A school bus only has a lifespan of around 12 years, so what happens to these classic yellow vehicles when they retire from the daily grind? Many converted school buses find new life as tiny homes and tourist buses, but a few innovative musicians are turning these spacious steel boxes into mobile music venues.
What is a mobile music venue?
A mobile music venue uses a repurposed vehicle, like a school bus, to serve as a stage for live performances and community gatherings. Retired school buses offer a unique opportunity to host small, mobile music events at an affordable price for the musicians and attendees.
Benefits of a Mobile Music Venue
From small community events, to bands just starting out with touring, not every event has the budget or ticket sales to fill stadiums. For more intimate one-time events and smaller concerts, a mobile venue provides a flexible, pop-up option with benefits including:
Mobility
With no fixed venue and four wheels, there's no limit to the distance mobile music venues can cover. The ability to move around at will offers benefits for both bands and attendees. Musicians can serve a new location every day and audiences have a concert come to them.
Venue flexibility
Venturing into areas that a stage cannot fit, a mobile concert venue is perfect for smaller spaces, rural settings, and areas without enough room for a stage all year round. Time flexibility provides another convenient benefit, as mobile concerts can either pop up for one night, or arrange for a regular event.
Intimate setting
Providing a more interactive and friendly experience during a concert, a mobile venue attracts community members who value local art, enjoy connection, and seek out unique events. For many musicians, a smaller, more personal concert venue creates a safe environment to share their art.
Affordable set up
Lower overhead costs and more affordable ticket prices make converted school buses a cost effective solution for community events. Opportunities for musicians to start performing on a budget can be rare and this innovative option can get your band on the road, for less.
Why Converted School Buses Make Great Mobile Music Venues
A mobile venue is a great idea for community events or bands on the move, but what makes a school bus such an ideal vehicle for conversion? The school bus has a few unique features over other options, including:
Shape
The long, flat, and spacious shape of a school bus is a great foundation for a quick and affordable conversion. The unique design offers:
- Pre-installed bench seating
- Level flooring, ceiling, side walls to work with
- A safe, sturdy frame
Low cost
As so many school buses reach the end of their lifespan every year, you can find great deals on these aging but sturdy vehicles. The budget for your build out can vary depending on your needs and ability to do some of the work yourself. For DIY enthusiasts, converting a school bus can be very affordable.
Safety-focused design
Built to take children to school safely on a daily basis in their previous life, school buses have a sturdy design and tough frame. A mobile venue is on the road a lot and these robust safety features can help to keep bands and audiences safe.
Customizable
Your new school bus shell is a blank canvas, ready for branding and creative design. Both the interior and exterior of your bus are completely customizable and ready for transformation. Breathe new life into your new concert venue with:
- Creative exterior paint designs
- Easy branding to capture the world’s attention
- Custom seat coverings and interior upholstery
- The ideal sound system to suit your music
- Lighting to set the tone
How do you convert a school bus into a stage?
Converting a school bus is a fun, affordable, and popular project. But how do you turn a regular old school bus into your community’s next concert venue? Browse our quick guide below:
Choose your school bus
Finding the right bus for your needs makes the conversion process easier and puts you on the road faster. School buses are not all built with the same design, so consider your needs for the following when selecting the right base for your venue:
- Size: The larger the bus, the more people can join your events. But smaller buses can fit into tighter spaces and are easier to maneuver.
- Fuel costs: You may not be planning to rack up many miles in your new mobile concert venue, but you should still take fuel costs into account. Consider the price of fuel when making plans to take your show on the road. A diesel engine can last 2 to 3 times longer than a gas powered school bus, with greater fuel efficiency over time.
- Budget: School buses offer a surprisingly wide selection of models. Different models offer variations in engine power, transmission style, hydraulic components, and seating space, resulting in a wide range of buses at different budgets.
Design
Like starting any major DIY project, measuring your space and creating your design in advance is vital before you think about picking up a hammer. As you draw up your plans on paper and perfect your design, you may discover new ideas or uncover issues early in the process that can save you time and headaches down the road.
Build-Out Renovations
Before you can get creative with paint and style, major interior renovations need completing for a good layout and strong foundation. Some of the first major renovation steps will include:
- Seat removal: While an audience will need seating, your bus conversion will need plenty of space for a stage, musicians to move around, and the installation of sound equipment. Removing some seats will be vital to this new design.
- Flooring: Following seat removal, your flat bus floor may need raising slightly to build over old seat fixtures and potential hazards. New flooring can also create a comfortable, stylish environment for your audience and help to insulate your venue for heat.
- Storage: If you choose not to transport all of your supplies and equipment for every trip, building some hidden storage into your school bus can offer secure and lockable spaces to keep your area tidy.
Sound equipment
Unless you plan on playing the harp for your concerts, you’ll likely need some basic sound equipment and a way to organize it. With smart use of space and acoustic materials within the bus, you can arrange your sound equipment with plenty of room for the band and audience.
Compliance
Safety regulations are vital to consider when hosting any community event. Check with local authorities to ensure your new venue is compliant with regulations for:
- Fire safety
- Business registration
- Insurance requirements
- Zoning regulations
Power considerations
Sound systems and music equipment need more power than a single bus battery can provide. For a reliable bus concert experience, power will need to come from a grid source on-site, or long-lasting battery. Some school bus conversions make use of the following power sources:
- Solar panels: Often installed onto the roof of a bus, many conversions add solar power options to boost power
- Battery packs: A great option for backup power, battery powered generators can provide on-the-go electric power without draining the limited battery of the bus.
- On-site power hook up: Some community venues may offer the option to hook up to the power grid. By installing a system that allows for direct grid plug-in, you can save money and battery power during certain events.
Lighting
Flexible lighting options can set the mood for your concert and allow good visibility at other times for cleaning and transport. Whether you prefer soft, intimate lighting or bright and colorful disco-style lights for concerts, adding some bright lighting with good visibility makes maintenance easier between performances.
Design and branding
When functional renovations are complete, the fun part of your creative conversion begins. Brand your bus and create a truly unique venue with:
- Custom, eye-catching paint designs
- Comfortable interior decor and upholstery
- Available branded merchandise to increase revenue at events
What are the costs associated with hosting a mobile concert?
More affordable than traditional venue rental, you can still expect some start-up costs to get your school bus concerts off the ground, including:
Modifications
Compared with renting a larger venue, converting a school bus is a budget-friendly option. But we still need to take the cost of modifications into account. Some basic renovation costs to expect include:
- Tool rental or purchase: Cutting out seats, installing interior panels, and securing sound equipment all require tools or special skills. Renting some power tools or hiring some help may be necessary to achieve your planned design.
- Materials: You can keep the cost of materials like flooring, panels, and paint lower by upcycling unwanted items and creating a minimalist design.
- Safety equipment: Using power tools, exterior paints, and wood can create health and safety hazards you need to prepare for. Safety goggles, gloves, and respiratory masks will keep you and your team safe while converting your schoolie into a music venue.
Local permits
As many counties have rules surrounding venues, events, and noise, always check your local regulations and apply for any required permits to put on a show.
Sound equipment
For many bands and DJs, a sound system is a major part of the concert experience. If you don’t already have this equipment, second-hand options are often available from other musicians via classified ads online. Sound equipment will need to be secure inside your bus to ensure safety on-the-go and while performing. Removing your sound equipment when your bus is not in use can also protect it from theft.
Staffing
To maintain a safe environment and a comfortable experience for all guests, enough staff should be available for every event hosted in your school bus concert venue.
Marketing
The cost of hosting a small mobile event is lower than alternatives, but a marketing budget is necessary for any venture. Getting the word out
- Simple flyers: With so many online print services available, finding a good deal on simple flyers is quick and easy, with no design skill necessary.
- Business cards: Local business is often built around networking. Have some affordable business cards ready at all times when out and about in your community.
- Local newspaper advertising: Local papers still exist as a go-to for finding community events. These traditional papers also offer some of the most affordable advertising to get the word out about your new venue.
- Newspaper stories: Low on advertising budget but built a really cool venue? Ask local journalists to come and check out your school bus and let the media get the word out for you.
Finding Mobile Concerts Near You
As more and more Skoolies (a popular term for converted school buses) are turned into mini venues, these pop-up events are growing more popular. Small, independent events with exciting concerts may be coming to your town, so keep your eyes open for details by using:
- Social media pages: Social media is a great way to keep up with events in your area and the first-choice option for bands and companies to promote events.
- Community groups: Joining online groups for your specific area can lead to some great recommendations and tips about events from fellow neighbors.
- Local newspapers: Still around and heavily focused on the community, local papers detail small events and unique experiences happening around town.
Final Thoughts
Converting a school bus into a mobile concert stage lets your creativity shine and gives communities the intimate and on-demand events they love. Offering flexible events and affordable options to small audiences, musicians can share their talent with the community while keeping costs low.
