Music festivals are a place where you can feel completely free and most of the time, pure happiness. At some moments it makes you stop, look at the stars and thank God for your life. If you have attended some festival and loved it, you will know what I am talking about. Music festivals make us feel alive and happy. A large amount of festivals all around the world offer us all kind of music genres, so it isn’t that hard to find one that’s suits your style. Summer is the most thankful time of the year for a festival, and that is when most of them are held. Messy hair, little make-up and simple outfits make preparation for experiencing a festival even easier.
˝Normal˝ people are not the only ones who enjoy festivals. Many celebrities hide in the big crowd at events with their favorite music genre. People ask, “Why do celebrities love festivals? Where do they find energy to come to the big crowds of people when they are surrounded by so many people most of the day?” I think all of them have different reasons. The first reason, I am sure of, is that they came to have fun. They are people after all. Relaxed atmosphere and good music are probably enough for them. The appearance of paparazzi are something celebrities love the most (some of them) as well. Music festivals are getting more popular every year so some of them are there to promote themselves in cool outfits or with a new hair style, or just to be there so that paparazzi will photograph them. There have also been reports that some of the big names attend festivals, getting paid for that just to wear designer clothes. It shouldn’t be a big surprise, everyone knows that these events make lots of money, a lot of money is invested and most of all an enormous amount of viewers are present.
Music festivals celebrate free style and difference, so you can see there a lot of different expressions within the clothes or within the hair, make-up and accessories. They can be whatever they want, without fear that someone will judge them. People who attend festivals are very friendly, in a good mood and often very open. Most of them won’t care Beyoncé is next to them, who’s partying with Jay Z. That is one of the beauties that music festivals offer. This is a fact that celebrities appreciate so much they can relax without thinking that cameras are focused on them the whole time. They are not so important at the festival; there they are just like other people…humans without all the glow, money and luxury.
Many have judgments when they see professional athletes having fun. People think that because of their kind of work they have to be in bed every day by 8 pm. As a sports lover and athlete, I think that this stereotype is completely wrong. I love festivals and I love dancing all night at a good party, I can stay up until 6 am on a dance floor (of course if I don’t have practice in the morning next day) and that doesn’t affect me much. The feeling of happiness singing in a crowd with other people gives me, makes all other things, like being tired less important. Athletes, just like some celebrities, have and overfilled schedule with very little spare time. So it should be perfectly normal to see some of the great names of sports at a festival, after all, spending days and days at practice and championships they deserve to have some fun too. As we all know, festivals are IN and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change. People who don’t like the festival vibe don’t understand this. But that’s ok because we are all different and we all love different kinds of fun. Don’t judge everything that’s not close to your opinion. So I completely support athletes on festivals, of course, if they are there because of the music, dancing and feelings that festivals give you, and not because of drugs and hectoliters of alcohol. Every human has to have their escape from real life even for few hours, so if you haven’t attended a festival, I strongly recommend you to go to some. Freedom, good vibes, positive people, stars in the sky and your favorite musical artist will make you feel like you’re in heaven on earth. During those two or three days, you will probably forget about all the problems from your outside life, and living for the moment with all other happy, shiny people. Those moments will make some great memories one day.
Maybe that is also one of the reasons why celebrities attend festivals. In that way they can escape from their everyday, from all the paparazzi, stress, problems, glamour and just be who they are, without all the fake shining. You’ll see plenty of celebrities at Coachella. It is the most popular place to be. It’s a great festival. Celebrities that don’t come for fun, rather for promotion, can find what they are looking for here.
Alessandra Ambrosio is one of them who you will run into for sure at every Coachella. She is here to have fun; she dances and doesn’t think who is looking at her. And you can see on her face that she is here only to have fun.
Photo Credit: Got Celebs
Photo Credit: Got Celebs
Beyoncé and Jay Z are the cutest couple when you see them on festival, and if you aren’t in a relationship, when you see them you will for sure say: this is my relationship goal. Beyoncé is total opposite of what we are used to see her; a queen on a stage, strong woman without mistake in outfits or make-up. At Coachella paparazzi caught her in a relaxed edition, without heavy make-up and messy hair. She looked like she breathed the full spirit of festival. She was dancing, singing and except few people, no one was into her, and that is the fact that is so impressive at festivals. At her concert all smartphones would be focused on her, everyone would be looking only at her, but not here. She was just another young woman taking benefits of life.
Another interesting example is Victoria’s Secret Angel Doutzen Kroes. She is married to famous DJ Sunnery James and can be seen at festivals all around the world. It doesn’t look like she is there just to keep an eye on her husband; she actually enjoys herself especially when Sunnary James performs. It is great to see world-class models, singers or other celebrities have fun just like other people and showing us that they can and want to enjoy themselves just as ordinary people.
Photo Credit: Buzzworthy MTV
But as I said, not all celebrities come for enjoyment. It’s obvious that some come because of publicity. For example you can see everywhere Nicky and Paris Hilton, all dressed up, with full make-up, just walking around the festival and not even paying attention on what’s happening on the stage. I think that this is so sad because they don’t experience the full joy of the festival. DJ’s coming on stage, MC who is cheering up, the crowd that goes crazy at the first beat, all the lightshow. That doesn’t mean anything to them. They came in their new outfit trying to start some new trends; they came because Cosmopolitan said that Coachella is the new “IT” place to be, and maybe they can find some rich guy here (you never know). I feel sorry for them, but as I said, every person is different so who am I to judge anyone? Maybe others are making fun of us who are impatiently standing in the first line, looking at the watch and waiting again and again for Armin van Buuren to show up. And when he shows up, we cry a little because of happiness of course. Maybe people find me stupid losing my voice every time in the morning when the show ends, or standing there in the crowd, doing some stupid dance moves that only I can understand. But no one can take my memory away of the sunrise over the sea and Tiësto playing “10 minutes before sunrise”. And I think that these moments are priceless.
One of the rumors is that some organizators of festivals pay celebritites to attend their events. Instead investing money on better line-ups, sound systems or light shows they spend their money in this lame way. Maybe that is one of the reasons why we always see the Hilton sisters in the crowd, but mostly so bored. This topic is very interesting, because as a festival lover you have a lot of ideas on how would you invest your money to make your festival a lifetime experience. Hiring Paris Hilton to walk around isn’t one of them.
On the other side we have party “animals,” people who party for a lifestyle, attend every festival and drink liters of alcohol. Okay, so they are in the mood all the time, dancing without stopping and taking all benefits of a festival, but can you imagine the hangovers the next day, or next week? We don’t need to tell much about them, we all know who they are: Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Carmen Electra, and Charlie Sheen. Also the one and only, and how could we miss him, Prince Harry. Prince Harry attempted to have some low-key fun at the Secret Garden Party Festival in Huntingdon, England at the end of July. Harry was even caught on camera doing the robot dance during the ride. Others at the festival said they saw him dancing along to the performances and even walked around with his top off. Maybe the queen isn’t pleased with his behavior as a prince, but we can’t deny that Harry is the king of party people!
Photo Credit: Perez Hilton
Pro-athletes and celebrities love to party and attend festivals. Some of them come for fun, some to be seen and some just pass extra free time. But we have to agree, festivals are slowly becoming the “IT” place to be. Of course, there are so many festivals all around the world so not all of them are mainstream. Festivals like Ultra or Coachella are mainstream festivals where it’s perfectly normal to stay in line for bathroom behind some celebrity. But I want to prefer thinking that they all come because of the unique atmosphere. Every person wants to have fun in his life so I think that is normal to see music stars, pro football or basketball players, models or even politicians in crowd spending the time of their life. We are all made of blood and bones so why make a difference and judge? No one is perfect, so just live your life and let others live. As a professional volleyball player who loves to go on festivals I can say that going on that kind of place fills my spirit and while dancing; I feel like the happiest person in the world. Festivals are some kind of lifestyle to me.
Photo Credit: Got Celebs
Here are some testimonials that I’ve received from some Croatian athletes and celebrities.
Radovan Stošić, male model and Mister Croatia:
Photo Credit: Like Clubs
“Electronic music marked my life. At festivals, I met many people from different countries, even more than on the fashion railways. At festivals I like the feeling of the masses who take you into delirium. My favorite memory was from the last years Ultra Europe when Armin van Buuren played his last song „This is what it feels like“ with crowd of 20 000 people on the stadium singing with him, incredible.”
Ivan Kranjčević, professional wrestler: “Electronic music is for me a lifestyle, I wake up with it and finish with the same. Festivals are a very special experience. In particular, I would point out Tomorrowland and Papaya club in Zrće, Croatia. Experience of sunrise while people dance to their favorite music is indescribable.”
Danijel Jurišić, volleyball player:
Marcel Garvey, professional rugby player:
„Festivals are good at the end of the season so I can have some down time and enjoy myself while also discovering different parts of the world and cultures“.
Written by FestPop Senior Staff Writer
Bernarda Brčić
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