The festival grounds are not a lawless area. 
 

The Highfield Festival was planned in cooperation with the responsible security authorities and is monitored day and night by the police, the fire brigade, and the medical service. Additionally, hundreds of stewards (security) are deployed to ensure the festival is safe and to guarantee fun for you and all involved.

•  In an emergency, you can contact our security service at any time.
•  You can find our security service at all entrances/gates to the campsite.
•  Emergencies can be reported at any time via 112. 
•  Does something seem odd? Do you see something? Speak up! It is better to report once too often than once too little.

Please be mindful of other visitors and help those who need assistance. 
Our security service, medical service, fire brigade, and police will help you if necessary. 
Please do not hesitate to approach them.

Drones and other remote-controlled flying models

The operation of unmanned aerial systems is generally prohibited throughout the entire festival grounds. An exception to this ban is only possible for the security authorities themselves as well as for the organiser in consultation with the responsible authorities.

Which way to PANAMA?

What does PANAMA mean?

With the question Which way to PANAMA? or simply with the codeword PANAMA, anyone who finds themselves in an unpleasant or unsafe situation, threatened or harassed, can easily and straightforwardly get help. Whether feeling unwell, overwhelmed, experiencing discrimination, threats of violence, or (sexual) assault – we are here for you.
When asking Where to go for PANAMA? or using the codeword PANAMA, no further explanation is needed. You can approach any festival staff, and you will be helped immediately without questions or judgement. You will receive the kind of support you wish for.

 

What does this help look like?

If you find yourself in a situation where you feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or harassed, use the codeword PANAMA and we will get you out of that situation.

• We can accompany you to a safe space where you can rest and receive help from our trained awareness team, the PANAMA Guides.
• We can accompany you to the medical room.
• We can call your friends.
• If you wish to leave the festival, we can accompany you off the site until you feel safe.
• If you want to file a report with the police, we will support you with that.
• We tailor the help to your needs and wishes. Nothing happens without your consent!

 

PANAMA Guides

The trained PANAMA Guides complement the festival crew and support all other crew members as needed. Specifically, the guides can be called to any time and place to accompany the person seeking help. Their area of operation covers the entire festival site (concert area as well as all camping and motorhome areas, including crew & VIP), with at least two guides permanently present in the PANAMA Safer Space. The guides report directly to the event management and operate as a separate unit. This also includes the staff of the support hotline.

 

Team PANAMA

The Team PANAMA takes care of affected persons. PANAMA is everywhere the festival crew with PANAMA stickers is present. The team is on site from the start to the end of the festival and is always available to you during this time.

Do you feel unsafe, threatened or harassed? Do you need help or support? Then ask for PANAMA.

You can ask for PANAMA…

• at the bar staff
• from the festival crew
• from the security service
• from the paramedics
• from festival workers
• from the police
• from our PANAMA Guides

and the staff will help you further.

 

Why does PANAMA exist?

The PANAMA concept was established to strengthen the sense of safety for festival visitors. Asking strangers for help in a threatening situation requires courage. The codeword PANAMA lowers inhibitions and makes it easier to ask for help.

 

PANAMA Safer Space

The PANAMA Safer Space is a fixed location as a direct point of contact for those seeking help and is clearly marked on the site map. Despite its central location in the heart of the festival, this Safer Space offers a protected retreat. Our trained PANAMA Guides staff the PANAMA Safer Space and can initiate further support measures at any time.

 

We want to continuously improve our offer and ask for your help!

If you have already been in a situation where you asked for PANAMA or have suggestions and wishes, we want to continuously improve our support offer to be able to assist you in the best possible way in the future. Here you can gladly send us your feedback.

 

Would you like to contact us?

Even outside the festival, the PANAMA team is available to you. Here you can contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Your concerns will, of course, be treated confidentially.
Write to us!

Our promise: We provide plenty of information to help you understand the situation and respond appropriately.

Information channels

• Video walls at the stages
• Stage loudspeakers
• App & Facebook & Twitter
• Festival radio CampFM 90.8 MHz
• our team, especially the security staff

Do you have questions? Talk to us!

• via the crew at the information stands on the site
• via the security personnel
• via email at highfield@fkpscorpio.com

To counteract security risks, we conduct intensive entry checks before entering the festival and event grounds. 
Our security concept consists of a variety of measures and security-relevant procedures, coordinated and implemented together with the police and the responsible security authorities.

The topic of security naturally also concerns other festival organisers. That is why we have engaged in intensive exchanges with other organisers and developed joint concepts.
 

_{The information listed here is a joint production of the security officers of Argo Konzerte GmbH, ICS Festival Service GmbH and FKP Scorpio Konzertproduktionen GmbH. ©2017}

Noise Level

You are exposed to a high noise level on the festival grounds. Although this is continuously monitored, we still recommend protecting yourself with earplugs. Earplugs are available at the information point.

Is ear protection available at the festival?

Our partner Alpine has a stand and mobile teams on site. Wearing earplugs at music events is crucial to prevent hearing damage. Unlike ordinary earplugs, Alpine’s special music filters maintain good sound quality – you can hear the music clearly and still easily converse with friends. Perfect for enjoying the full festival experience while protecting your hearing.

Tripping hazards and sharp edges

We do our best to make every square metre as safe and free of tripping hazards as possible. However, it cannot be ruled out that there may be potential tripping edges or some sharp hazards in various places. Therefore, we recommend entering the festival grounds with appropriate footwear, suitable clothing, and with the necessary caution. Please report any hazards to us so that we can eliminate them.

Drugs

The procurement and consumption of reportable items and substances of any kind (drugs) on the festival grounds is illegal.

Crowdsurfing

...is prohibited due to the extremely high risk of injury.

Sun
Protect your skin with sunscreen. We recommend wearing a hat. Drink plenty of water. There are drinking water stations on the festival grounds where you can refill your water for free. Look out for each other!

Rain
Wellies are not only fashionable on the field but also practical, and rain ponchos are a MUST in every festival bag. Rain ponchos are not sold on site. If you use electrical devices at your campsite, please remember: water and electricity do not mix well – a socket or cable should not be lying in a puddle.

Storm
The safest place at a greenfield festival during a storm is in your car. Please offer shelter to other festival-goers in your car and indicate available spaces by turning on the hazard lights – this is a great way to make new friends!

Wind
When it is windy, avoid wooded areas and trees! Branches can break off, fall, and cause serious injuries. Always close your tent and secure loose items before going onto the festival grounds. Open tents will be blown away, closed tents will stay put! Avoid being close to any structures on the site (e.g. lighting towers, speaker towers, etc.). We of course comply with all safety regulations and all structures are approved by the relevant authorities; nevertheless, despite all precautions, there is always a residual risk. No matter how secure our large tents and ticket tents are, from a certain wind strength they must be closed because safe operation can no longer be guaranteed. For this reason, these are usually the first to be closed. Please understand this if you ever experience it.

Don't panic, an evacuation is usually only a temporary measure. In most cases, festival operations will resume after the interruption.

The safest place at an outdoor festival is the car. Here you are protected from possible storms and also have the advantage of being able to receive our festival's own radio station CampFM via the car radio. This is your information channel, which provides you with timely necessary updates.

In the unforeseen event of an evacuation of the site, numerous emergency exits are available to you. The (emergency) exits can be recognised by the universally valid emergency exit symbols. Orient yourself on the site and remember the nearest emergency exit. The regular exit is usually further away.
If you are asked to leave the site as quickly as possible via the various exits, then calmly but quickly make your way to the nearest (emergency) exit. The more gates used, the faster the site is evacuated.
Please listen to our security staff. They are trained and know what to do. Their actions and instructions ensure your safety.

How is an evacuation communicated?
The evacuation is announced from the stages. A crew member will explain the situation to you and ask you to leave the event site and go to your car. Help others and offer shelter in your car to guests who have not travelled by their own car.

• Festival app
• Facebook, Twitter
• Festival radio CampFM

Medical Emergency
Call 112 – If you do not have a mobile phone, please ask someone else to make the emergency call, or go to the nearest steward position (entrance, SOS tower, patrol on bike or on foot, etc.)

If it is a medical emergency, the festival medical service will be alerted simultaneously. Prepare for the following questions:

• Where is the person located?
• What has happened?
• How many injured?
• What injuries?
• Who is reporting? (Name is sufficient)
• Wait for further questions!

Afterwards, you can do a lot yourself – even without a first aid certificate!

• Consider your own safety: Ensure your own safety first before helping others. If there is no danger to you – start administering first aid.
• Calm and support. Injured people are usually scared and need reassurance that help is on the way.
• Ask others to guide the emergency services – an ambulance or medical team is on foot making their way to you.
• Create a visual screen so that the injured person does not feel observed by strangers. This is an important issue for many injured people.

If you have some basic knowledge of medical emergency care, you can achieve a lot with these guidelines.

Fire
Pay attention to the following points:

• Only use approved gas cartridges (Warning: otherwise risk of injury!).
• No open flames!
• Make sure all grills (including disposable ones!) are turned off when you go to the concerts.
• Do not carelessly discard cigarette butts, especially not in dry woodland areas.

If a fire occurs, quick action is required. The longer it burns, the more difficult it becomes to extinguish the fire.

Therefore, here too: Always call 112 first. If you do not have a mobile phone, please ask someone else to make the emergency call, or go to the nearest steward position (entrance, SOS tower, patrol on bike or on foot, etc.).

The crew will put your emergency call through to the fire brigade on the festival site. Prepare for the following questions:

• Where is it burning?
• What is burning?
• How many injured?
• What injuries?
• Who is reporting? (Name is sufficient)
• Wait for further questions!

Warning: You must not neglect your own safety! A fire, especially the smoke development, must not be underestimated. Only if you are sure that there is no danger to you can you intervene and provide first aid.

Please note: 80 per cent of all fire victims do not burn; they suffocate from the toxic smoke produced by the fire. Therefore, never underestimate the smoke and always pay attention to your own safety!

Police
The police are present at the festival. A police station is set up on the festival grounds, staffed day and night. The police are there for you and will take reports.
If you need urgent help with blue lights on the festival grounds, always dial 110 directly or contact the “Festival Police” at: +49 351/21297 220 at any time.
(Please note: calls to 110 are never anonymous, and misuse of emergency calls is punishable!)

Please do not hesitate to report anything that seems suspicious to you, even if you are not sure whether it is truly an emergency. You see something? Say something! Do something! Dial 110! It is better to report once too often than once too little.


Theft
Only bring as many valuables as absolutely necessary. Valuables should not be left unattended in a tent. Store them in the official lockers. If you do not absolutely need something, lock it away or do not bring it to the festival at all. Even if the show is so good, look after your valuables and especially be aware of people who might be standing in the crowd without participating and not following the music. Mobile phones are often found again. Therefore, report every theft to the police, even if you have only “lost” your phone. Lost property is accepted and kept at the information point.