're grooving at an outdoor gig, take a moment to appreciate the incredible science and engineering working tirelessly behind the scenes.

What's the most impressive set or stage you've ever experienced at a festival? Share your thoughts with us! @LitLabLondon

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Sources:

Boxer, A. and Bennett, H. (2019). Fireworks: the art and science. RSC Education. Available at: https://edu.rsc.org/feature/fireworks-the-art-and-science/3010867.article .

Institution of Structural Engineers. (n.d.). Structures at Events. Retrieved from https://www.istructe.org/

‌McCarthy, B. (2007) Sound Systems: Design and Optimization. Oxford, UK, Focal Press.

Russell, M.S. (2007). The Chemistry of Fireworks. Royal Society of Chemistry.

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