Music festivals are like a break from reality. You enter this mystical world where the more ridiculous you look, the more admirable you become. Lollipops and glow sticks act as the perfect ice breakers, and glitter becomes a part of who you are.
The only down fall? A three to four day festival can get pretty pricey. Considering the food, camping, and transportation, it can add up too much more than the $200+ general admissions ticket.
Solution? Volunteering!
I recently had my first volunteering experience at the Spirit of Suwannee Hulaween Music Festival, and it was interesting to say the least. My first shift went from 12am to 6am working the silent disco. There’s truly nothing like watching people who are out of their right minds dancing to complete silence. Friday, my friends and I had the day off, which gave us time to fully enjoy the festival. Saturday, we worked backstage catering. The simple work, good company, and free food made this one of the most pleasurable experiences throughout the whole weekend (if I’m being honest). Sunday, we worked catering again, and after befriending the staff, they actually let us take a break to watch an artist’s set!
As you can see, volunteering at a music festival goes in waves. It’s not the worst thing you’ll ever do, but it’s also not the best, it just is. But this experience, like most, is truly what you make of it. You can sulk in the fact that you might miss an act you want to see, or you can enjoy the fact that you get to be there for free. Personally, I really enjoyed becoming a part of the internal operations that go into creating a music festival. So much work is put into the creation of a large-scale event like this, that regular festival goers never really get to see. The people on the inside, that I otherwise would have never interacted with, were extremely open and willing to answer all the questions I had. I also found that volunteering can be a great networking opportunity for anyone that is think about going into event planning or the music industry.
So, you’ve decided to volunteer at the next music festival you go to. Great! Now how does it work? The first thing you do is apply. You pay $15, along with the application, and your set. Don’t worry about not getting accepted, basically everyone gets it if you apply at least a month before the festival. You then need to sign a waiver and pay a deposit fee. The deposit fee is the original price of the festival ticket. If you make it to all your shifts, you get your money back within two weeks! If you don’t, then oh well, you just don’t get the deposit back and can stop showing up to your shifts. You will have three 6 hour shifts, doing anything from working catering to picking up trash around the festival.
I know it sounds like a lot, but time goes by quickly when you’re busy. You can also link up your schedule with your friends so that you work and have off at the same times! The festival staff are extremely accommodating as-well. If you really enjoyed a shift you had the day before you can request to work it again. Working for a music festival is still work the difference is that everyone is there to have a good time, and you can truly feel that with every interaction.