A Beginners Guide To Music Festivals

The key to having the dopest, most enlightening and super thrilling music festival experience is to be fully prepared for anything and everything that could happen. Music festivals showcase a large number of musical performances and are jampacked with other fun-filled activities that you won’t want to miss. Planning accordingly for the specific music fest your attending is crucial. Having prepared adequately for the musical wonderland will ultimately reduce stressors from unexpected events, as well as save time otherwise spent dwelling on your level of unpreparedness. Having a premade plan will ensure that your time spent on the festival grounds is chock full of unproblematic experiences you’ll never forget.

By following these essential guidelines that prepare music festival rookies and pros alike, you and your festival crew will spend the entire fest thriving.

1. Get A  Reliable Group Together

First things first, a festival going group must be assembled. Wrangle together at least two of your most reliable friends with a music taste that parallels your own. In most cases, this is the easiest step in your journey, but it the most crucial to get correct. Nailing a group of festival goers that are unproblematic, up to any experience, and trustworthy will reduce any drama that might occur during the festivities. Usually, a group of friends that already get along together will be your best bet for ensuring a great time filled with lasting memories.

2. Select Your Festival Together

There are a variety of festival types in varying locations to choose from. Typically a music festival will be two to four days, sometimes only one, and will be located in bigger cities with a vast amount of land to hold stages and other activities. Certain festivals such as Bonnaroo and Coachella will give you the option of residing on festival campgrounds for the duration of your stay. Other festivals such as Austin City Limits, only support daytime activities and concerts and have patrons leave the festival grounds once the last act is finished. This fest type requires making further transportation and lodging plans, so be ready to plan if you choose one like so.

Choose the type of festival you are most comfortable going to if you’re a first timer. But most importantly your festival should be a decision made by your music taste. While searching festivals choose the one that best satisfies all your music taste needs, and makes you giddy thinking about being there to experience it all.

3. Travel Plans, Lodging Arrangements, Packing List

Once you have finally solidified your crew and decided on the fest your attending, then its time to arrange for traveling and lodging. If you have decided on a fest that has campgrounds, then you must incorporate camping materials into your packing list, making sure they are in accordance with the festival’s rules. Click here, for a detailed campground packing list, to ensure you won’t forget anything.

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If your planning on attending a fest that fails to provide lodging arrangements, check out the festival’s website for recommended places to stay while you at the fest. In addition, most festivals website will have detailed traveling options for getting to and from the festival grounds. It is important and useful to check over the festivals website because it will provide specific information not only for lodging and transportation but will also provide you a detailed outline of how the festival will be run, a map of the grounds and as well as a list of “do’s and don’ts” and items or actions that are restricted inside the grounds.

4. Arrival Time

Once you have traveled the distance and finally made it to the entrance of the wonderland of music, you must push some of your excitement aside and focus on developing a plan of action. First things first, you and your crew should familiarize yourselves with the layout of the festival grounds. Take a few laps and naturalize yourself with areas that have activities you want to participate in, stages that have your favorite acts, bathroom/ shower areas and places to fill up water or get food. Most importantly, choose an unforgettable and unmistakable marker, such as the rainbow flags at Austin City Limits (pictured below)  to serve as a meeting place for your group to congregate if you get lost in the crowds. A pro tip is to take a few walkie talkies with you to ensure communication if phones die or if the meeting place gets overcrowded.

Once you’ve prepared its time to have the time of your life for the next few days at the musical festival of your choice. As you head home from an experience of a lifetime, reflect on the thing you brought of did that made your time their easy and breezy, as well as the things you wish you would have done or would have brought to make your time. Make a note of these things for your next music festival.

If your a pro already, share some of your tips for survival in the comment section below!

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