Airsec Group has been proud to provide event safety and security services for a series of major football fan parks across The Prospect Building and Sawmills in Bristol.
From England’s UEFA Euro 2024 campaign through to the 2026 World Cup, our teams have helped thousands of supporters come together to watch some of the biggest matches in international football.
These events have included large indoor and outdoor screenings, live entertainment, bars, food traders and highly energetic crowds celebrating every goal, save and major moment.
Supporting Bristol’s major football screenings
The Prospect Building first hosted large-scale football fan park events during Euro 2024, when the venue was still widely known by its former name, Propyard.
The venue returned as one of Bristol’s principal fan park locations for the 2026 World Cup, screening England matches on some of the UK’s largest screens and combining the football with live hosts, former players and matchday entertainment.
Alongside these events, Airsec also supported the Strike Fan Zone at Sawmills, a weatherproof outdoor football screening featuring giant screens, live pre-match entertainment, bars and independent food traders.
Together, the two venues offered very different environments, but both required detailed planning and a professional security operation capable of managing large, passionate crowds.
Airsec’s role at the fan parks
Football screenings create their own distinctive security challenges.
Unlike a conventional music event, the mood of the crowd can change immediately in response to what happens on screen. A goal, disputed decision, missed penalty or final whistle can produce a sudden surge in excitement or disappointment across the entire venue.
Our responsibility was to help ensure that supporters could enjoy that atmosphere safely.
Across the fan park series, Airsec personnel supported areas including:
- Customer entry and search operations
- Ticket and accreditation checks
- Queue and crowd management
- Monitoring bars, screening areas and circulation routes
- Protecting stages, production areas and restricted spaces
- Responding to welfare concerns and incidents
- Supporting fire and emergency procedures
- Managing customer movement at half-time and full-time
- Safe and orderly dispersal after each match
- Security supervision, management and event control
The precise security plan was adapted for each venue and fixture, taking account of the expected attendance, match importance, operating hours and layout of the site.
The Prospect Building
With a capacity of around 3,000 people, The Prospect Building has hosted some of Bristol’s largest football screening events.
The venue’s scale allowed thousands of supporters to experience the matches together, accompanied by substantial production, large screens and live entertainment.
Our deployment covered the customer journey from arrival and entry through to the final whistle and departure. This required close coordination between security management, event organisers, venue operations, bar teams, production personnel and medical provision.
The crowd environment also had to be continuously assessed. Busy moments could develop around entrances, bars, toilets and main viewing areas, particularly immediately before kick-off, at half-time and following important moments in the match.
By maintaining clear communication and positioning staff where they were most effective, our teams helped keep the events safe while preserving the atmosphere that people had attended to enjoy.
Strike Fan Zone at Sawmills
With capacity for up to 6,000 people, Sawmills hosted one of Bristol’s largest football fan zones, featuring giant screens, live entertainment, bars and independent food traders.
The scale of the site required a substantial and carefully coordinated security operation, covering entry and search, perimeter security, crowd movement, bars, restricted areas, emergency routes and safe dispersal after each match.
Managing passionate football crowds
Football fan parks are designed to recreate part of the excitement of attending a live match.
That atmosphere is one of their greatest strengths, but it means the security operation must remain alert and adaptable throughout the event.
Crowd behaviour may change quickly based on:
- The result and importance of the fixture
- Goals, penalties and refereeing decisions
- Alcohol consumption
- Rival supporters or competing allegiances
- Changes in weather at outdoor screenings
- Congestion during key moments
- The timing and method of customer dispersal
Experienced supervision and effective radio communication allow staff to respond proportionately as circumstances develop.
Our approach is based on being approachable and professional while retaining the ability to intervene confidently where safety, welfare or venue rules are at risk.
Another successful series of events
We are extremely proud of the teams who have worked across the football fan parks at The Prospect Building and Sawmills.
These events brought together thousands of supporters and produced some fantastic atmospheres, from the tension before kick-off to the celebrations following England victories.
Airsec’s role was to work behind the scenes and throughout the venues to ensure those moments could be enjoyed safely.
We are delighted to have supported both locations and to have contributed to another successful series of large-scale events in Bristol.
Football fan park and event security
Airsec Group provides professional security, stewarding and crowd-management services for football screenings, fan zones, festivals, concerts and major public events.
Our services include:
- SIA-licensed door supervisors
- Event safety stewards
- Entry and search teams
- Crowd and queue management
- Stage and front-of-stage security
- Security supervisors and managers
- Event control personnel
- Response and intervention teams
- Overnight and static guarding
- Event security planning and risk assessment support
Whether an event is taking place in an established venue, warehouse, stadium or temporary outdoor site, we can develop a security operation suited to its layout, audience and risk profile.