Use case · Festivals
Virtual queue for festivals and concerts
Merch drops, rides, artist signings and VIP areas run on virtual queues, so festival-goers keep their place on their phone and stay for the music.
The problem
The queuing problem at a festival
At a festival, every minute in a line is a minute away from the stage. Merch drops attract a rush when a set ends, rides take a few people at a time, and a signing can draw more fans than the artist has time for. Lines form in the dark, in the heat or the dust, and they often block the paths between stages.
When sets run late, the plan for signings and activations falls apart, and fans in the line have no idea whether to stay or go. Organisers also lose sight of demand: there's no record of how many fans wanted something and gave up when they saw the line.
How Cue runs it
How Cue runs a festival
Our Desert Nights Festival demo shows the set-ups festivals use most:
- Queue with stock for the Merch Drop: fans see how many items are left as they join.
- Queue for the Ferris Wheel, where each run fills the cabins with groups of different sizes.
- Hybrid for the Artist Signing: wristband holders book a slot, and a standby line takes the places of anyone who doesn't show.
- Walk-up status for the VIP Lounge, shown as quiet, busy or full.
- Menu for the food court, with dishes flagged when they sell out.
Each experience has its own capacity, run time and group size, so a ride that takes groups and a signing that takes one fan at a time run side by side. Fans can hold two places at once. If the merch call and the ride could land together, Cue warns them and holds the later one.
For fans
What guests see
Fans join from a QR code on the grounds or on a screen. The pass shows live waits, how much stock is left, the signing times and a map of the site. They go back to the music, and a WhatsApp message brings them over when it's their turn, with a code they can show even in a crowd.
Everything works in English and Arabic, with a right-to-left layout in Arabic.
For your team
What staff see
Each station runs from a tablet. When a set overruns, the marshal pauses the signing with a reason, and fans in the line see that their place is kept. Walk-ups without a phone are added from the console and called by code. Marshals can recall a fan who missed the call, send a second call, and only release a place when they decide to.
Venue screens show the codes being called, live waits and set times in large, readable type that works at night and in areas with weak signal.
Afterwards
What you get after the festival
- Joins, waits, no-shows and ratings by experience and by hour.
- Consented leads from fans who opted in to marketing.
- A CSV export of the data you're allowed to keep, or a connection to your CRM set up for your event.
- Event data deleted on the schedule you set, with written confirmation.
Try it
See it running
Open the festival demo on your laptop and the guest app on your phone, then call yourself from the console.
Related use cases
Virtual queue for fan zones and race weekends
Timed entry and virtual queue for attractions and pop-ups
Want the bigger picture? Read about our WhatsApp queue notifications, or browse all use cases.
What happens when merch sells out?
Fans see how many items are left as they join. When stock runs out, the experience shows as sold out and no new fans can join.
How do signings work with wristbands?
Wristband holders book a slot in advance, and a standby line fills any places left by people who don't show.
What if a set runs late?
The marshal pauses the station with a reason. Fans keep their place and are called once it reopens.
Does it work with weak phone signal?
The pass copes with weak signal, and venue screens show the codes being called, so fans can still see when it's their turn.