The Gone Wild Festival, held over a long weekend in August at the stunning Holkham Hall in Norfolk, brought together adventure, music, and family-friendly entertainment. With a lineup of exciting artists, interactive experiences, and thrilling outdoor challenges, the festival westwood camp attracted thousands of attendees seeking a unique blend of high-energy outdoor activities and live performances from artists such as Sam Ryder, Example, and McFly.
This year’s event saw a capacity of 8,000 people, catering to both families and thrill-seekers alike. The festival featured everything from climbing walls and obstacle courses to survival workshops and paddleboarding on Holkham’s scenic waterways. It was an adventure experience like no other, combining the best of live music and outdoor challenges.
For the duration of the live event phase our security teams were in full force across various areas, providing a comprehensive package of services to safeguard the site and attendees.
Our team consisted of:
Head of Security
Security Manager
Security Supervisors
SIA & Steward Provision
Patrol Teams
Static Guards
Fire Exit Coverage
Crowd Management and Egress Teams
Access Control
We also played a key role in managing entry and exit points, ensuring efficient crowd flow and rapid response to any incidents.
Our Main Challenges:
Managing Ingress and Egress
The festival’s location presented unique logistical challenges, especially when it came to managing access to the site. With attendees traveling from across the country, we coordinated closely with transport teams, ensuring a smooth flow of people arriving via shuttle buses from Norwich and the surrounding areas.
Our security teams took charge of accredited entry points and access control, including VIP access management for high-profile guests such as Bear Grylls and the Prince and Princess of Wales. Stringent checks were enforced at each entry point, ensuring the integrity of the site was maintained without delays for festival-goers.
Arena Entry and Search Lanes:
To ensure safety inside the festival grounds, controlled entry search lanes were implemented at the main arena. Our SIA-licensed operatives conducted thorough bag checks, pat-downs, and ticket verification, maintaining a vigilant eye for prohibited items. The structure of the lanes kept waiting times to a minimum and ensured a steady flow of attendees into the event area, allowing everyone to enjoy the festival with peace of mind.
Safeguarding and Lost Child Response:
Given the family-friendly nature of Gone Wild Festival, safeguarding was a top priority. Our security teams worked hand-in-hand with event organizers to create a safe environment for all, implementing well-coordinated lost child response procedures. Designated safe zones were set up, with dedicated teams ready to act swiftly should any issues arise.
During the festival, our security team responded effectively to several lost child incidents. One notable case involved a young child who went missing in the central arena after taking part in an activity. Our response teams immediately activated safeguarding protocols and within minutes, the child was found and reunited with their parents, reinforcing the importance of clear communication and well-rehearsed procedures in ensuring a safe experience for families.
To conclude on a safe and successful event:
Throughout the event, Alliance Events’ security teams worked tirelessly to ensure that the Gone Wild Festival was safe and enjoyable for all. From managing the ingress and egress of thousands of festival-goers to providing real-time response during the event, our teams maintained a high level of professionalism and efficiency at every stage.
With its combination of music, adventure, and family-friendly activities, Gone Wild Festival – Norfolk proved to be a unique and successful event. We are excited to continue our partnership with the festival for the next three years, providing our security and crowd management services at both the Norfolk and Devon editions.
Stay tuned for more updates as we work to keep the adventuring safe for everyone!