The late ’60s was a pivotal moment for music and counterculture. In America, Woodstock offered three days of peace and music one summer of 1969. In the UK, the Isle of Wight Festival had rocked the eponymous island for three consecutive years. A lot of music festivals have popped up since then–Glastonbury, the revived Isle of Wight Festival, Coachella, Lollapalooza–all offering to give music lovers and fans the experience of a lifetime.
If it’s your first time going to one, then a little preparation will do you good. Here’s how you can survive and enjoy the music festival experience.
Book a hotel ASAP
Booking a hotel lets you have a place to rest after the event instead of tiredly driving back home. However, where there’s people, there’s money. As soon as you can get the tickets to the music festival of your choosing, book a hotel immediately. Room prices increase as demand grows. When this happens, you may be left with a shady cash-only motel with thin walls.
Secure your transport
Say, for example, you and your friends are heading to Glastonbury next year. Whether you’ll be camping in-site or staying in a hotel in Bath City Centre or anywhere in Somerset, bring a car or have someone drive you to and fro. Securing a vehicle will let you save time and effort from booking a taxi or a ride-share when the event ends.
Pack (everything) lightly
Music festivals will be a pain on your whole body. Bring everything you need and pack lightly at the same time. There are many ways you jam an extra set of clothes, food, water, money, and a lot more inside a rucksack without it becoming too heavy. Bring a set or two of earplugs as well because it will get deafeningly loud.
Get to the event early
Do you want to see your favourite musician up close? Do you want to have a comfortable parking/camping area? Get to the event as early as you can. You’ll be sharing the huge, sprawling area with a few thousand people; might as well get comfy in a good spot.
Wear something comfortable
You don’t always have to go 1960s Boho-chic when going to Coachella. But there’s a reason for that: they’re comfortable in the hot California weather. From your footwear to your clothes, wear something comfortable. In Glastonbury, that means extra layers of clothing. UK weather is a tad too unpredictable to mess with.
Contingency plans are vital
Whenever there’s a plan A, there needs to be a plan B to Z. Always prepare for the worst when going to such big events instead of outright panicking. Create plans on how to navigate the crowds or where to meet when someone gets lost. Know first aid measures when someone gets hurt or worse. You and your friends only have each other after all.
Know the festival area
If in the middle of a headliner performance and you need to take a tinkle or a number two, you better know where the portable toilets are. With music festivals being huge affairs that they are, getting lost looking for the loo is the worst thing that could happen to you.
Going to any music festival unprepared will make your first-time experience unenjoyable. Make it easy for yourself. Plan your music festival experience accordingly.
