Work Exchange

It takes a village!

Our work exchangers are an integral part of making Joshua Tree Music Festival happen. We have work exchange opportunities before and during the event. You can choose to work in exchange for your festival ticket or festival ticket and meals. Other Work Exchanger perks include free day parking, discounted Campground Vehicle Passes and early entry, not to mention being part of our wonderful Work Exchange family!

Peep our Work Exchange FAQs for some of our most frequently given answers.

Do join our Work Exchangers Group on Facebook group to meet our Work Exchanger community and get the latest updates!

Work Exchange Opportunities

Festival Work Exchange

Help out during the festival in exchange for your festival pass. The basic time commitment is 16 hours (4 x 4 hour shifts) for a 4 Day Festival Pass or 24 hours (6 x 4 hours shifts) for a 4 Day Festival Pass plus meals, though this varies depending on area so please do read the role description. Please read the FAQs thoroughly before signing up (yes, even if you’ve read them before, things do change). Don’t forget about the 5pm Mandatory Orientation/Training on Thursday in the Music Bowl!

Scroll down to read about the different roles available and to sign up!

Apprentice Event Ninjas

Our Apprentice Event Ninjas work closely with our front-of-house operations teams learning the ins and outs of festival life. This is a great opportunity to dip your toes into the world of event production and gain some valuable experience. Event Ninjas may help out in Production, Box Office, Traffic Flow, Catering and more. One day never looks the same here! We are masters of customer service, answering questions, providing directions, problem solving, multi-tasking. Submit your application HERE.

Note: this is not stage/sound production.

Festival Work Exchange Roles

Beer Garden – FULL

Pouring beers in our Beer Garden in the music bowl – it doesn’t get much better than that! Beer knowledge and bar experience is a plus. You must be 21 or over, will be required to provide proof of age. Bonus if you have a current California RBS to work in this role, you can find the link to complete this HERE.
Requirements: 16 hours – wristband / 24 hours – wristband and meals. Must sign up for at least 1 shift that starts after 4pm.

Boogaloo Bar – FULL

Responsible for bartending mixed drinks, wine, beer to festival patrons. Need to have previous/current bartending experience. Bonus if you have a current California RBS to work in this role, you can find the link to complete this HERE.

Requirements: Must have Bartending Experience. We will email you directly if you sign up for this area. 16 hours – wristband / 24 hours – wristband and meals. Must sign up for 1 shift that starts after 8pm.

Box Office

Bring your biggest smile and some patience, you will be the first point of contact when our guests arrive! Duties may include scanning tickets in, customer service, line-management and traffic flow.

Requirements: 16 hours – wristband / 24 hours – wristband and meals. Must sign up for at least 1 shift that starts after 4:30pm.

Flowmasters

Armed with wit, wisdom and infectious exuberance, our Flowmasters become skilled information providers as they guide festival goers around the parking lots and campground. Bring a bike if you have one!

Requirements: 16 hours – wristband / 24 hours – wristband and meals. Must sign up for at least 1 shift that starts after 4pm, and at least 1 Saturday or Sunday shift.

Gallery – FULL

Surrounded by art! Our gallery attendees are true people persons and are the smiling faces of our JTMF Art Gallery. Sales, customer service and general mingling with the people.

Requirements: 16 hours – wristband / 24 hours – wristband and meals. Must sign up for at least 1 shift after that starts 4pm, and at least 1 Saturday or Sunday shift.

Gatekeepers

Gatekeepers check credentials at our Wristband Checkpoints and are experts at greeting music lovers with big smiles!

Requirements: 16 hours – wristband / 24 hours – wristband and meals. Must sign up for at least 1 shift that starts after 4pm, and at least 1 Saturday or Sunday shift.

Green Team

Our Green Teamers have a penchant for trash, working to collect & sort waste and keep the festival site tidy, as well as educating attendees and setting the example of how to leave it better than we found it!

Requirements: 16 hours = wristband and meals. Must sign up for a Monday shift.

Kitchen Crew

If you love being in the kitchen, this is the position for you! The Kitchen Crew works in the backstage kitchen to prep and serve food for performers, crew and volunteer meals during the festival weekend.

Requirements: 16 hours – wristband / 24 hours – wristband and meals. Must sign up for at least 1 shift that starts at 4pm.

Javagogo

Barista experience? Can dance while you’re working? Grace under pressure? Perhaps Javagogo is the place for you!

Requirements: 16 hours – wristband / 24 hours – wristband and meals. Must sign up for at least 1 shift that starts after 4pm.

Medical Team

CPR, EMT, RN, MD , first aid, harm reduction experience? Our Medical Team is headed by Lighthouse Medical Services and they have a small number of volunteer spots to fill. You can apply for Spring 2024 directly via their application form.

Merch Booth

Responsible for handling of performer and festival merchandise during the festival weekend. This crew maintains accurate records at all times, keeps track of performer consignments, manages inventory.

Requirements: 16 hours – wristband / 24 hours – wristband and meals. Must sign up for at least 1 shift after 4pm.

Prefest – FULL

We need all hands on deck for a variety of tasks – construction, yard work, cleaning, organizing, sign making etc. This is PHYSICALLY DEMANDING manual labor, you should be able to be on your feet and working for the entire shift. If you have an injury or condition which limits you to light duty work, consider one of our many areas or contact us to find the right area for you.

Requirements: 20 hours – wristband / 28 hours – wristband + meals (note: meals are for Friday, Saturday and Sunday during event).

Screen Print Booth – FULL

For the artistically inclined! Make custom one-of-a-kind screen print t-shirts for guests. Must be okay with getting a little dirty, you will get paint on you.

Requirements: 16 hours – wristband / 24 hours – wristband and meals.

Sign Me Up!

1. Read the FAQs

Even if you have participated with us before, please do read the Work Exchange FAQs as things do change.

2. Pay your deposit or admin fee

We require a $240 deposit, which includes a $15 non-refundable admin fee. Your deposit (minus admin fee) is refunded within 10 days of the festival provided you complete your scheduled shifts. Click to pay deposit.

If you are requesting a deposit waiver (for returning volunteers only), please email workexchange@joshuatreemusicfestival.com to request a waiver (note you will still need to pay the $15 admin fee).

3. Choose your area

Read the role descriptions above and choose your preferred area (you’ll be asked for your 1st and 2nd preference on the application form). Please choose the area you think your skills will be best suited to and please be ready to be flexible. We will do our best to schedule you in your chosen area with your chosen schedule but sometimes we just need you more somewhere else!

All hours should be completed in the same area.

4. Submit the registration form

You’ve paid your deposit and chosen your area, now you’re ready to submit your registration form. Click here to register.

Please note: Available shifts will not appear until you’ve been approved for a specific area. After successful registration, you will receive an email from do-not-reply-vms@bloomerang.com with a link to choose shifts. PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM, and mark as not spam to receive important information and updates 🙂

Things to remember when signing up

  • We will sign you up for 2 shifts, we will try to accommodate your submitted preferences.
  • You will choose your other shifts.
  • Choose carefully, you will not be able to make changes to your own schedule once submitted
  • Only sign up in 1 area
  • Do not sign up for back-to-back shifts
  • Do not sign up for more than 2 shifts in a day
  • If your schedule does not abide by these guidelines, we may reschedule you accordingly
  • First come first served, sign up early to get your first choice of area/shifts!
  • There is a Mandatory Orientation/Training on Thursday at 5pm in the music bowl. Check out the info HERE

Note: Schedules are subject to change. As shifts fill up closer to the event we may allocate you to areas and shifts where help is most needed. Thanks for being flexible!