Dour

Every July, the Dour Festival transforms the green fields in Wallonia, Belgium, into a vibrant hub of music and culture. Over the course of five to seven days, the festival attracts 50,000 visitors daily. Since 2015, Weezevent has been a proud partner of this organisation, supporting its growth and evolution.

With such a large audience and a diverse lineup spanning multiple genres, managing the festival’s logistics is no small feat. That’s why Weezevent stands as the ideal partner, providing centralised solutions, focusing on cashless payments, crew management, and accreditation management, ensuring a smooth and efficient organisation.

The scale of Dour festival

Dour Festival isn’t just big. With its 170 hectares (or 1.7 km²), it’s a vast expanse of land hosting both a festival site and a camping site. With this in mind, the organisation demands a streamlined and efficient operational setup. The desire for centralised systems is not merely a preference but a necessity. Weezevent’s comprehensive solutions make it possible to coordinate all aspects of the festival seamlessly.

How we handle major events

Successfully managing a festival of Dour’s size requires strong upfront planning and execution. Our deployment strategy is tailored to ensure that every solution at the festival runs well. With 20-30 members, Weezevent’s team is on-site 24/7, operating from strategic locations: one headquarters and two dedicated offices for access and cashless services. This setup allows for quick responses to any issues, ensuring minimal disruption to the festival experience.

Ticketing: partner platform for sponsors and guests

We developed a partner platform for Dour Festival to manage sponsor and partner invitations separately from general ticket sales. This system allowed the festival to allocate ticket batches to each partner, granting them direct access to manage their own invitations. Each ticket was personalised with the right accreditations, ensuring seamless entry for VIPs, media, and other key guests. By giving partners full control over their invitations, Dour reduced administrative workload while maintaining a smooth access process.

Access control: efficiency at every entrance

Access control at Dour is crucial, given the number of attendees and the various entry points. With 88 fixed scanners for main entrances and 24 handheld scanners for exclusive entrances, all access devices are strategically placed throughout the festival grounds. 

Attendees can enter safely and smoothly by tapping their wristbands on every device. Our scanners allow for quick and efficient processing, ensuring that lines move rapidly and everyone can enjoy the festival without unnecessary delays.

Cashless solutions: keeping transactions smooth

Managing cashless transactions at such a large festival presents unique challenges, but we have it covered. Since 2015, we’ve been partnering with Dour Festival to ensure smooth and efficient operations. Their cashless system was successfully implemented in 2023.

Our dedicated cashless office operates 24/7 and is staffed by a cashless manager who oversees all transaction points. With 540 devices in use for both transactions and top-ups, we ensure that every attendee can make purchases easily and efficiently, enhancing their overall festival experience.

For the staff, the cashless system simplifies operations, reduces the need for cash handling, and ensures accurate financial reporting, making their work easier and more efficient.

Crew management: empowering volunteers

Dour Festival relies heavily on its volunteers, making effective crew management essential. We provide comprehensive accreditation services, ensuring that not only every volunteer, but also supplier, press and other professionals are appropriately credentialed and equipped for their roles. 

With 22 printers on-site, we quickly produce wristbands for crew members and others, allowing them to get access to the correct designated area without any delay. Our presence enables us to respond to any accreditation needs on the spot, keeping this process running smoothly.

Continuous improvement and partnership

Our longstanding partnership with Dour Festival allows us to refine our services year after year. By learning from previous experiences, we continually enhance our offerings. In 2024, we reached new heights in service quality, ensuring we were present and responsive throughout the festival.

In conclusion, the Dour Festival exemplifies what can be achieved when a dedicated team partners with a forward-thinking event tech provider. With our centralised solutions for ticketing, access, cashless payments and crew management, we help create an unforgettable experience for all attendees.