10 Tips on how to survive / make the most out of your music festival experience!
After experiencing a few different types of music festivals (involving travel) I feel like I’ve learned a couple things (some, the hard way) that could help those first timers who are interested in knowing what to expect or how to be prepared! This is just from my own experience so there really isn’t a right or wrong. This is also a reference for me too for future trips =p Here we go!
1. Choose your travel buddies wisely: When planning for trips, having a good crew is a must. Making sure that you feel comfortable in the group is important and could really make or break the quality of your whole festival experience. Remember you will be spending EVERY MINUTE with these people, the less drama, the better! It’s also very likely that problems will arise, even in a group of people that you’ve traveled with before -- so please respect everyone’s needs. be willing to compromise, try your best to be calm and empathetic to ensure peace and harmony in the group (lol, actually tho)
2. If you know ahead of time that you’re not a camping person, find alternative accommodations! Even if you ARE a camping type person, weather conditions at the campsite may not exactly be ideal, and things like the weather being just TOO HOT to function could make you miserable and ruin your experience! Check if there are airBnBs or hotels in a near by city that you can take a shuttle down to the event venue. Explore your options!
3. Plan ahead: make a schedule and highlight the artists that you are most interested to see. In an ideal situation, everyone in the group would have the exact same taste in music, but this is not always the case! Speak up, and express who you really want to see, but be willing to make some compromises too. I learned this the hard way. I was too passive and didn’t speak up when my favorite artists were scheduled - out of fear that I would disrupt the group dynamic or feel like i would be *dragging* people. Looking back on it now, i regret it, because that was the whole point of going to this festival anyway - because of the sick line up! Don’t do what I did. Talk to your friends ahead of time and make sure that everyone gets a fair chance. A helpful tip that a friend of mine did was make a hardcopy printed excel spread sheet and highlighted the artists she wanted to see -- I found this EXTREMELY helpful throughout the day, so I’ll be doing this for my next festival for sure!
4. Bring your tickets and the appropriate forms of ID: The last thing you want is to be turned away at the gate because you forgot your tickets or you brought the wrong ID. Make sure you read the FAQ on the website first and have it ready!
5. Don’t forget to eat: I know this may sound ridiculous, but when you’re on the go and travelling, things are happening super fast. I would literally go 12 hours without eating a single thing, simply because i would FORGET to eat (trust me, it’s possible!). Make sure your hotel / camp site is stocked with healthy groceries and fill up on a proper meal before heading out. Your body will thank you! Our group would always stock up on groceries on the first day of the trip. Some essentials included: oranges, bananas, granola bars, cold cut sandwiches, baby carrots, cucumbers, apples, gatorade, bottled water, electrolyte packets, instant noodles, KD, frozen pizzas, etc. Of course the types of food you bring depends on the resources that you have available (your campsite may not have proper refrigeration, etc etc etc)
6. Pack / dress appropriately: this also might seem obvious, but it’s hilarious how many times I’ve seen girls wear high heels or flip flops at these events, getting trampled on and seeing expressions of pain on their faces. You will be on your feet walking long distances and dancing for the entire day! Do yourself a favor and wear socks + flat comfy shoes that you can dance in and won’t hurt your feet. I found that my shoes always get SUPER WRECKED from dust / mud / getting stepped on / rained on / etc so I never bring fancy or expensive sneakers. For every event I buy $5 write off sneakers from cheap stores like Ardene’s / Urban Behaviour / Sirens etc and just throw them away after the event! Easy!
7. Things I found helpful to pack in my fanny-pack:
Wet wipes and hand sanitizer (because portapotty bathrooms are NASTY)
Tampons (you never know when one of your gfs might need one, or you!
A few sheets of paper towel / napkins
Granola bars (if permitted)
A bandana/ light scarf (sometimes you need to cover your face from wind+dust, or need something to sit on
Earplugs (festivals are LOUD -- earplugs allow you to hear perfectly while protecting your ears from damage)
Portable cellphone charger
So far, I've brought a fanny pack to every event, but if I would do it again, I would bring a small camel back / backpack because of the next point!
8. Stay hydrated: Bring a camel back (if permitted). This way you can fill up at the water station and not have to buy / carry around water bottles the whole day. Camel backs can also hold more volume, so you make less trips back and forth to the water station. Waiting in line is always a pain so less trips = less hassle! You will be dancing and sweating like crazy - drinking as much water as you can will LITERALLY save you.
9. Set a meeting place: festivals are HUGE and you may get separated from the group! Set a meeting place in the very beginning that has an obvious / easy to find landmark so people can find you there if you get lost. Sometimes cell service can get shoddy too so the msgs in your group chats may not go through right away! Having a good meeting place is your back up!
10. Listen to your body: Don’t push yourself if you’re feeling dizzy, overly exhausted, or sick. Take breaks when you need to. If you push yourself too hard, there’s a chance that you won’t be in good shape to enjoy the next few days of the festival. Remember that you paid GOOD MONEY to be here and staying healthy is extremely important! If you need to leave early on the first day to rest up and be okay for the next day, please do so!
jbbartram-illu
origamiaround
romaincrisis
2087
dededos
