Lollapalooza Berlin

Lollapalooza Berlin, one of the most iconic global festival chains, took place in September 2024 at the Olympic Stadium and Olympiapark. Known for its big acts, family-friendly atmosphere, and environmental consciousness, Lollapalooza Berlin brings together a diverse audience and creates an unforgettable experience. Since starting our collaboration in 2015—when the festival was still in its early years—we’ve been proud to support its growth by delivering top-tier solutions in access control and cashless payments, ensuring smooth operations year after year.

The Olympic Stadium as a festival site

Hosting a festival in and around a huge stadium presents its unique challenges. With multiple stages, various attractions, and diverse audiences, it takes careful planning and execution.

We managed three distinct access points: Two entrances for general attendees, and one entrance dedicated to families. At this last entrance, where children’s safety was a priority, there were paper wristbands provided for kids, completed with an option to put their name and parent contact details on.

Inside the stadium, the focus was on electronic music, creating a vibrant atmosphere for the festival’s main audience. Our team set up an office on-site in the stadium to monitor and manage all operations, ensuring everything ran smoothly.

Outside, the festival expanded into the surrounding Olympiapark, with food stands, cultural exhibits, and multiple live performances.

Efficient cashless transactions: powered by UMTs and Paypal

Weezevent’s cashless system was a key enabler of the festival’s success. Festival-goers could make quick and easy payments through 33 UMTs (unmanned top-up points) deployed throughout the festival site. QR top-ups on wristbands, a proud invention by Weezevent, allowed visitors to top-up with their phone, making the process even faster and more convenient. Simply opening the camera app and pointing it directly to the QR on your wristband to complete the transaction with online banking. No easier way for people to top-up their wallet.

Importantly, Paypal, one of the festival’s main sponsors, was prominently featured as a payment option. Weezevent personalised the online widget to ensure Paypal was the top payment method to choose from, which allowed attendees to top up their wristbands with ease—before and after entering the festival.

At the festival site, all transactions were completed by our 700 cashless devices to ensure everyone’s needs. Every sales location was provided with the right amount of devices and training so everything could run smoothly on the day itself. The user-friendly interface came in handy for all bar personnel to handle the queues fast and efficiently.

Unparalleled access control with 155 scanners and smooth operations

Ensuring smooth access for a large crowd is no small feat. Weezevent deployed 155 access scanners, including fixed and handheld units, across the venue. The access points were optimised for fast entry, minimising wait times and ensuring a seamless experience for all attendees. 

Our team was on-site from Monday, conducting thorough training for the crew to ensure everyone was familiar with our system and flow. By Saturday, the festival was in full swing, and access control went off without a hassle, thanks to the preparation and readiness of our team.

A family-friendly festival with age restrictions and safety measures

One of the standout features of Lollapalooza Berlin is its commitment to being family-friendly. The festival made sure all products were age-restricted, ensuring that only those of the legal age were served alcohol. 

By requiring attendees to input their age when making their cashless account, the system ensured that only the correct age group could access alcohol. The scanning of wristbands for cashless transactions also served as an instant age validation, creating a safe and secure environment for all festival-goers.

A long-standing partnership

Our long-standing partnership with Lollapalooza has been key to the success of Lollapalooza Berlin 2024. From smooth access control to fast cashless payments, Weezevent’s solutions played an integral role in delivering a seamless experience for festival-goers. With our technology in place, organisers could focus on creating the unforgettable event Lollapalooza is known for. The combination of family-friendly elements, environmental consciousness, and top-notch technology made this year’s festival a resounding success.

Banner photo credit: Evgenia Gapon