The real answer is that there is no definitive age to stop attending festivals. However, that does not undermind the fact that as college students and young adults, we all know someone who lives their life in hopes of attending every music festival and show ever.
I truly believe that music festivals and shows can be absolutely necessary, and can make for a much needed escape of reality when school, work and life in general has us stressed out.
As Stevie Wonder once said, "Music is a world within itself". I could not agree more as I have felt the powerful and euphoric pull of music's effect on my mind, body, and soul. Feeling your worries disappear as you dance, sing, rage, or simply relax to the beats of your favorite band cannot be matched by anything else.
Perhaps these stimulative attributes act as catalysts for someone's music festival addiction. Their intentions may start pure but the end result is not very attractive. In my near twenty- three years of living I have seen a handfew of leaders and a handful of followers. The music festival scene is peaking now in the 2010's just as it was in the 60's and 70's. This is a great time to be alive because listening to music is easy and seeing your favorite artists is definitely accessible. This attracts large crowds of mostly young, but all ages of people. The mega-festivals that attract today's youth are expensive but frequent and all over the world- especially in America. This way, we can save up for them, plan them, and have them to look forward to all year round. Spontaniety is also a factor too for some of us like myself are very last minute when making decisions.
Some people in and around my age group take the music scene to the absolute extreme, ruining it for those of us who are there for the sole purpose of music and seeing our favorite artists with an amazing group of people.
Making new friends at a music event is rare and special in a sea of obvious posers trying to be a part of the crowd. When I am in a packed crowd at a sold out festival and have been patiently waiting for my favorite DJ or band to take the stage, it is all too familiar at this point to be next to a group of people who are not really appreciating the music, who are there for the drugs and alcohol, on their phones the whole time, and there to show face. Your instagram photo just cost you four-hundred dollars; I bet you can't name four artists in the lineup.
Aside from that, at this age it is so crucial to be making progressive choices in our lives which involves not only saving money, but making oneself more prudent in our choice making. If you are in your 20's and still using every last saved penny to go towards a music festival just to say that you went to it, you probably have not put too much thought into what you are doing after college.
Dressing up is fun, dressing down is even more fun, and all of the hard work that goes into keeping one thousand pounds of glitter glued to my body is hard work. (I have seen enough flower head crowns to last me a lifetime though, but glitter NEVER goes out of style). When I do get the rare chance to enjoy live music, I would rather be around others who appreciate it as much as I do. Of course every relationship with music differs from the next and new favorite artist can only be discovered through an awesome experience, but some of these posers need to kick rocks. I am sure The Chainsmokers would love to perform for all of the basic dudes and chicks at one of their mainstream overated headlining performances, festival not included.
