Music festivals are a great way to see your favorite bands, have a great summer weekend with friends, and make memories that will list forever. However, there’s a lot about festivals that can quickly turn miserable if you haven’t prepared accordingly. Follow these tips to make sure your festival experience is memorable in all the right ways.
Be Organized
Before the festival even starts, you want to get a map and schedule of the artists so you know where you want to be and when. You can also get one when you arrive at the festival, but make sure you figure out where the stages are so you don’t spend all that money on a festival and miss your favorite artists. If you’re going with a group of friends, come up with a rendezvous point in case someone gets lost and your phone doesn’t have a signal.
Prepare for the Weather
Festivals are known to get muddy even if it doesn’t rain. Check the weather regularly because you’ll want to be prepared rain or shine and pack for both eventualities. As explains Jessie Fairweather, a music blogger at 1Day2Write and Brit Student, “make sure you have a pair of rain boots, a raincoat or poncho, as well as tons of sunscreen. Be prepared that if there’s a lot of mud and it dries, there will be dust everywhere so if you suffer from asthma, have your inhaler.”
Carry the Essentials Only
When you’re walking around at a festival, you want to only have the essentials with you. A fanny pack/bum bag is very useful instead of a purse to carry your essentials with you without getting in the way and keeping your hands free. You should also consider bringing a money belt to protect your valuables, because festivals can be known to attract pickpockets.
Don’t Forget your Must-Have Items
There are a few items that you should absolutely have with you at a festival that will make or break your experience. Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and wet wipes are absolutely essential to have to keep clean at a festival. While the toilets will sometimes have toilet paper, you never want to be stuck at the end of the day when they’ve run out.
In terms of wet wipes, they’re a perfect alternative not just for your hands, but also for a quick wipe down of your face, arm pits, and mud-splattered legs. Bringing a pack of these will help you feel as fresh and clean as possible. Another bonus if you’re at a long festival: dry shampoo.
The last must-have item on our list is a portable charger for all your electronics. You don’t want your phone to run out since it’s the best way to stay in contact with your friends, take pictures, and access the information you need. Make sure you have a big enough portable charger to keep your phone juiced up all festival long.
Basic Camping Tips
Some basic camping tips, if this is your first camping festival. Make sure you choose the right spot, because this will be your spot the whole festival. If you can, get a spot with shade because a hot day will make your tent feel stuffy and like a furnace. You should also avoid pitching your tent near a main path because it will get extremely muddy if it rains. Try to camp on higher ground, and if possible, find a visible landmark that will help you find it when your tent is surrounded with other similar ones.
Monica Lewis, a lifestyle writer at Write My X and Next Coursework, says to “remember that you’ll also be looking for it in the dark, so it helps to have a flashlight. Don’t rely on your phone just in case you lose it or it runs out of battery.”
Hydrate
Drink tons of water – it’s the best strategy at a festival. Alternate between alcohol and water so you feel the hangover less and you can enjoy your time. Many festivals have fill up stations so you can bring a reusable water bottle and save money.
If all of this sounds terrible but you still want to see your favorite acts, consider booking a nearby hotel instead. You won’t be getting the full festival experience, but then again, it’s not for everyone.
Professional writer and proofreader Darryl Martin works at Academic Brits and PhD Kingdom. He enjoys writing about music, festivals, and summer activities. He is involved in many projects for reporting on new music trends and developments, and he’s always got his finger on the pulse of the entertainment industry. His work is also featured on Dissertation Help.