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How To Survive Your First Music Festival

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Winthrop chapter.

Music festivals are a popular place for most college students. It’s so much fun and you’ll make memories you’ll never forget! However, it can get pretty hectic and be very overwhelming to first timers. So here is your lady-approved guide to how to survive your first music festival! 

Drink loads of water. 

You’re going to be doing a lot of dancing, singing and sweating. Make sure you stay hydrated so that it doesn’t cause any medical problems. You don’t want to be that girl that forgets to drink water and ends up passing out before your favorite band performs! 

Wear comfortable shoes. 

You will be on your feet jumping around at least 50% of the time, so you’re going to want to be comfortable. I know sandals and heels are cute, but they can do some serious damage to your feet. Plus, you don’t want to ruin cute shoes in the mud. 

Be prepared for ANY weather situation.

Weather is unpredictable. One day could be super sunny and the next day it could rain all day. Be prepared for an evacuation if it does rain. Also be prepared for mud because chances are everything you own will get ruined in that mud. Poncho’s are also a must-have for that festival weather because you can ditch them whenever it stops and you don’t have to take it home with you. Also, if you’re into a little DIY and don’t have a poncho, trash bags make a great makeshift poncho. 

Know the schedule.

You don’t want to forget when your favorite band plays, so this tip is a given. Luckily, most music festivals have developed apps where they conviently list the times each artist/band is performing and the location. They can also use the app to alert anyone with it downloaded about any changes to the originally schedule. 

 

Dress comfortably.

Dressing cute is definitely what all of us want to do so we can get that cute Insta-worthy shot, but also it is normally super hot out during festival season. Not to mention having a lot of people in a small space basically doubles the heat. The last thing you want is to take a picture with you friends when you’re drenched in sweat, so make sure you wear breathable clothing that isn’t to tight so you have room to dance around and have fun! 

Know the layout of the area well. 

You’ll want to know the layout of the venue, so that you can get to everything you need. You’ll want to know where the closest bathrooms and food vendors are in between sets. This definitely comes in handy so that you are not wasting any valuable time looking for different places around the venue. Also, you’ll need to know where each stage is and the quickest route to them so you can get the best spot to enjoy the show with a good view so you can have the coolest Snapchat story ever. 

Sunscreen.

Honestly, don’t skip the sunscreen. It’s kind of self explanatory, but the sun can cause some serious damage to that pretty skin of yours. It’s in your best interest to protect it because you’re going to have to live with it for the rest of your life. 

Have fun. 

I think this is the most important tip for any first time music festival goer. A lot of the time people get so caught up about different aspects of their day that have gone wrong that they forget what they’re really there for: the music. So if worst comes to worst, just forget about everything else for a little bit and just enjoy the music because that is what you paid for. 

So lady bosses, I wish you luck at your first music festival! 

An avid dog video watcher and glasses wearer who enjoys Disney. You should definitely follow her on Instagram and Twitter @beccaliterally if you want quality selfies along with rare dog pictures.
Winthrop University is a small, liberal arts college in Rock Hill, SC.