8 Things I Learned From My First Year At Warped Tour

Warped Tour is a punk rock music festival, full of bands like Sleeping with Sirens, Pierce the Veil, The Maine, and more! I attended for the first time last year in Phoneix, AZ, and learned some valuable lessons for future experiences. Now, there's so much more I could have talked about, and I don't want to limit the experience to just 8 points. But I felt these are the most important ones!

1. Purchase your ticket early

I didn't because last year, discounted Warped tickets were available if you had also gone to the Panic! At The Disco & Weezer concert two days prior. I was under the impression that you could only get the discount at the door. I was wrong! Always check on the Warped website for discount opportunities. Also, if you don't get your tickets early, they do go up in price the closer it gets to the date.

2. Eat before you go

I attended Warped Tour in July. I was sweating before I even got in the door. I have a habit of not eating breakfast, but I had already sweat so much by the time I got into the actual gates that I almost passed out. YIKES. Also like most festivals, the food is insanely expensive! Eat a big breakfast, the gates open at 11 a.m. so you have plenty of time to before the bands start!

3. Speaking of food, bring snacks and lots of water

Pack up your backpack, it's going to be a long day. Warped Tour allows you to bring one sealed bottle of water in, and they do have free water filling stations at the festival. Although, be prepared for long lines and not cold water! I did see a lot of Camelback water packs, so I might consider that for this next year.

They also allow you to bring in homemade and/or smaller snacks, like granola bars or PB&J sandwiches. But I saw a girl bring in a huge sub that she had bought from Walmart. So I feel like as long as you're not trying to bring an entire picnic, you'll be okay!

4. DO NOT WEAR ALL BLACK

I know, I know, your emo self is crying. But it is hot. Especially in Phoenix! I wore black TOMS and it was the worst decision. There is little to no shade all day, so be prepared with sunscreen, a dad hat, whatever you need to stay cool. I wore a bathing suit under a crop top and comfy shorts, and I'll probably do the same thing this year!

5. Get cash beforehand for parking, merchandise, etc.

Most of the band merch tables will take your cards, but parking is all cash. I had cash on me to buy a paper schedule instead of running back and forth to see the blown-up sign with all the bands and stages on it. That was worth it for me!

6. Bring 1 (or 2) portable chargers

You're going to be using your phone all day, whether it's to Snapchat your friend crowd surfing during Knuckle Puck, or to tweet about how the fashion at Warped Tour is so much better than Coachella (guilty), your phone will not last all day. I brought one portable charger with me in my backpack and my phone was still dead at the end of the night. Granted, my phone battery at the time was awful. But it's better to be prepared with an extra charger than stranded with a dead phone.

7. Under 16? Bring a parent in for free

Warped tried to ban it this year because people, who were not parents, were trying to take advantage of the free ticket (that's the worst isn't it?). But they got so much backlash over ending the program that they decided to reinstate it with changes made. If you are under 16 and have a paid ticket, your parent/guardian that is over 28 can get in for free with photo ID. You both have to enter at the same time, and there's no in and out privilege. There's also a "Reverse Daycare Center" for parents to chill out while you're watching all the bands! If I had been able to go to Warped at that age, my dad would have loved that. But he probably would have been watching the bands with me!

8. Pace yourself

It's a long day, but it's lots of fun. But remember to take a break every once and a while. There are designated "shade tents" around that generally get crowded pretty fast, but last year they had a Monster Energy misting trailer, where you walk through a bunch of misters in order to cool down, some tour stops have slip and slide attractions as well (Phoenix didn't last year). Remember to be safe, wear light clothing, and scream along to your favorite songs! Maybe I'll see you there this year!