Joe GallopParklife Festival (cap. 80,000) partnered with Boxbar Tech at its 2024 event to introduce a full-menu, self-service automated bar, increasing bar service speeds by up to 258%.
Boxbar Tech’s automated solution, which had previously been used at The Warehouse Project events, was installed at Parklife to enhance beverage service efficiency. The Manchester festival, promoted by The Warehouse Project and Live Nation, hosted artists including Doja Cat, Disclosure, Becky Hill, and Kaytranada on 8-9 June at Heaton Park.
The Boxbar system featured 35 terminals across two locations, offering 10 different products including beers, ciders, spirits, mixers, Prosecco and a self-service Aperol Spritz cocktail bar. Payments were processed through an integration with Global Payments’ WBO POS system.
The system reduced bar infrastructure, staffing, and overhead costs, leading to a 145% return on investment.
Parklife head of bars Dan Pirie said, “We were keen to be the first festival to take the leap into replacing a high-volume bar with self-serve terminals. The bar looked fantastic, and the queue was moving rapidly. There is real potential to significantly increase transaction speeds and make cost savings with Boxbar.”
Boxbar COO and co-founder Andrew Thubron noted the benefits of automated self-service technology in reducing costs and enhancing profitability: “It put a big smile on our faces to see the Boxbar effect on such a large scale at Parklife. Faster service, fewer queues, happy fans, and the end of flat, warm drinks at festivals.”