Music Festival Survival Guide

As an avid lover of vibes, beats, and everything in between, music festivals have been a part of my life since I begged my parents for 4 months straight in the 6th grade to let me go to my first concert alone with my best friend. (We the Kings, Never Shout Never, Forever the Sickest Kids. No shame.) When I was in middle school, this meant Warped Tour (don’t hate, you know you loved it). As I progressed in taste and transitioned from black skinny jeans and vans to corduroys and coffee, this began to mean little festivals, big festivals, concerts in dirty bars, concerts in slightly less dirty bars, Loufest, and finally Lollapalooza. Though the journey is worth it, there are definitely some wrong turns to be made if you’ve never had to go multiple days without immediate access to food, water, dry clothes, sun screen, or a sunny disposition. With Jazz Fest and the summer festival circuit fast approaching, here’s some tips to make sure you have the best time of your life and not a surprise weekend home in bed with aloe covering every inch of your burning body after being found in a random school bus 100 miles outside of the nearest city with your “SuPeR AwEsOmE new Friendzz!!!” (you laugh like this has never happened).

1.     Dress appropriately

This might seem like a no brainer, but I cannot tell you how many times I have seen poor young girls run through the gates of Lolla with excitement in their eyes and flowers in their hair and have to turn back 4 hours later after realizing that their sundresses and leather jackets are not only uncomfortable, but impractical. Crop tops are fine, but I’d advise going heavy on the TOP and less on the CROP (read, those lacey bras from Urban Outfitters are not actually shirts, and if you’re going to wear it please stop crowd surfing with them on, it stresses me out). You’ll never regret comfortable, I guarantee it.

2.     Two syllables: BACK. PACK.

You know that back pack you used in the 8th grade that you swore would never see the light of day again? Yep, you’re about to whip it out, and stuff a PBJ, unopened plastic water bottle, and extra t shirt in it. Backpacks rock, but make sure you pick a sturdy one with zippers instead of pouches, and not one that you plan on bringing back to school (I love you, 7th grade checkered hot pink vans backpack).

3.     Nomz. Nomz. Nomz.

Eat the festival food. It’s expensive, and I mean stupid expensive, but a lot of it is really good and stuff you probably won’t get anywhere else. Breaks are necessary, why not spend that time eating your first lobster corndog? (YEP, THIS IS REAL LIFE)

4.     Sunscreen

“Omg I’ve been tanning all summer like it’s literally impossible for me to burn anymore.” BULL. On the last day of any music festival I’ve ever been to, I see at least 5 people who actually look like they should be hospitalized/imprisoned for being a zombie tomato human hybrid. Take the five seconds to put on sun screen in the morning and once again in the afternoon, I promise you won’t regret it and your shoulders will thank me.

5.     Do not, I repeat do not, forget the ticket.

There is nothing like finally arriving at the gates of your destination and suddenly getting that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that you left your wristband/ticket/fragment of your soul in the hotel room. You will try to argue with the ticket people, and they will make you cry (RIP fake Stubhub Lolla ticket 2012). Write a reminder on your arm in sharpie every day if you have to, looking like a nerd is much better than the alternative. (Also nerdy is trendy now, so…)

6.     Sunglasses

Eyeballs need love too, plus you’ll look super cool even when you’re gross and sweaty, like this:

7.     PONCHOS ARE COOL

Okay no they’re not, but neither is the rain and when you get caught in your first festival hurricane with no shelter in sight and a cell phone with water damage in your pocket, you will no longer care how awesome you look in your new flimbsy top. Plastic rain ponchos are relatively easy to find and only cost $5 at Walgreens. Worth it.

8.     Try to bring in food.

I’m not going to suggest you do anything illegal, but if there’s any way you can stuff a few granola bars in the bottom of that bag and maybe, I don’t know, wrap it in your extra t shirt, I would highly suggest it. Security fluctuates at every festival, so definitely feel it out on the first day. Personally, I managed to smuggle in a very sharp and potentially violent coat hanger/santa hat combo into Lolla for 2 days straight last summer in addition to 2 water bottles and 5 granola bars, so as far as I’m concerned, go for gold. Which leads me to…

9.     FLAG.

Flags are freaking cool, and having a creative flag that is both inventive and hilarious can make you new interesting friends and help you find your real friends when you have absolutely zero cell service due to the insane amount of people packed into a very tiny area. Last year while camping out for Mumford and Sons for 6 hours by myself, (Mom, I know I said I’d never be alone but it was Mumford), I made friends with a lovely couple from Canada after they made a comment about my santa hat flag on a very bent out of shape hanger being the funniest they’d seen all day. After a few hours, an attentive security guard took away my coat hanger (obviously I looked threatening), but I still waved the santa hat with all my might until my friends weaseled through the crowd and found me. Nbd but our spots were freaking great. RIP santa hat flag. Furthermore…

10. If you’re going to wait it out for a front row spot, be wary of crowd surfers.

Crowd surfing. Seemingly innocent while in the back of the concert, being on the barricade and dealing with 20 crowd surfers a minute coming at the back of your head can be a little distracting, if not incredibly dangerous. Always be aware of what’s going on behind you, even when you’re freaking out about your super swagged out spots and the fact that you just made eye contact with Marcus Mumford for what seemed like eternity. Lastly…

11. Do something weird.

I don’t mean weird like hey yeah let’s try whatever’s in that plastic bag from the nice man we met behind the porta potty, but make an effort to do something that makes you a little bit uncomfortable. Go outside of your comfort zone, talk to the people next to you, and if a random school bus passes you by filled with crazy 20 somethings screaming “THIS IS THE PARTY BUS” when you have to evacuate because dangerous weather has shut your festival down, maybe get on it for a while and ask where they’re going. At the end of the day, at least you’ll have a good story to tell your grand kids.