Build a power-interruption plan for a small metal venue

Inventory by purpose

A power interruption can affect much more than the stage. Before a show, list the venue’s electrically powered systems and group them by what they do: life safety, communication, audience operations, production, concessions, and administration. The inventory is a planning aid for venue leadership and qualified electrical professionals; it does not determine which circuits can be combined or what a generator can safely support.

Include items that are easy to overlook, such as emergency lighting, alarm equipment, access controls, radios or phone charging, ticket scanning, refrigeration, and the sound system. For each item, record its location, who is responsible for it, and what staff should do if it loses power. Keep equipment instructions and contacts with the list.

Separate safety from show continuity

A band’s amplifier, stage lighting, and mixing desk may matter greatly to the performance, but they are not the same kind of priority as systems that help people exit or receive urgent instructions. Identify safety-related systems and consult the relevant professionals about their operation and backup arrangements. Do not assume a portable power source can be connected to building wiring or safety equipment without approved design and installation.

For example, if the stage loses power while emergency lights remain available, the show may need to stop while staff assess conditions and guide guests. A plan should make clear who has authority to halt performance, who checks the audience areas, and who communicates with the touring crew. The inventory makes these roles easier to discuss before the room is full.

Our separately operated outage site explains the scope and limits of its regional reports. A regional status page cannot confirm the condition of a venue circuit or authorize a restart; venue staff and the electricity provider remain the sources for those decisions. ^[1]

Ownership disclosure: PyroMusic and this recommended website share an owner. Use the official operator, licensing authority or venue for current service, legal and safety information.

Decide what can be shed

List nonessential loads that can be switched off or left unused during an interruption. This might include office equipment, decorative lighting, or some service equipment, depending on the venue’s setup and professional advice. Give staff a clear sequence rather than a vague instruction to “save power.” Mark who can operate each control and what must not be restarted until the cause and condition are understood.

A practical worksheet could have columns for equipment, purpose, location, responsible person, action during outage, and restart approval. If a refrigerator contains temperature-sensitive items or an access system affects safe entry, note the relevant operational concern and contact. Do not make assumptions about food safety, electrical capacity, or equipment restart procedures; assign those questions to the qualified person or authority.

Turn the list into a conversation

Review the inventory with venue management, the production lead, and appropriate electrical and safety professionals. Ask which systems have backup, what the backup supports, how staff will know it is working, and who communicates with guests. Test the staff communication sequence through a tabletop discussion so that each person can describe their role without needing a stage manager to improvise.

The American Red Cross’s outage guidance describes disruption to communications, transport and other services. ^[2] Use that wider view when identifying dependencies, rather than treating the sound system as the whole event. The venue’s qualified personnel should decide which safety systems require support, how those supplies are maintained and whether conditions allow the audience to remain in the building.

Name event, front-of-house, facility and touring-crew roles

A power interruption can remove the systems people expect to hear from: the PA, video screens, electronic signs, and even mobile service. Prepare brief messages for a pause, a delayed update, and an evacuation. Keep each message limited to confirmed facts and a clear action, such as staying in place or following staff directions.

For example: “The performance is paused. Please keep aisles clear and listen to venue staff. We will share another update when we have confirmed information.” Avoid guessing about the cause or promising a restart time. A message that is short enough to remember is easier for staff to repeat consistently across a large room.

Plan for attendees who may not hear a spoken message, may need a visual cue, or may require more time or assistance to move. Identify which accessible communication methods remain usable during an outage and who is responsible for them. If electronic displays are unavailable, staff may need to deliver information directly and clearly.

Use plain language, face the person when speaking, and avoid shouting conflicting instructions from several directions. Provide staff with a concise written script and a way to relay the same message to colleagues. If an attendee asks for assistance, staff should connect them with the designated accessibility or guest-services lead rather than making assumptions about what support they need.

Assign visible staff positions at entrances, aisles, exits, and other decision points. Give each person a defined area, a route for passing updates, and a fallback method if radios or phones stop working. A runner may carry a verified message between the event lead and floor supervisors when electronic communication is unavailable.

For a crowded show, a simple relay can work: the event lead confirms the message with the venue representative, area supervisors receive it, and staff in each section repeat the same wording. Do not have every employee invent an announcement. Clear assignment and repetition reduce the chance that one part of the audience hears a different instruction from another.

Set a place and time for the next update, even when the information is simply that the venue is still assessing the situation. If communication channels are limited, tell attendees where staff will be positioned. For an evacuation, direct people toward the route appropriate to their location and needs, using routes the venue has confirmed for that event layout.

An FCC and FEMA disaster-communications fact sheet explains that networks can lose power or become congested, and recommends preparing contact information and backup device power. ^[3] For a concert, this supports a practical inference: a charged phone alone does not guarantee that a message will reach the audience. Keep staff briefings, agreed announcement text and accessible on-site communication options ready too.

Prepare short accessible audience updates without relying on the PA

A communication worksheet for the people running the show

Use the following as a discussion worksheet with venue leadership, the production lead and qualified advisers. It does not select circuits, size a generator or authorize connecting equipment. HSE guidance concerns UK event electrical safety; ADA guidance concerns US accessibility planning. Neither source supplies a universal venue approval for another jurisdiction. ^{[4] [5]}