Festival staffing in Copenhagen: a practical planning checklist

Festival staffing is easier to plan when the site is broken into working areas and time periods. The busiest bar, the entrance, the catering area and the closing team may all need different people at different times.

This checklist helps organisers prepare a brief for event staff in Copenhagen. It focuses on hospitality and event-support roles. Specialist security, medical, technical and production responsibilities must be assigned separately to the appropriate provider.

1. Map the work across the site

List the areas that require staff and describe the task in each one. Include bars, food-service points, guest welcome, registration, stock movement and any agreed clearing work.

Give each area a named organiser or supervisor. Show where staff enter, where they report and which routes they can use. A simple site plan with recognisable landmarks is often easier to use than a long written description.

Explain any access restriction during performances or guest movement. Staff need to know which paths remain available and who can approve a change.

2. Build the schedule around the programme

Use the running order to identify likely busy periods. Arrival, breaks between performances and the final service can create very different workloads.

Describe the expected activity without treating attendance alone as a staffing formula. Menu complexity, payment arrangements, stock distance, equipment and the venue's own team all affect how many people a working area needs.

Plan the full shift, including preparation and the agreed handover. If one team leaves while another takes over, identify the information and equipment that must change hands. Agree breaks with the responsible supervisor so essential work remains covered.

3. Give each role a clear job

Bartenders should know the drinks menu, service arrangement and how the bar is replenished. Bar-backs and runners may support stock movement, glassware and supplies. Waiters and kitchen employees need the food-service sequence and the relevant catering contact.

Hosts or event-support staff should know which guest questions they can answer and which situations go to the organiser. Do not assume a host is also a security worker or a technical crew member.

For a large team, discuss whether a manager, head bartender or head waiter is needed. Include that responsibility in the role mix and quote. See bartender hire and catering staffing guidance for more detailed briefs.

4. Prepare equipment and supplies

Before adding staff, check that each position has the space and equipment needed to work. Extra bartenders cannot solve every delay if a service point lacks glassware, stock or a functioning payment setup.

Identify where supplies are stored, who can access them and how replenishment requests are made. Give staff a process for reporting shortages and faults.

Agree clothing, weather arrangements and any required protective equipment, including who provides it. The site organiser should supply the working procedures and induction appropriate to the tasks. Request specific qualifications where relevant and confirm the match before the event.

5. Keep the briefing practical

Give everyone the event name, address, arrival entrance, shift times and supervisor's contact details. Include the assigned area, task boundaries and the route for reporting a problem.

Explain how programme changes will reach the team. For food and drinks, identify the person who can verify menu or ingredient information. Staff should check uncertainty with that contact.

If the working language is English, provide an English brief. Our English-speaking staffing guide explains how to specify communication requirements for different roles.

6. Check the complete budget

Copenhagen Staff's calculation separates wages, service fees, holiday pay and VAT. Normal service fees are DKK80 per staff-hour for standard roles below ten people, DKK65 for standard roles in bookings of ten or more people, and DKK95 for specialist roles.

The agreed wage is additional. Holiday pay is calculated at 12.5% of wages, with VAT at 25% of the combined subtotal. Apply the hours for each assigned role; a festival's public opening hours may not equal the staff's working time.

Use the calculator and pricing page for the current calculation, including eligible dated offers. The final team and arrangement need confirmation.

7. Agree changes and the closing handover

Name the person who can request extra staff, extend a shift or move someone between areas. Tell the coordinator about changes promptly. Availability and additional work should be checked rather than assumed.

For closing, define what is cleared, what is returned and who accepts the handover. Dedicated cleaning staff may be relevant where the required work goes beyond the agreed hospitality tasks.

Send the site plan, running order, shift list and role brief with your staffing enquiry. For a late gap, use urgent staffing with the specific role and timing so the team can assess the available cover.