Festival season is on its way, and music lovers all over the country are preparing to pack their bags, pitch their tents, and escape their ordinary reality for a weekend of revelry and raging sound systems.
But for some of the less experienced festivalgoers, who are yet to fine-tune their festival skills, the allure of these weekend celebrations still hasn't hit home. Many view the events as muddy, wet, loud, uncivilized, and, overall, not worth it.
If that's your opinion on festivals, then the chances are that you're not doing them right. Follow this step-by-step guide, and soon you'll be fully equipped.
But for some of the less experienced festivalgoers, who are yet to fine-tune their festival skills, the allure of these weekend celebrations still hasn't hit home. Many view the events as muddy, wet, loud, uncivilized, and, overall, not worth it.
If that's your opinion on festivals, then the chances are that you're not doing them right. Follow this step-by-step guide, and soon you'll be fully equipped.
1. Don't Get Duped
Unfortunately, festivalgoers often fall at the first hurdle. Getting your hands on legitimate tickets can be a difficult process as official vendors often sell out quickly and force you to look for scalped tickets. What's more, websites used to sell fake tickets may also be collecting your credit card details and draining your bank account, to double the blow.
To avoid having your festival dreams crushed before you even get there make sure you buy tickets from trustworthy sources. To avoid fans having to use dodgy sites, some online vendors, such as Ticketmaster, now have their resale section, so this is a great option. However if this isn't fruitful, and you’re forced to look elsewhere, it’s worth using a well-reviewed VPN when browsing unknown sites, to encrypt your information and protect yourself from these potentially malicious domains.
To avoid having your festival dreams crushed before you even get there make sure you buy tickets from trustworthy sources. To avoid fans having to use dodgy sites, some online vendors, such as Ticketmaster, now have their resale section, so this is a great option. However if this isn't fruitful, and you’re forced to look elsewhere, it’s worth using a well-reviewed VPN when browsing unknown sites, to encrypt your information and protect yourself from these potentially malicious domains.
2. The Perfect Pitch
One you’ve successfully made it to the festival, it’s time to avoid the next rookie error. Far too often, punters will arrive on the grounds and drop their camping gear in the first place they find, only to spend the rest of the weekend complaining about how it’s too loud, it smells, and people keep urinating just a few feet away.
To avoid this situation, follow these few simple rules:
To avoid this situation, follow these few simple rules:
- Aim to be far enough away from the main arena that you won’t be deafened, but close enough so the walk to nip back to your tent mid-set won’t be impossible.
- Avoid walls! These inevitably become toilets at some point during the weekend.
- Being right next to thoroughfares increases your likelihood of getting robbed. While these spots are ideal to find your tent, it's worth aiming to be a row or two back.
- Stay far, far away from the toilet blocks – they will smell and it won’t be pretty.
- Finally, chose somewhere you’ll be able to find in pitch black during the night. Landmarks such as flags or tall billboards are useful markers.
3. Know Your Community
Once you’ve found your perfect pitch, it’s time to get sociable. Sure, you might have come with a group of your best friends, but getting to know the people around you is sure to make it a festival to remember.
Not only does it mean you’ll get to know some potentially awesome, like-minded people, it also forms a minor community in your little camping ground. Many a festival morning have I spent trading bacon for other essentials, such as torch batteries, with nearby campers – and it unquestionably transforms your experience.
Not only does it mean you’ll get to know some potentially awesome, like-minded people, it also forms a minor community in your little camping ground. Many a festival morning have I spent trading bacon for other essentials, such as torch batteries, with nearby campers – and it unquestionably transforms your experience.
4. Take It Easy
Especially if it's your first festival, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Late nights, beautiful lights, beer tents, and parties till sunset; in fact, it's almost a rite of passage to overdo it massively on your first time and spend most of the weekend dying in your tent.
However, if you don’t want to spend all Sunday hidden under shade, with noise cancellers in ears, waiting for the horror to be over, then all you have to do is simply take it easy. Just because the line-up doesn’t finish till 6 in the morning, doesn’t mean you have to stay up that late, and there’s no shame in the occasional midday nap. Look after yourself and you’re sure to make the most out of the weekend.
However, if you don’t want to spend all Sunday hidden under shade, with noise cancellers in ears, waiting for the horror to be over, then all you have to do is simply take it easy. Just because the line-up doesn’t finish till 6 in the morning, doesn’t mean you have to stay up that late, and there’s no shame in the occasional midday nap. Look after yourself and you’re sure to make the most out of the weekend.
5. Go Solo
For those who festival with large groups of friends, organization can be a nightmare: you spend more time trying to find each other, or attempting to stick to a carefully planned schedule of all the bands you want to see, that you miss a massive part of the experience.
If you’re not up for trying the whole weekend alone, see what happens if you let yourself get separated for a while. It's likely you'll stumble over some exciting new music and make some new friends along the way. Just make sure you all know to meet back at the tent eventually, or sync up each other’s phones with the ‘Find My Friends’ app so you can be located in case of emergency.
If you’re not up for trying the whole weekend alone, see what happens if you let yourself get separated for a while. It's likely you'll stumble over some exciting new music and make some new friends along the way. Just make sure you all know to meet back at the tent eventually, or sync up each other’s phones with the ‘Find My Friends’ app so you can be located in case of emergency.
6. Try New Things
Finally, but perhaps most importantly, to make the most out of your festival time, you have to throw caution to the wind and try things you wouldn't usually. Often, punters will come with a pre-conceived plan of all the bands they want to see, and won’t stray from that list.
However, if you're willing to put down the lineup, and have a wander, you never know what you might uncover. There’s often exclusive late night DJ sets that you might stumble upon, or you could come across an early morning African drumming workshop that ends up being the highlight of your weekend. If you attack a festival with unfettered curiosity, then you're bound to have the time of your life!
So this summer, don't be afraid of the festivals. Use this guide and you'll learn to appreciate these summertime celebrations like never before. Do you have any more tips to help festivalgoers transform their experience? Be sure to leave a comment below and share your ideas with fellow music-lovers!
However, if you're willing to put down the lineup, and have a wander, you never know what you might uncover. There’s often exclusive late night DJ sets that you might stumble upon, or you could come across an early morning African drumming workshop that ends up being the highlight of your weekend. If you attack a festival with unfettered curiosity, then you're bound to have the time of your life!
So this summer, don't be afraid of the festivals. Use this guide and you'll learn to appreciate these summertime celebrations like never before. Do you have any more tips to help festivalgoers transform their experience? Be sure to leave a comment below and share your ideas with fellow music-lovers!
 | Cassie is an entertainment blogger who enjoys sharing all the tips and tricks she has picked up to make the most out of your festival or concert experience. |
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