Hey there, if you stumbled upon this post, you must be going to a music festival for the very first time. Take a deep breath and prepare yourself for a great time. I remember getting ready for my first music festival/rave and I had no idea what was in store for me. Will my outfit make me stand out awkwardly? What if I don’t like the music? What actually goes on? What’s the crowd like? I’m sure these are all questions you’ve been thinking. I’m here to welcome you and answer those questions for you.
I’ve talked about how to prepare for EDC and how to prepare for Coachella which are great resources for going to a festival, but they can be very festival-specific tips. Feel free to also browse my Festival 101 page where most of these tips live as well.
Now I’m no expert by any means (can you get a degree in going to music festivals?), so take these tips as you will. I’m purely speaking from three years of going to music festivals, raves and events. In 2017 alone I hit Coachella, EDC, and Austin City Limits as a first timer and now I can share all I know from that. Enough of the rambling, here are my best kept tips for first time music festival goers.
Leading Up to the Festival
So you’ve decided to go to your first music festival, there are some things to think about logistically like how are you getting there, where will you be staying, etc.
Getting There
If you’re within distance of the festival, look at options like driving (if someone is willing to DD) and look at getting a parking pass, some festivals offer shuttles from major hotels to the festival, uber and lyft can also be an option just be weary of crazy surcharges during major pickup and dropoff times.
If you need to fly, start looking at plane tickets ASAP! I personally am a Southwest gal so I always have email alerts for flights. I know friends who use SkyScanner, Google Flights, and Hopper to help them get the most affordable flights. You don’t want to wait on this. I would budget up to $400 round-trip just in case. It all depends on the weekend, the days you want to travel, and what airlines you choose.
Where to Stay
If you are fortunate to go to a festival and return to your bed at night then congrats to you. I could do that for Austin City Limits and it was incredible. If you can’t do that and don’t have friends that live in the area, look into hotels and airbnbs. I have had great success looking for hotels on Expedia and airbnbs. Whenever I buy my tickets for a festival the next thing I do is a book a hotel on Expedia because most of the time you don’t have to pay until you check-in so you can lock in the best deal. Airbnbs do make you pay up front so if you can do that and find something that works for your budget that is also a good option. Four friends and I paid $50 each for our EDC airbnb the whole weekend and we booked that in November while EDC was in May. The sooner the better.
Health & Wellness
Leading up to the festival, it is important to build up your immunity. I take immunity boosting supplements like Echinacea and Oregano Oil (consult a professional before adding these into your diet). I take EmergenC before, during and after the festival to give myself that Vitamin C boost to avoid getting sick. If that’s not your jam that’s okay, the biggest takeaway is to make sure you are getting as much sleep as possible in the days leading up. You are going to put your body through a lot over the festival, you want to give it as much rest as possible.
Download Your Festival’s App
If your festival has an app, be sure to download it. It’s usually filled with lots of goodies like set-times, festival map, information on food and vendors, etc. When set times drop, pick artists you want to see of course, but also prepare yourself to go with the flow and be open to see artists you’ve never heard of. If you barely know anyone on the lineup, that’s okay! Spend some time on Spotify and Soundcloud looking some artists up to get an idea of who you’d want to see.
What to Wear
I have some outfit ideas for EDC and Coachella you can check out as well. Mainly if a festival has a certain type of vibe you want to match, I always go to Pinterest and Instagram. If you just search for the hashtag of the festival or look at their tagged photos on the festival’s Instagram you can see how others dressed in previous years. Don’t feel like you need to go out and buy a ton of stuff. Wear something that embodies who you are and that you feel comfortable in. The first couple events I went to I wore a big t-shirt and fishnets or high waisted rave shorts and a crop top. It wasn’t until this past year I’ve been taking more risks with what I wear.
For multi-genre festivals, I usually go to Forever 21 and get pieces I can wear to a festival but also in everyday life. For more ravey type outfits, my go-tos are Freedom Rave Wear and Rave With Mi Gente because of the quality and fit. iHeartRaves is also good for the essential basics like bottoms, bandanas, fishnets, etc.
When it comes to shoes, wear shoes you can dance and walk around A LOT in. Also helps to get some Dr. Scholls and sneak in some Tylenol or Advil for if your feet start to hurt.
What to Bring
Check on the website what you’re allowed to bring to make sure you won’t have any issues with security. Especially check if items need to be sealed like gum and chapstick (if this is the case I’ll buy multiple depending on how many days of the festival there are). The items that I always bring with me are:
- My Vibedration (hydration pack)
- A bandana
- Chapstick
- Gum
- Portable Charger & Cord
- Sunscreen if it’s a day-time event
- Earplugs
- FAN and/or SPRAY BOTTLE (It gets toasty friends)
- Cash just in case they don’t take card
- My camera: I check for if my camera’s allowed and if the handheld tripod or “selfie stick” Is allowed. Coachella made me throw out my GoPro stick and I’m still salty.
- Wetwipes and Hand Sanitizer for portapotties
Some choose to not have a hydration pack and use a fanny pack and a water bottle which is also okay. Just make sure you have a plan for how you’re going to stay hydrated whether it’s a reusable water bottle or hydration pack. Hydration is so important at festivals.
At the Festival
Those pre-festival jitters are by far my favorite. The anticipation that’s been leading up this festival I’m sure has been crazy for you. Now for the fun part. Here’s how you can live your best life at a festival.
Security
Security can always be hit or miss. They are either super detailed and will check every pocket in your backpack or they’ll take one peek in. Always see how they do security day 1 then adjust if you’re bringing in some items that aren’t allowed in. I’ve seen some people sneak in a whole bag of wine at Electric Forest and then I’ve seen some people get open cigarettes and gum thrown away for not being sealed you just never know.
HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE
The first thing I do when I get to a festival is to find the nearest water station and restroom. I like to get a sense of the lay of the land and identify those things. Especially water is super important to stay hydrated throughout the whole weekend. If you’re camelback is empty, go refill it asap. It’s okay to miss a song or two over getting dehydrated.
Cell Service
This honesty depends. I’ve had great service and I’ve had bad service. Whatever the case is make sure you timestamp any text messages to your friends. Usually if you’re closer to a stage or dead middle, service will be bad, but if you’re on the outskirts or walking around it tends to be better. Pro-tip if you have an iPhone go to settings, Cellular, and turn off data for all the apps you aren’t using, this helps your battery life a ton.
Group Tips
If you’re in a big group, identify some meeting spots for if you get split up. I will say this that it is OKAY if you want to see an artist and no one else does. Compromise with your group and split sets or go alone. I’ve gone to sets by myself and had so much fun then I always try and meet back up with my group. Firechat is a good app for groups that can help you send texts even when cell service is bad.
Safety
Make sure to important items close to you or in a pocket a stranger can’t access. Thieves are real at festivals so keep important items out of arm’s reach for someone to dig through your pack. Always be aware of your surroundings and usually festivals have a help number you can reach if you need assistance. Never be afraid to ask for help if you or a friend need medical assistance or you feel that you are not safe.
Disconnect to Connect
You don’t need to record everything on your snapchat. Take a couple photos and videos and enjoy the festival and the people you are with. Festivals go in the blink of an eye and you don’t want it to be spent staring at your phone screen.
Most importantly, have fun and be yourself!!! Festivals are an open and positive space to express yourself and just get flat out weird. I love going to festivals and see my favorite artists, but I love getting to share these memories with my friends and to make new friends. My tips can only help so much, it’s up to you to have a good and positive attitude and you’ll have an amazing time.
I hope these tips helped! Let me know if I missed anything. As always, stay vibey and have fun at your first festival! Tag me on social media so I can see you living your best life.
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