With the music festival season well underway, I thought it would be helpful to share some of the tips and tricks of festival going that I’ve collected over the years. I myself have been an annual attendee of the Austin City Limits Music Festival in my hometown of Austin, Texas for the past fourteen years of my life and I will be returning home for the fifteenth year next week. As anyone who has been to a musical festival will tell you, it’s an amazing experience but it can also be a little bit stressful at times, especially when there are so many people around. Hopefully, these tips will make the festival going experience easier for regular attendees and first-timers alike.
1. Check the website!
This one is a biggie. Whatever festival you’re going to, check its website. There you will find all kinds of information regarding the various vendors, what the schedule is, what the rules are, and, most importantly, what you can and cannot bring. There is nothing worse than getting to a festival and realizing you have to leave your aerosol sunscreen at the gate because it is a prohibited item and you come home with a blistering sunburn (been there, done that). By checking the website, you avoid any stress about possibly bringing the wrong thing. And if you have any questions about specific items, call the festival headquarters. They will be more than happy to answer your questions.
2. Don’t bring a huge backpack.
The less you bring, the better. Some festivals won’t even allow bags over a certain size. When you’re gearing up to head out to the festival grounds, it may seem like a good idea to fill up with everything you could possibly need, but lugging that thing around all day, likely in the heat, will get old after about two hours. I personally would recommend something along the lines of a small Camelback, the Kavu over the shoulder rope bags, or even just a fanny pack. And when it comes to filling up your bag, I’m usually fine with just my wallet (put this in a place that’s hard to easily reach so that it doesn’t get stolen), the festival schedule, some sunscreen, and a water bottle.
3. Have an alternate number attached to your phone.
This is in case your phone gets lost, which is a very likely possibility. By having an alternate number that is visible to whoever finds it, that person can call the number and sort out a way of returning the phone. There are multiple ways of doing this. One option is to set the lock screen to a photo saying something along the lines of “If found, please call (insert number here) to return phone.” However, my preferred option is to write that same thing on a note and attach it to the outside of my phone case. This way, if the phone is dead, the number can still be seen and the phone will hopefully be returned.
4. Have a group meeting place.
I’m sure you hear this one all the time, but trust me when I say it is important. If you get separated from the group that you’re with, there’s a likely chance that you won’t have any cell service due to the large amount of people all trying to use their phones at the same time. By having a meeting place already established it is easier to know what to do in that situation. The rules I usually go by with my friends are as follows:
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If we get separated during a concert, go to the meeting place immediately following the end of the concert. It’s likely we were just separated during a surge of people and we still want to enjoy the show, even if we may not be standing next to each other.
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If we get separated and it’s not during a concert, go to the meeting place if you can’t find the person within fifteen minutes.
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If you are waiting at the meeting place and the other person doesn’t show up after thirty minutes, go to the police.
Going to the police seems a little scary and might be overkill in some cases, but they’re really good at finding lost people. Usually you won’t have to go that far though. The meeting place rules have worked for my friends and me every single time we have had to use it.
5. Plan your schedule with care.
I know you may want to pack every single second of the festival with concerts and raves, but that’s just unrealistic. It’s important to not only choose wisely which shows you’d like to see, but also to plan time for food, rest, more food, and more rest. Festivals are exhausting and being under the hot sun all day can really wear you out. By taking moments throughout the day to simply refuel, you’ll be way less exhausted when you wake up for day two or day three!
I hope these five tips make your festival experience as magical as it should be!