Top 5 Ways to Get Ready for Music Festivals

Music festivals can be crazy and full of spontaneous moments. But, when you’re scheduling a multi-day trip, you need the right information to fully maximize the experience. Any legit festival has an app to download, allowing you to not only prioritize certain artists, but also to learn the lay of the land. As a result, you can save time on day one by understanding where you need to go, how the stages are set up and maybe even where the porta-potties are located, too. This, of course, is important stuff, and a festival app will afford you some clarity when everything around you gets wild.

You’ve got the app, now you need the snacks. Or better yet – you need some healthy food to munch on and keep you energized. Sure, you’re not going to starve at a music festival these days, but you don’t want to rely on total strangers or overpriced vendors, either. With this in mind, your bag should be full of fruits, trail mix or anything that won’t give you a total gut bomb. In other words, make sure that you didn’t pack ONLY candy and potato chips – mix in some goodies that will keep you satisfied when you can’t quite make it to the concession stand.

Fact: you will, at some point, get lost at a music festival… even if only briefly. There's also a good chance you’ll struggle with phone service, too. That’s why you need to identify landmarks and discuss meeting places with your crew. We’re talking gates, restrooms, or just practical spots that will be less crowded. With your meeting places lined up, everybody can relax, do their own thing and know where to go when the music’s over. Yeah, some people may get distracted and not show up on time, but that’s when you be a good friend and wait until you know the rest of Team Awesome are safe and sound.

“Discovering” new music is part of the festival experience, but the concerts will be even better if you familiarize yourself with the music beforehand. Some bands bring the goods onstage, while others can be erratic, and a little research will come in handy when discussing the artists with friends- old and new. With that being said, it’s also important to have a festival playlist for the drive over, as you’ll be in the zone and ready to rock when you arrive. And if there’s a breakout band that emerges during the festival, you won’t be that person who waxes poetic about music they know nothing about.

You don’t want to be the person that everybody’s trolling on social media, and that's what happens when you make poor clothing decisions, inappropriate ethnic attire, or try to be super trendy. If there’s warm weather, then you wear light but comfortable threads. Your friends can decide if you’re fashionable enough. But you also have to be prepared for various scenarios, as it can be chilly at night and messy during the day. If you’re uncomfortable, then you’re not going to have a good time, and may end up wanting to leave early. Make it easy on yourself by establishing what you need and what will help. Oh, and bring shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty, too.