DONINGTON, UK (CelebrityAccess) — Live Nation's Download Festival announced that they are going completely cashless for 2015, making them the first major UK festival to embrace the new paradigm.
Punters at the festival will exchange their ticket for a personal 'Dog Tag' RFID wristband connected to a payment system that will work across the entire festival. The wristband will be pre-loaded ahead of time and can be used to purchase food, merch and drinks.
The cashless system is being run on technology provided by German firm YouChip.
If festival-goers run out of cash on their wristbands, they are able to reload them at the festival, with debit/credit cards or cash, or via the festival's app. Any remaining amount on the wristband will be refunded after the festival.
Cashless transaction systems such as this have been available for some time, but their adoption by major festivals has only started to happen recently with festivals such as C3's Lollapalooza & Austin City Limits adopting the technology last year. – Staff Writers
