Rider - Véga

Each year, a comprehensive risk assessment is carried out to determine the specific security measures required for each concert. 

This assessment remains dynamic and may be adjusted until the day of the show, based on any new or updated information.

We therefore encourage you to share with us any details or feedback that could inform and enhance this analysis.

The analysis will be available one month prior to the festival. For any questions, please contact Alain Galois (stage security coordinator).

If a high level of risk (classified as red) is identified, specific security measures will be implemented and discussed in advance with the artist’s designated security representative.

According to Swiss law, the promoter (Paléo Festival) has full legal responsibility for the safety and security of the festival. The promoter is responsible for the smooth running of the event and may be held liable to the competent authorities in the case an incident occurs. Paléo Festival Nyon’s security policy meets the standards of the Yourope Event Safety Group, (Yourope Festival Association). 

We expect artists and their representatives to acknowledge, accept, and comply with the terms and conditions of this policy. Specific security measures relating to the artist will be discussed at the earliest opportunity with the stage’s security manager.

If an artist wishes to restrict access to the stage during their concert, they may request it either during the Security Meeting or in advance during pre-event communications.

To implement this request, the artist must provide 32 access passes (stickers, wristbands, or tour artist passes) no later than 1 hour before the show, directly to the Venue Manager.

Required access passes (32 total):

• 4 Festival Production 
• 1 Head of Stage Operations 
• 1 Venue Manager 
• 1 Hospitality manager 
• 3 stage manager 
• 1 RF Coordinator 
• 2 security manager 
• 1 stage supplier rep 
• 1 construction manager 
• 1 MC 
• 1 iMag Coordinator 
• 4 sound crew + 1 RF Coordinator 
• 6 light crew 
• 4 riggers 
• 1 electrician 

NB: Stagehands are not included but may be called up by venue or stage manager on your cue.

No access restriction will be approved outside of these conditions.

Please note that access to the stage may be restricted no earlier than 15 minutes before the concert, and the restriction must be lifted no later than 15 minutes after the end of the show. 

Please also note that, on rare occasions, other artists may carry out their load-in or load-out in the backstage areas during this restriction period.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY: 
Please note that in case of emergency Paléo Festival will reclaim all control of the stage area and artist’s own credentials will no longer be valid.

Concerts involve specific risks, and due to the potential severity of their consequences, Paléo Festival aims to clearly define the roles, responsibilities, and procedures to follow in the event of an emergency related to crowd behavior.

The objective is to ensure that concerts take place as planned, under the safest possible conditions for both the audience and the artist, and to prevent any crowd‑related incident.

In certain hazardous situations, it may be necessary to communicate with the artists during the performance, asking them to reduce the intensity of the show, or, in more serious cases, to stop the concert immediately until the situation returns to acceptable safety conditions.

Depending on the circumstances, two levels of measures may be activated: Show Break (pause) or Show Stop (immediate stop).

The decision to initiate either procedure will be made jointly (majority vote among the three) between:

• the Artist’s Representative
• the Stage Safety Coordinator (substitute: stage security manager)
• the Technical production manager (subsitute: venue manager)

The Stage Safety Coordinator and the Technical production manager at Paléo Festival are experienced event safety professionals, holding multiple specialized qualifications in the field, and certified as Showstop Managers by Crowd Safety and Pink Bows (CPD & IIRSM accredited – 2025). Their expertise is further strengthened by specific training in managing emergency situations during a concert. 

To ensure they can be quickly and clearly identified, they wear a distinctive Show Break / Show Stop badge, visibly displayed at all times during the concert.

SHOW BREAK – PAUSE PROCEDURE (YELLOW CARD)

Situation: medium‑level emergency requiring a safety message to the crowd between two songs.

1. An emergency meeting will be held on stage between the designated decision-makers. 
2. At the end of the current song, a safety announcement will be made to the crowd by the artist (or the stage announcer) following the instructions of the Stage Safety Coordinator (or the Stage Security Manager).
3. Based on the assessment of the three decision-makers, the concert will either resume or be permanently stopped

SHOW STOP – IMMEDIATE STOP PROCEDURE

Situation: severe emergency requiring the immediate interruption of the concert due to a major incident (e.g. major fall in the crowd, serious incident, risk of injury)

1. An emergency meeting will be held between the designated decision-makers. 
2. The artist will immediately leave the stage. 
3. Emergency lighting will be activated, the concert sound will be cut, and only the announcer’s microphone will remain active. 
4. The announcer will address the audience, providing instructions and information about the situation and the appropriate behavior. 
5. An emergency message tailored to the situation will be displayed on the giant screens. 
6. Based on the assessment of the three decision-makers, the concert may be permanently stopped. 

Note: This procedure would only be applied in the event of a serious incident (which has never occurred at Paléo Festival to date). However, considering incidents at other festivals, such situations must be anticipated.

⚠ Any intentional crowd movement initiated by the artist that pushes spectators from the back towards the stage — and may cause serious injury — will result in an immediate concert stop under the defined procedure. ⚠ 

The concert will resume only if no injuries have occurred, and the artist agrees not to encourage such crowd movement again.

A security meeting will be organized on the show day involving a representative of the artist, the venue manager, and the security manager.

The artist's representative attending the security meeting is expected to maintain an open attitude and be transparent. The artist's representative must share all relevant information regarding the show's proceedings.

If there are any questions or additional information required, the festival's representatives will be available to respond to the artists or their representatives prior to their arrival on site.

The role of the stage speaker (announcer) is a key component of Paléo Festival’s communication strategy with the crowd. 

Whenever possible, Paléo wishes for a stage speaker to introduce the Artist’s performance just before stage time. Details (content, duration, etc.) will be discussed with the venue manager on showday.

The speaker does more than simply introduce the artists; they also:

• help create a positive and trusting relationship between the festival and the spectators, encouraging confidence and a sense of care;
• become, in case of a show stop procedure or special situation, the primary and trusted voice guiding the audience on the safety instructions to follow.

For these reasons, the presence of the speaker and their role in introducing each artist before every performance are an integral part of the festival’s global safety policy.

This approach ensures that strong, clear and reliable communication with the audience is maintained at all times – especially during critical situations – and is therefore non‑negotiable.

Giant screens placed on the sides of the stage will be used to transmit information messages to the crowd in case of emergency situations. 

Screens are also positioned in order to transmit live footage of the scenes. For security reasons, all artists must accept this recording for internal use only. These recordings may not be used by the artist as pre-recorded content.

Some concerts attract large concentrations of people at the front of the stage, particularly among younger spectators. To avoid exposing spectators to too much pressure, information messages are displayed on the giant screens to warn the audience of the risk and encourage them to enjoy the show from less dense areas.

For any concert identified as high‑risk, two security agents will:

• be positioned stationary at the sides of the stage (wing areas),
• observe the crowd throughout the show,
• immediately report any issue to the Stage Security Manager and the front-of-stage (pit) team.

They are specifically trained to identify and report dangerous crowd behavior (e.g., mass movements, audience members falling, fights, crowd surfing, etc.).  .

For safety reasons, an additional video observation system (3 cameras) is installed to monitor the audience. The two operators managing these cameras will communicate with the security managers whenever a problem is identified.

This video monitoring is strictly preventive, with the sole purpose of identifying potentially dangerous situations more quickly.

Use and protection of recorded footage:

• Recordings are kept only for documentation purposes.
• They include no sound and no images of the stage, only footage of the crowd in front of the stages.
• Their use fully complies with all legal requirements regarding video surveillance and personal data protection.
• Access to these recordings is strictly limited to authorized and specifically designated personnel within the Paléo organization.

Note: monitoring screen displaying the observation camera feeds will be available on stage for the Show Stop decision-makers, allowing them to better assess the situation in real time.

In addition to the regular medical and nursing teams stationed at the festival infirmaries, special measures are implemented to ensure audience safety during concerts. The following means are deployed for all concerts :

• Pit: 2 nurses + 2 first‑aid responders + 1 supervisor
• A doctor specifically dedicated to concerts is also present at the first aid station positioned on the side of each stage.
• For concerts identified as high‑risk (red color on the risk assessment), an ambulance with 2 paramedics is pre‑positioned near the stage for quick assistance if necessary.
• For artists requiring non‑confidential medical attention, a medical consultation can be arranged backstage.
• The entire medical setup can be reinforced at any time if circumstances require additional resources.

For any specific medical needs related to technical teams or artists – such as oxygen, specific medication, or other equipment – please send your request as early as possible.

⚠ The Vaud Cantonal Police, which has jurisdiction over the Paléo Festival site, does not provide police escorts for transporting artists to the festival as a matter of policy.

According to the Swiss Federal Police, the current terrorist threat level in Switzerland is moderate, with no specific indications targeting festivals or major public events.Consequently, no high-level security protocols are required by the federal government.

However, Paléo Festival implements a safety system that exceeds the expectations of Swiss authorities, based on international standards and best practices. Every effort is made to ensure the highest possible safety conditions for artists, staff, and the audience.

Some details about our resources:

• A team of 1,500 trained collaborators assigned to hospitality and security roles during the festival.
• Professional supervision at the highest level of expertise.
• 430 official agents (police, firefighters, private security, border guards, etc.),
• Bag checks at entry points upon request, including inspections of personal items brought on site.

Paléo emphasizes its full responsibility for the overall safety management of the festival and is committed to maintaining a serious, proportionate and effective safety framework.

Since January 1, 2023, Switzerland has adopted the European Union regulations on drones, which set safety standards for the manufacture, certification and operation of unmanned aircraft (more info here).

This implies:

• Registration and flight license are required for all remote pilots and operators (except for drones under 250 g that carry no camera, sensor, or data‑collection device).
• Pilots must follow a training course and pass an exam to obtain a Remote Pilot Competency Certificate (EU‑issued certificates are valid in Switzerland).
• Drones operating in the “open” category are not allowed to fly over crowds, regardless of their weight. According to the EU definition, a gathering of people is not defined by a specific number of people but is linked to the possibility for an individual in the group to move in order to avoid the consequences of an out-of-control drone.

Paléo Festival strictly prohibits any drone flight (regardless of weight or type) over the festival perimeter, as stated in its official regulations.

Exceptions, justified by specific organizational, safety, site planning, or promotional needs, must be formally approved by the Paléo Festival Safety Coordination team.

Accordingly, any use of a drone for scenic purposes by the artist’s production is subject to prior approval from the Paléo Festival Safety Coordination.

Contact will be established a few weeks before the performance to define the conditions under which an exceptional authorization may be granted, in compliance with the safety protocol agreed between the Festival and the competent authorities (Cantonal Police and the Federal Office of Civil Aviation). If such exceptional authorization is granted, the artist’s production agrees to fully comply with the protocol and adhere to the relevant safety measures. 

At any time, the Paléo Festival's Safety Coordination can refuse take-off authorization or ask the pilot to land his drone without delay for safety reasons.