When most people think of festivals, they picture music, food trucks, glitter, and wellies — not servers, laptops, and network setups. But behind every successful UK festival is a small army of organisers, production teams, and administrators working round the clock — and they all need tech to make it happen.
From backstage operations to ticketing, accreditation, production schedules, and comms, IT infrastructure plays a bigger role at festivals than you might think. And when it comes to sourcing that tech, renting IT equipment for a festival is often the smartest move.
🎟️ The tech behind the scenes: Why festivals need IT rentals
Here’s a look at just a few of the tech-heavy tasks happening behind the scenes at large events:
- Accreditation desks & check-in points
Laptops and printers are vital for managing artist, crew, press, and vendor access. - Box office & ticketing systems
Reliable computers are essential for on-the-ground ticket sales or troubleshooting entry. - Production offices
From artist schedules to health & safety documents, teams need desktops and monitors to stay organised. - Communications & logistics
Internal messaging, live updates, and coordination across departments all depend on solid tech.
🧠 Why renting is the smarter move for UK festivals
⏱️ Short-term event? Rent short-term tech.
Festivals typically run for just a few days, with setup and breakdown taking place over a couple of weeks. Why buy dozens of laptops or printers that sit unused the rest of the year?
💸 Budget-friendly for seasonal needs
Renting means no large upfront investment and better control over short-term budgets. It also allows organisers to scale tech use up or down depending on the festival’s size or complexity.
🚚 Fast delivery, easy setup
Smart Computers offers next-day nationwide delivery, so even last-minute additions or replacements are no problem.
🛠️ Support when it matters most
Festivals move fast. If something stops working, you can’t afford to wait. With Smart Computers, support is included—and they’ve helped some of the UK’s biggest festivals stay online and on schedule.
🌟 Trusted by big festival names
Smart Computers isn’t new to the scene. They’ve supplied laptops and on-site IT support to some of the UK’s best-known festivals, including large-scale music and arts events where reliability is everything. Their festival clients trust them to deliver the right gear, pre-configured and ready to plug in.
“During the Glastonbury festival, we have a requirement for more IT equipment than we would normally need throughout the year. This year we used the Smart Computers rental service to hire additional laptops before, during and after the event. The price was really competitive and the spec and options of the rental kit available matched what we needed, and we knew they could get the equipment to us at short notice.
We were so pleased we chose Smart Computers. Easy to deal with, lovely staff and great customer service. Just what we needed during a really busy time. We would definitely recommend Smart to other businesses and will be using them again in the future.”
🎧 From the fields to the front office
Whether you’re running a local community event or a massive, multi-stage music festival, tech is what keeps your operation smooth behind the scenes. Renting IT equipment from a trusted supplier like Smart Computers gives you:
- Pre-tested, reliable laptops & Macs
- On-demand support
- Fast UK-wide delivery
- Flexible rental terms for seasonal needs
✅ Final thoughts
Festivals are built on passion and planning — but it’s the tech behind the scenes that keeps everything on track. If you’re planning a UK festival this year, make sure your IT is in safe hands.
Smart Computers has the equipment, the experience, and the support to help your team stay connected from build to breakdown.
At Smart Computers, we offer a wide range of IT services to help businesses and individuals stay connected and secure. Whether you need computer and laptop rentals, expert IT support, or solutions like Smart Protect for antivirus and data backup, we’ve got you covered. We also provide Smart Cloud services including website hosting and Office 365. Learn more about our IT support and Smart Cloud services.
