Outdoor music festivals are a whole different kind of monster.
I'm talking about events like the Vans Warped Tour, The Bamboozle, Coachella, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, and many others. Having multiple acts on multiple stages thrown in your face at the same time can be overwhelming at first. And depending on where you're located and what time of the year it is (hello, Warped Tour in Texas in the SUMMERTIME), it can be dangerous.
I wrote a similar post on my personal blog. Although it's specifically tailored to one's first experience at Never Say Never Festival, I think it applies to most outdoor music festivals either way!
Read along to find out how to take on your first outdoor music festival.
Firstly, figure out what to wear to the festival. In the summer, avoid wearing pants, long sleeves, or anything bulky or heavy. Make sure you wear reliable shoes that provide support. You're going to be on your feet all day and the last thing you need are achey feet.
Stay hydrated. This is probably the best piece of advice you will ever get. I cannot stress how important this is, if it hasn't already occured to you. Unfortunately, people have died from dehydration at festivals. Yes, it's THAT serious.
Festivals like Warped Tour have been offering free water stations since about 2013. If the festival you're at doesn't offer free water, make sure to bring enough money to buy water bottles throughout the day.
If it's nice and sunny out, apply sunscreen. I don't care if you never tan or if it's decently cloudy, put sunscreen on.
Sometimes the sun still gets to you no matter how much you hydrate. Festivals like Warped Tour have tents set up specifically to provide shade for tired-out folks. Find shade somewhere if you need to cool down.
Mother Nature can do what she pleases, so keep an eye out for rain or other weather anomalies in your local weather forecast, and plan accordingly. Most outdoor events say that they're rain-or-shine, but don't be surprised if they shut down the event for safety reasons if it gets dangerous.
Once you get to the festival grounds, figure out the layout of the place.
Find out what stage the acts you want to see are playing on. Find out where you can see the schedule of events. Also look for areas where merchandise, food and beverages will be sold. Once you find these things, schedule your day.
In addition to locating stages and set times, zero in on the restrooms as well as the medical area. You never know when you'll be in an emergency situation. It doesn't hurt to designate a meet-up spot, just in case you get separated from your group.
To the music, of course!
Explore the grounds. Make friends. Take pictures. Make memories.
If you can feel as great as this girl by the end of the night, you can do anything.
My name's Aissa! I love live music and it's my life goal to spread that love to others.