Police fencing and flight cases
At late-1980s concerts, police fencing and flight cases were often lined up in front of the stage to hold the audience back.
Stage barrier explained
What is a
Mojo Barrier?
A Mojo Barrier® is a modular aluminium stage barrier that separates the audience from the stage at concerts, festivals and other live events.
Definition
What is a Mojo Barrier?
The short answer
The name Mojo Barrier is widely used in the industry as a generic term for aluminium stage barriers. Strictly, it is the stage barrier system designed and developed by Mojo Barriers BV, with straight sections, corners and gates from one stage barrier range.
Background
Why stage barriers
were needed
Stage barriers became a safety issue in the late 1980s, when several concerts saw serious audience safety incidents. Promoters put up whatever material was available between the artists and the crowd, and none of it had been designed for that job.
Mojo Barriers began in 1988 within the Dutch company Mojo Concerts, with one aim: a barrier designed for the front of a stage. The first barriers were made of steel; in 1998 an aluminium barrier around 40 % lighter followed. The full story is in our company history.
The work did not stop at the barrier itself. In 2007 Mojo Barriers began a research programme with Bucks New University at Roskilde Festival, measuring crowd pressure to establish which barrier layouts suit which venues and situations. It continues in our crowd safety research.
Scaffolding with timber tied on
Other shows used scaffolding with pieces of wood tied to it as a makeshift barrier between the artists and the crowd.
People crushed against makeshift barriers
People were crushed against these materials and injured. Some artists refused to play large shows until a proper solution existed.
Barriers wherever crowds gather
Today, a secure barrier system is expected at concerts, sporting events and anywhere large crowds assemble.
How it works
How does a
Mojo Barrier work?
01/04
An upright on a floorplate
Each section has a vertical aluminium upright on a horizontal floorplate. Braces support the upright from behind, and the floorplate reaches forward under the audience.
The front row stands on the floorplate
The people in the front rows stand on the floorplate, and their own weight holds the barrier line in position.
Sections join into one line
Each section joins the next on a 1.00 m grid. Location pins align the connections, also on uneven ground, so the sections form one continuous barrier line.
A rear step for crew and security
A step behind the upright gives security staff a clear view over the crowd and direct physical access to people who need help.
FAQ
Questions about Mojo Barriers
Dimensions, materials and test data for each part are on its page in the Mojo Barrier product range.
A barrier line combines parts of one range:
| Part | Role in the line |
|---|---|
| Straight Section | The basic element of every barrier line |
| Vario & Flex Corners | Corners whose angle is set on site |
| Fixed Corner 22.5° and 45° | Set turns, colour-marked for positive and negative |
| Snake Runner & Snake Gate | Doors in the line for cables and for crew |
| Gates & entrances | Further gates, doors, emergency exits and entrances |
Mojo barriers are also used:
- at stadium shows and sports events
- at TV productions and award shows
- to divide crowd areas, for example into pens in front of large stages
Yes. Mojo Barriers BV develops its barrier systems and has had them independently tested since 1996. Certification is carried out by independent bodies such as TÜV NORD. Each certificate covers specific tested parts; the page on independent certification lists them by test body and year.
Yes. The Barrier Load Monitor System measures and records the crowd pressure on a barrier line in real time, so hotspots can be spotted and handled as they develop. Its sensors are integrated into the straight section, so no extra barrier elements are needed.
Each part is developed with engineers and tested for strength, slip resistance and handling before it is released. In service, the barriers are inspected by hand before and after every event. More on this in our health and safety approach.
The same barrier sections move from event to event and from one site to the next. Stainless steel transport carts carry ten or twelve aluminium sections each, depending on the generation, and stack for transport and storage. This keeps transport compact; more in our sustainability commitment.
Next step
A Mojo Barrier line
for your event
Mojo barriers are rented through the rental companies of the MOJO Holding Group, which plan the barrier line with you. The Mojo Barriers company profile shows who develops the system.