Before June 14th, I had never been to a music festival. Not that I wasn't curious, but I really could not get passed some of the negative stereotypes associated with the festivals and the people who attend them. Like many others, I thought music festivals were filled with drugs, weird music, and sketchy people, but after attending Firefly, my feelings have definitely changed.
Spending $300+ on a four-day pass is really a lot of money, so when all my friends bought their tickets, I decided against it for financial reasons. Realistically, I did not think it would be worth the money and, hey, money is tight, so i decided it would be better if I sat this one out. Luckily enough, one of my friends bought me a ticket for my birthday, (good friend, right?!) so at this point I really had no excuse.
Even though I wasn't camping on-site like some of my other friends were, I was still overwhelmed with everything I had to get done before the festival. I had to figure out rides, where I would sleep, my money situation (Firefly is a cash-less festival), and, of course, the four outfits I would wear on each day. After figuring everything out, it was eventually time to head to Dover, Delaware for the festival. My friends, who attend the University of Delaware, have an apartment that was about an hour away from the Firefly site. Even though driving back and forth after a long day was less than ideal, it actually worked out really well in the end!
When I first got to The Woodlands on Thursday, for the very first day, I realized that it was literally nothing like I had imagined. There were people of all ages and walks of life coexisting and brought together by music. The lineup for Firefly has such a variety that there really was something for everyone. Some of my favorites were Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Marian Hill, Mikky Ekko, Martin Garrix, SZA, Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Vance Joy, PnB Rock, San Holo, Odesza, Flor, Courtship, Alt-J, Lizzo, and many more.
The most amazing thing about the whole festival was the vibe. Everyone was in such a good mood and having such a fun time it would honestly be difficult to not enjoy yourself there. Even when you're exhausted after a 12 hour day, you can't help but smile and rehash the highlights of the day. Everyone there was only worried about themselves and the music, really creating a judge-free atmosphere that made Firefly even more enjoyable. People were free to roam around, grab some good food, and listen to whatever artist they wanted to.
Overall, I would say that Firefly was one of the best experiences of my life. I had a wonderful time hanging out with my friends and meeting new ones! I truly can't wait until the next music festival I go to... this time with a more open mind from the very beginning. Firefly Music Festival is a perfect example of why you need to try everything at least once, because you really don't know if you like something until you try it!
