The first question I ask any outdoor festival client is not about speakers at all. It is: what is your wet weather plan?
That tends to surprise people. But choosing a PA system for an outdoor festival is never just about the size of the PA. It is about the field, the crowd, the power, the weather, and the budget, all pulling against each other. Get the thinking right and the right size of system becomes obvious. So here is how we actually work it out.
Start with two numbers: capacity and area
There are two questions that begin every festival quote. How many people are you expecting, and how big is the area you want to cover?
Those two numbers almost never line up neatly, and that is where the useful conversation starts. Two hundred people at a tight stage is a very different job from two hundred people spread across a large field, even though the headcount is identical.
Capacity or area: the conversation that saves you money
When capacity and area do not match, I put the choice plainly to the client.
We can cover the entire field, but then the pricing reflects the area, not the number of people. Alternatively, we can price for the capacity. If you are expecting 200 people and someone chooses to stand 50 metres from the stage, is it reasonable to expect them to move a bit closer? If it is, we use a smaller system and the price comes down.
That is a real conversation we have, and it is an honest one. There is no point selling a festival a system built to flood an empty field. Matching the system to how the crowd will actually gather is usually where the biggest saving lives.
The type of act changes everything
A local act and a headline act are not the same specification, even on the same field. The energy, the volume, the low end, and the expectations all shift with the bill.
A community stage with acoustic acts has different needs from a stage built around a headliner the whole site has come to see. We spec for the act as much as for the field.
Why we use line arrays outdoors
For outdoor events we always prefer line arrays over point source speakers. Ours are active and weather protected, which matters in a British field, and they throw sound evenly across a large area in a way point source boxes cannot.
For the subwoofers, there are three main ways we set them up: an end-fire array, a straight line across the front of the stage, or a left and right stack. Which one we choose depends on the type of music, the coverage we need, and the power budget available. Bass-heavy music in a wide field is a different decision from a folk stage in a smaller space.
To give a sense of the range: a smaller event might use single 18-inch subwoofers with the line array tops ground-stacked. A large one might run up to twelve twin 18-inch subwoofers, with two line array hangs of eight boxes each, flown above the stage. The same company, very different rigs, driven entirely by the brief.
The four things that decide it all
In the end, four variables decide the system: the capacity, the size of the field, the power budget, and the financial budget. Change any one of them and the answer changes.
Power itself is rarely the problem. We have good relationships with local power companies, so getting clean power to where it needs to be is usually straightforward.
The honest budget conversation matters more. If you expect Wembley but I quote for a local pub, you will not be happy with the outcome. If you want a local event but I quote for Wembley, you will not be happy with the quote. Telling me the real budget early gets you the right system, not the wrong one.
For more on the practical side of running these events well, see our guide to outdoor event production in North Wales.
Frequently asked questions
How do you work out what size PA an outdoor festival needs?
We start with the estimated capacity or ticket numbers and the size of the area to be covered. Those rarely match, so the next conversation is whether to cover the whole field or price for the crowd you actually expect.
Why does covering the whole field cost more?
Because the system is priced for the area, not the headcount. Often it is reasonable to expect the crowd to gather closer, which means a smaller system and a lower price.
Are line arrays better for outdoor events?
For outdoor events we always prefer line arrays over point source speakers. Ours are active and weather protected, and they throw sound evenly across a large area.
What is the first thing to plan for an outdoor festival?
The wet weather plan. It shapes the equipment, the cover, the power, and the layout.
Planning an outdoor festival in North Wales?
We provide outdoor event production and festival sound across North Wales and the wider UK, sized honestly to your crowd, your field, and your budget.
Get in touch and we will help you work out exactly what your event needs.
Darren Hughes is Director of Pivotal Sound & Lighting, an AV and event production company based in Llay, Wrexham, North Wales. PSL provides festival and outdoor event sound, line array systems, and full production across the UK.