Whether it's a festival, a Test match or a month-long food event, the same pattern holds. Most cleaning problems at events come from things that weren't decided early enough: where the bins go, who empties them, where the waste goes next, and how many people are on shift when the crowd peaks.
Below is the checklist our event teams work through. Use it to brief your cleaning contractor, or to check that their plan covers everything.
Before the event: planning (2–6 weeks out)
Site and crowd
- Get the site map, with entries, exits, seating, food and bar areas, toilets, back-of-house and the waste compound marked
- Confirm expected attendance per day and the likely peak times (gates open, half-time, meal times, final act)
- List every area the cleaning team is responsible for, and every area it isn't (e.g. vendor kitchens, artist areas)
- Confirm access times for bump-in, each event day and bump-out
Waste streams
- Decide the streams: general/residual, recycling, cardboard, organics, containers, waste oil
- Check what each downstream processor actually accepts. "Compostable" serviceware is not accepted by every organics processor (see our Night Feast case study)
- Plan the number and placement of bins for each stream, with clear signage
- Agree who supplies bins, liners and skips, and the collection schedule for the waste compound
People and supervision
- Build a staffing plan that rises and falls with the crowd, not a flat headcount all day
- Name a supervisor for each zone and one lead the event manager can call directly
- Brief the team on the site, emergency procedures, radio channels and no-go areas
- Check inductions, uniforms, ID and any site-specific requirements
Consumables and equipment
- Toilet paper, hand towel, soap and sanitiser stock levels for the expected crowd, plus a buffer
- Spill kits, litter pickers, carts, backpack vacuums and pressure cleaning gear as needed
- A secure storage point close to the high-use areas
Day one: before gates open
- Walk the site with the event or venue manager and agree the starting standard
- Clean and stock every toilet block and amenity
- Clean seating, concourses, entries and food court areas
- Place and line all bins, check signage is visible
- Confirm the team is on station before the first spectators arrive
At the Mackay Test, our cleaners were on site before gates opened each day, preparing the precinct before spectators and event staff arrived (read how that event ran).
During the event: live servicing
This is where events are won or lost. Waste can't be left until everyone goes home; bins overflow, toilets run out of paper and spills become hazards within minutes in a busy crowd.
Amenities
- Toilets checked and serviced on a set rotation, more often at peak times
- Restocking done before supplies run out, not after complaints
- Spills and blockages reported and fixed immediately
Bins and waste
- Bins emptied before they're full, especially near food and bars
- Liners replaced and full bags moved to the compound straight away
- Stream contamination watched and corrected (food in recycling, liquids in dry waste)
- Back-of-house sorting where serviceware or packaging arrives mixed
Public areas
- Roving litter picking across concourses, seating and lawns
- Spill response for food and drink, with wet-floor signage
- Seating areas reset between sessions or matches
Staffing
- Headcount adjusted through the day as the crowd moves. At the Mackay Test, the team ran between 16 and 22 cleaners at a time depending on spectator movements
- Supervisors walking their zones and reporting issues to the event lead
After the event: the reset
- Final clear of all bins and transfer to the compound
- Full clean of amenities, seating, concourses and food areas
- Pressure cleaning of high-spill areas if required
- Remove all event signage and liners the cleaning team is responsible for
- Walk the site with the venue manager and sign off the handback
- For multi-day events: a full daily reset so each morning starts at the same standard
After the event: reporting
- Waste weights by stream from each waste provider
- Diversion rate (how much was kept out of landfill)
- Incidents, issues and what to change next time
- Photos of the handback condition
Good reporting matters for sustainability targets, council permits and next year's planning. At Night Feast 2025, waste data from every provider was consolidated into one report: 16.432 tonnes managed, with 100% landfill diversion across the verified reporting scope.
We provide event cleaning in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth.
Frequently asked questions
- When should we book event cleaning?
- As early as possible, ideally once the site layout and expected attendance are known. Waste streams, bin supply and staffing all take time to plan, and the best outcomes come from cleaners being involved before bump-in rather than after.
- Does the cleaning contractor handle waste as well?
- It depends on the contract. Many events split cleaning, waste collection and waste processing between providers. Having one team manage bin servicing, sorting and coordination with the recovery partners usually gives a cleaner site and better diversion results.
- How many cleaners does an event need?
- There's no single ratio. It depends on crowd size, the length of the event, the number of toilet blocks and food outlets, and how spread out the site is. A good plan scales staff up for peaks and down for quieter periods rather than running a flat headcount.
- What happens if something goes wrong mid-event?
- There should be one named lead the event manager can call, and supervisors in each zone who can redirect cleaners immediately. Spills, blocked toilets and overflowing bins should be fixed within minutes, not logged for later.
New Era provides event cleaning and waste services for festivals, sport and major events across Australia. See our event cleaning services or talk to our team.