The past two weekends of Coachella signaled the beginning of festival season, so in honor of that I have put together a list of things everyone who has attended Coachella, or any other music festival, knows to be true.
1. You will make “concert friends” and they are entirely different than your normal friends.
Whether you meet them because you sat on their shoulders during your favorite G-Eazy song, or because you were fangirling over the same band, these friends share special bonds. I mean, you clearly have the same taste in music, which speaks volume about a person, right? But they’re also friends who somehow become best friends within a few hours of dancing. That’s pretty special.
2. A fanny pack is your best friend.
You might think carrying around a big bag with all of your festival essentials is a good idea at 11am, but you will feel quite different about that at 11pm. Dancing and jumping up and down with a shoulder strap rubbing on your skin? No thank you.
3. There are A LOT of drunk people.
Because obviously.
4. BUT, there are also a lot of people who stay sober.
Contrary to popular belief, not everybody goes to festivals to party for three days. Some people actually, *gasp*, are there for the music and want to remember their experiences. To each their own, though.
5. If you’re still wearing a flower crown in 2016, you will be judged (at least a little.)
We all know this trend is a little bit overdone at this point.
6. Going in with a plan or a schedule is kind of a rookie move.
You never know what bands you might actually enjoy when you’re not racing around to catch every artist on the radio. Festivals are about the experience, and you’ll come to learn that trying to plan each day takes away from that.
7. American flag bandanas. Everywhere.
Hello, frat bros with camelbacks.
8. Celebrity spotting is very real, but being obnoxious about it? Not so cool.
I know how cool it is to see Taylor Swift dancing at Calvin Harris, or Gigi Hadid on the back of a golf cart, but they’re here trying to be normal and for the music too. Don’t take away from their experience!
9. Drink your coffee beforehand, and stock up on power bars.
Unless of course you want to pay $8 for coffee and $10 for a taco. Disclaimer: you may have to sneak in those power bars, but it is 100% worth it.
10. You will somehow justify buying the $7 watermelon wedge for the picture.
Did you even go to Coachella if you didn’t take a picture with the watermelon? This is just one of those things you make the conscious choice to splurge on this weekend.
11. No matter what shoes you wear, your feet will hurt by the end of the night.
The walk back to the car at the end of the day is borderline hellish. I suggest you save your toenails and still ditch the cute sandals for converse.
12. Don’t spend your entire time seeing DJ’s but also don’t knock the DJ’s.
If you only see EDM all day, it may be worth it to take some time to see a few bands. On the flip side though, if you shun DJ’s all weekend, you won’t get to experience a big part of the festival. Try something new!
13. It will be the best weekend of your life.
Music festivals are like a haven from the rest of the world. Go in with an open mind, a positive attitude, and comfortable shoes, and you will feel on top of the world.