By Lucy Bevan, Music Editor
Finding a job as alongside studying can feel near impossible, and going home over the summer, this often does not get any easier. Whether you’ve already booked up your schedule with holidays and catch-ups with friends from home, or you’re feeling a little apprehensive about committing to a dreaded nine-to-five just yet, event work might be the perfect fit for you.
From free tickets to making new connections and enjoying live music, working at concerts and festivals was the perfect choice for me this summer, and definitely something you should consider for your upcoming university breaks.
In 2024, at the end of my gap year, I realised that buying festival tickets might not be a viable option for me or my bank account. However, I knew a summer without a festival was simply not an option, and so I found myself on the Hotbox website. As a result, I got to spend my August bank holiday weekend at the GCSE results-day hotspot that is Reading Festival, completing three shifts across six days.
My friends and I were put on the same schedule and were able to attend two out of three of the main evenings. We saw artists such as Liam Gallagher, Catfish and the Bottlemen, and Raye, who made history that same year by winning 6 BRIT awards in one night. We even got to stay in the staff campsite, with access to showers and hot water whenever we pleased. Despite the unreasonably long walk to the arena, we absolutely made the most of our time. After six days of meeting like-minded people, discovering new artists, and simply having fun with my friends, I knew this wouldn’t be the last time I explored festival work.
This summer, after an amazing first year at university in Bristol, I was keen to take on a similar role. However, with funds running low from a few too many Thekla Thursdays and OMG Mondays, a paid option was more appealing. I managed to get in contact with DEPOT Cardiff, who pride themselves on being ‘Cardiff’s home for live music, DJ-led club nights, and large-scale events since 2015’.
From Lewis Capaldi to The Cure, I’ve been lucky enough to get paid while catching glimpses of artists I’d have otherwise spent hundreds to see. Admittedly, the job is bartending; however, the pints are pre-poured and the cocktails can be found in nothing other than a classic Bristol ‘tinny’, so it hasn’t exactly been the most taxing job.
After securing a spot in Eat Drink Meet’s top 10 places for live music in the UK, it’s no surprise that Bristol has just as much to offer. From on-the-water gigs at Thekla to a seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces at The Prospect Building, Bristol’s live music scene is not one to miss, and luckily for students, requires a hefty amount of staff to keep it alive.
After some research into what Bristol has to offer, Refresh West seems a great way to get your foot in the door of festival work. With festival partnerships such as FORWARDS, Love Saves the Day, Bristol Pride, and even Glastonbury, it didn’t take much convincing for me to dive further into the website. If that’s not enough, Refresh West is one of the 16,000 businesses in the UK that have committed to paying their staff the Real Living Wage of £13.45 across the UK (£14.80 in London).
If festivals aren’t your thing, and you’re looking for something a little more stable all year round, Bristol’s vast array of concert venues are also a great option for student work. Speaking from experience, working behind the bar and on the door of one of Bristol’s best-known venues was the perfect addition to my first year at university, and something I’ll without a doubt be carrying into my second year. My flexible contract has meant that I can pick up shifts whenever I please, allowing me to take a break around exam season and fill up my schedule during less busy periods. Not being tied down to a set number of shifts a week also means that if I want a weekend at home or a visit to a friend at another university, I am more than capable of doing so.
Lia Jones
Working evenings and nights also meant that I was able to treat my university work like a job, setting aside my essays and laptop once I got home from my afternoon lectures. Whilst this did mean that, yes, I missed a few socials and nights out, a break from alcohol at university never goes unnoticed by my liver.
With over 30,000 students at the University of Bristol, finding a job can be challenging. If you’re finding yourself stuck in a cycle of rejection after handing out your CV to every café in Clifton, or you’re simply looking for some extra cash, maybe working at events is for you. As far as student jobs go, getting paid to watch live music is hard to beat.
Featured image: Epigram / Lucy Bevan
Would you consider working at live music events?
