Download Festival Goes Cashless!

WORDS: Jack Fermor-Worrell

Download Festival, the UK’s premier rock and metal festival has announced its 2015 edition will utilise a new ‘cashless’ system to allow customers to pay for drinks, merchandise and more.

In a statement on their website, the festival revealed plans that would see attendees pre-load their festival wristbands, now named ‘Dog Tags’, after the festival’s canine mascot, with cash before arrival – eliminating the need for cash and supposedly speeding up service.

These Dog Tags can supposedly be topped up during the festival via on-site machines or a mobile app via new on-site Wi-Fi internet, so there’s no need to worry too much about pre-budgeting. Any leftover cash can then be refunded to a bank account at the end of the festival via the same machines.

Some fans have already expressed worry via Twitter, believing that this new system has too much potential to break down, however, Download bosses are insistent it will only benefit both organisers and the punters.

Removing “the faff of cash” from Download is an interesting prospect. However, it remains to see how well the new system will work, and whether it will be able to withstand tens of thousands of drunken metalheads over the entire weekend.