With summer just around the corner, the best time of the year is finally here: festival season. Music festivals are no joke, and for the first time festival goer, they can be a little intimidating. So if this summer is going to be your first ever festival experience, follow these tips to make the most of it!
1. Bring a fanny pack
You don’t need to bring too much with you to a music festival, but for the things you do bring (credit card, cash, cellphone), the best place to keep them is a fanny pack. They’re super convenient, not too heavy on your shoulders like a backpack, and they keep your few essential items completely safe. They also free up your hands, something that is crucial for when you’re trying to push your way to the front of the crowd!
2. Wear practical shoes
Music festivals are an all-day affair, and you’re going to be standing – and dancing – the majority of the time. Although cute sandals may perfect your festival outfit, by the end of the day, your feet will be paying the price. So ditch the gladiators, and wear comfortable (yet cute!) tennis shoes that will make it possible to be on your feet for hours at a time.
3. Bring extra contacts or a pair of backup glasses
This one’s for all the girls out there who, like me, suffer from below average eyesight. Music festivals are dusty, dirty and sweaty, and throughout the course of the day, something will inevitably get in your eye. There’s nothing quite like the pain of a dirty or ripped contact, so throw an extra pair of lenses or your favorite pair of glasses into your bag to make sure you can actually see the artists you’ve paid for.
4. Wear sunscreen and reapply
This one might seem obvious, but as a girl who burns in 60-degree weather, I am overly cautious when it comes to skin. Music festivals always seem to take place during the hottest week of the year, and with hardly any shade, the sun is going to be beating down on you pretty much the entire time. So slather on some SPF 50 before the festival, and then actually reapply every few hours. Trust me, your skin will thank you later. Just make sure the sunscreen isn’t in an aerosol can because most festivals don’t allow them inside!
5. Establish a meeting spot
Cell reception at music festivals is notoriously awful, and just trying to post a video to your snap story can completely drain your phone battery. As hard as you may try to avoid it, someone’s phone is eventually going to die. And because music festivals are crowded af, someone is eventually going to get separated from the rest of the group with no cellphone. To ensure that you all makes it out alive, pick a designated spot when you first get into the festival so everyone knows where to meet if they should get separated from the pack.
Images courtesy of Meghan Harrington