It's summer, and that means that music festival season is upon us. With music festivals comes extreme excitement, which can sometimes cause us to forget little things that will actually help us survive the festival in the long run. Luckily, I've compiled a list of tips to help you make it out of your music festival in one piece.
1. Wear sunscreen
I know, I know. We all want to be tanned gods and goddesses frolicking around the music fest grounds, but it's far too easy to get sunburnt while standing out in the sun literally all day. Even if your skin doesn't burn easily, a sunscreen with low SPF is better than no sunscreen at all. It's always better to protect yourself, and your skin will thank you later.
2. Hydrate frequently
This tip is tied in with number one. Music festivals get hot, they make you sweat, and then you get dehydrated. I know that beer that the concession stand is selling is so enticing, but it will only dehydrate you more. Don't forget to drink some water, it could literally save your life.
3. Make meeting points so you can find your friends
Be prepared for cell reception to suck. Making a meeting point with your friends can help ensure that you know where your pals are. If you all plan to meet in one place after a certain performance, you won't lose your group and you won't have to go through the pain of attempting to meet up with everyone.
4. Plan your schedule
In order to ensure you get your bang for your buck, make a schedule of all of the performances you want to see at the festival. Tickets are expensive, and you wouldn't want to miss that band that you've been dying to see for months due to poor planning.
5. Dress appropriately
Summertime means the weather gets hot AF. Now place yourself in a crowd of hundreds of people with little to no personal space when it's 85+ degrees out. That's hot AF AF. Make sure you're wearing something you'll be cool and comfortable in.
6. Book a hotel or have a way of transportation
The only thing worse than arriving to the festival late is waiting hours to leave the festival because you don't have a ride or a place to stay. Don't be that person that gets stuck at the festival grounds because they forgot to buy a shuttle bus pass. Just don't.
7. Bring the necessities and only the necessities
I'm talking cash, your cell phone, hand sanitizer, water, snacks—the essentials. You do not need to stash away 50,000 trinkets in your fanny pack because you want to be trendy and cute. You'll probably end up losing that stuff if you bring it, so it's best to stick with the bare necessities.
8. Wear comfy shoes
You're going to be on your feet all day long, so wear some sensible shoes that you know you won't mind wearing all day. It's going to be tough if you choose to wear something with little support, so try to find some shoes that are cute and sensible.
9. Actually go to sleep at night
It's going to be late when you finally collapse in to bed after a long day at the festival, but try to get to bed as quickly as possible so you can be well rested for the day ahead of you.
10. Make as many memories as you can
Obviously you are attending a music festival to enjoy a variety of musicians, so soak it all in and really pay attention to the shows. Have a good time and enjoy the atmosphere around you. It'll be cool to tell your kids that you once saw your favorite band at a music festival, and you will hold on to those memories for the rest of your life.