Post by Christian Bloxham

How do you survive a 36°C heatwave, very first time camping and a crowd of thousands of eager music fans? By scanning tickets, putting wristbands on customers and genuinely loving every single second of it! 🎫🎡🔥☀️ ​This past weekend, I was out in Chelmsford, Essex working with Festival Republic at State Fayre Festival 2026. As it was my first ever festival and my absolute first time camping, calling it an adventure is a bit of an understatement. ​ The Essex weather absolutely baked us at 36°C, but the team kept the energy levels high at the gates. Being on ticket scanning and wristbanding meant I got to be the very first point of contact for thousands of festival goers heading in. ​Between keeping the queues moving smoothly and making sure everyone stayed hydrated, I got to connect with some brilliant people. The community feeling on site was amazing, and I managed to chat and network with some incredible professionals across event management and operations. As for surviving my first tent experience? Let’s just say I have a newfound respect for anyone who can pitch a tent in a heatwave without breaking a sweat. On top of working the gates, a major highlight for me was having the opportunity to discover some incredible upcoming talent over at the Horizon stage. When I wasn't on shift, I caught some brilliant rising stars and new sounds that are definitely going straight onto my playlist. ​A massive thank you to everyone at Festival Republic, my teammates and all the friendly fans who turned up at the gates with a smile despite the blazing sun. ​I have walked away with zero sunburn (thankfully!), a load of great new professional connections and a proper passion for live events. Onto the next one! 🚀☀️ ​#StateFayre2026 #FestivalRepublic #EventManagement #Networking #LiveEvents #Chelmsford #Essex #FestivalOperations #ProfessionalGrowth #Festivalrepublic