Large crowds at events such as music festivals may appear chaotic, but researchers have shown that they often follow predictable patterns.
Photo: Ton of rocks
In an article from forskning.no published on 15 August 2026, here, physicist Eirik G. Flekkøy, PI at PoreLab, and anthropologist Tone Sommerfelt combine their expertise to explain how and why these patterns emerge. Both are interviewed by Kristopher Schau.
From left to right: Kristopher Schau, Eirik G. Flekkøy and Tone Sommerfelt (photo: Andreas Kjensli Knudsen)
Physicist Eirik Grude Flekkøy explains that crowd behavior can often be modeled using the same principles that describe gases and fluids. While it is impossible to predict where one person will go, the collective movement of thousands of people creates recognizable patterns such as pathways, queues, bottlenecks, and flows between attractions. These models are used to design safer stadiums, transportation hubs, and festival venues.
However, crowds are not simply collections of particles. Social anthropologist Tone Sommerfelt emphasizes that culture, expectations, and shared rituals also shape behavior. Concertgoers follow social norms, sing together, participate in mosh pits, and engage in coordinated activities that cannot be explained by physics alone.
The article highlights that crowd density, rather than crowd size, is the key safety concern.
Researchers combine physics, anthropology, and computer simulations to better understand these phenomena, improve crowd management, and identify potentially dangerous situations before they escalate.
A podcast featuring the interview has been released as part of the Research Council of Norway’s Nysgjerrige Norge series, in which Alex Hansen and Eirik Flekkøy also participated previously (see annual report 2025 page 80): Mønstre og fenomener i store folkemengder – Nysgjerrige Norge | Acast
The interview is also published by the Research Council of Norway: Podkast: Nysgjerrige Norge