Connecting Europe’s Summer of Festivals

As summer 2025 winds down, it’s the perfect time to look back on the unforgettable moments that made it special. From spontaneous picnics in the park to long-awaited holidays, the summer season is all about coming together, sharing stories, and making memories that last.

Behind many of these moments is something invisible but essential: connectivity. It’s what keeps group chats buzzing, playlists flowing, and loved ones just a video call away.

And nowhere is that spirit of connection more alive than at Europe’s summer festivals. With over 50 million people attending festivals across the continent each year¹, these events are more than just music - they’re shared experiences powered by connection. This summer, Vodafone helped bring that magic to life at some of Europe’s biggest festivals, including Glastonbury festival in the UK, Wacken Open Air in Germany, and Primavera Sound in Portugal.

Here's a look at how we helped festivalgoers make the most of these precious moments.

Sharing the moments that matter

The way we use our devices at festivals has transformed dramatically over the past 20 years. What began as a simple way to stay contactable has evolved into a central part of the festival experience. Today, smartphones help us capture euphoric crowd reactions, share them instantly on social media, and navigate sprawling festival sites with real-time updates - all seamlessly woven into the rhythm of the day.

The scale of this shift is reflected in the data from the festivals Vodafone partnered with. At Wacken Open Air in Germany, our network carried a staggering 102 terabytes of data over the festival days - over 20% more than last year, and roughly equivalent to the data volume of 140,000 music CDs.

At Primavera Sound in Porto, festivalgoers generated more than 15.3 terabytes of data traffic and logged 213,000 voice minutes on the Vodafone network. And at Albania’s Summer Day Celebrations, over 1 terabyte of upload traffic was recorded during the festival’s peak hour - the equivalent of 100,000 Instagram stories shared in just one hour.

These numbers aren’t just technical milestones - they’re a reflection of how people connect, celebrate, and share joy in real time.

Connectivity in crowds

Of course, delivering seamless connectivity at festivals isn’t without its challenges. When tens of thousands of people gather in a relatively small space - especially during peak moments like headline performances - the demand on mobile networks surges dramatically. At Primavera Sound, for example, the highest traffic spikes were recorded during sets by Charli XCX, Central Cee, and Parcels. Thanks to Vodafone’s robust infrastructure, both 4G and 5G performance consistently exceeded target levels, with network accessibility remaining above 99.8% throughout the festival.

Remote and rural locations present a different kind of challenge: limited existing infrastructure. To overcome this, Vodafone deployed dedicated temporary solutions to ensure reliable coverage across entire festival sites, with enough bandwidth to support thousands of simultaneous connections.

At Glastonbury Festival, eleven temporary masts were installed across the Worthy Farm site, boosting network capacity to its highest-ever level and supporting a 25% increase in data traffic compared to 2024.

Meanwhile, at Electric Castle in Romania, Vodafone brought 5G connectivity to the rural town of Bonțida, transforming a low-connectivity zone into a high-speed digital hub. For local residents, this wasn’t just about faster internet during the festival - it marked a lasting upgrade to the area’s digital infrastructure, turning a previously underserved region into a permanently connected community.

Innovation beyond connectivity

Vodafone’s work at this year’s festivals went beyond providing connectivity. We introduced a range of innovations designed to enhance the overall experience for attendees.

One example was at Ireland’s Flavours of Fingal festival, where Vodafone powered its generators with renewable, biodegradable hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) - a small but meaningful step toward reducing the environmental impact of festival operations.

Vodafone developed Glastonbury’s official app, downloaded by over 250,000 people. The app allowed visitors to build personalised line-ups, pin and share locations on the site’s interactive map, and even track their steps throughout the weekend. In total, fans logged an astonishing 3 billion steps - equivalent to 378,787 miles (609,598 km) or walking around the Earth’s equator more than 15 times.

These innovations reflect Vodafone’s commitment to improving the festival experience - making it more personalised, and more memorable for everyone.

As the summer and festival season draw to a close, one thing is clear: connectivity has become an integral part of how we experience and share these moments. From helping people stay in touch and navigate busy festival grounds to enabling new ways to engage with music, friends, and communities, technology continues to enrich the way we come together and share the moments that matter.