There’s no such thing as a typical day for hap festival bar staff, especially when you compare it to regular hospitality jobs. Sure, you’ll be serving drinks, handling stock, and dealing with customers, but the similarities end there. Why? Because there’s nothing quite like the camaraderie and excitement of working at a festival site – if you can call it work…
So, if your imagination is running wild about what it’s like to be a hap festival bartender, allow us to paint the picture for you!
First things first
Naturally, no one festival is the same. The order of play is likely to differ slightly according to each unique event, but it usually kicks off like this:
1. ArrivalsÂ
Once you touch down on site (often via hap’s free transport), you’ll get your staff wristband, giving you access to all hap staff areas, plus the main festival site.
2. Introductions
Meet our wonderful ops team who’ll be your go-to for support, wisdom and bad jokes. After an ID check, you’ll receive your shifts for the event.
3. Pitch up
All roads then lead to the staff campsite, where you’ll pitch up and settle into your new home. This is a great place to meet your fellow team mates, kick back and enjoy the atmosphere of festival camping for no additional cost! Oh, and our toilets will almost definitely be cleaner than the main campsite…Â
For non-camping fests, you’ll be directed straight to your shift.
A day in the life
We’ll skip past your tent routine – whether you’re a cereal bar or a tin of beans kind of person, there’s no judgement here! Let’s fast forward to the hap-related itinerary that makes up a day in the life of one of our festival bartenders:
1. Head to shift
By this point you should know where and when your first shift is. Enjoy a stroll through the festival site to arrive at your allocated bar in time to get started.
2. Sign in
Sign on the dotted line to show you’ve arrived, at which point you’ll meet your new supervisor and bar team – aka your festival family.
3. On your marks
…get set, and start your shift! Whether you’re serving or back backing, you’ll really get that festival feeling as the site comes alive with you at the centre of it.
4. Break time
You’ll get allocated set breaks from your supervisor, and in most cases, we’ll feed you too – often with a token to be used at on-site vendors.
5. Shift over
Finish what you’re doing (no customer wants to be left hanging mid-order) and let your supervisor know that your shift has ended. Now, you’re free to enjoy the festival or put your feet up for a bit. At a camping event? Get ready to do it all again tomorrow!
Festival work with hap is an experience like no other. You’ll meet great people, have a lot of fun (on and off the job), witness some of the best musicians in the game, and get paid well while you’re at it. What’s not to love?
Your turn!
In many ways, the lines are blurred between work and play, and if your bar is within range of a music stage (the chances are high), you can dance as you serve! As long as you can still pull the perfect pint.
So, you’ve heard it from us, but are you ready to experience it for yourself? There’s still time to get involved. Just register here, then head to our vacancies page to get your applications in, and join us at our biggest festival season ever!
