TCS’s Festival Survival Guide
Festival season is officially upon us. Below are some things I’ve learned from being an avid festival-goer. As for my qualifications, I have worked festivals including Boston Calling, Tidal Wave, Adjacent Fest, HiJinx, Made in America, and three years of Firefly. I’ve also volunteered at many local festivals. If we want to go way back, my parents dragged me along to various music festivals before I could talk. I believe these are qualifications to share what I’ve learned on how to make it through the weekend and enjoy the event to its full extent.
Never let money stop you from having life experiences
—there’s always a way. If you research, most festivals have a work/volunteer option. I usually prefer working to gain music industry experience but also to see a whole other side of the festival that one would not experience as a regular attendee. For the past couple of years that I have worked at Firefly, I have worked with Clean Vibes. Clean Vibes “is a company formed and dedicated to responsible on-site waste management of outdoor festivals and events,” which is a romantic way of saying you pick up trash. Even though it’s demanding work, it’s a decent payoff when you are on a budget. They partner with multiple festivals each year including Electric Forest and Bonnaroo. In the past, I’ve done the early shifts so I would have the whole rest of the day to enjoy the festival for FREE.
Another organization that has volunteer options at festivals is Headcount. According to their website, “HeadCount is a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. We reach young people and music fans where they already are - at concerts and online - to inform and empower.” They provide opportunities to combine activism and music, a very complimentary pair. Volunteering is a great way to gain access to the event and participate in the community.
Bring the essentials
Below are some items that I’ve forgotten and wished I had:
Overall Essentials
Body Glitter
Sunscreen
Layers for the nighttime temperature drop
Bandana/mask (for dust)
Flashlight for portapotties
Hand sanitizer/alcohol wipes
Shoes that hold up in the rain/mud
Bonus Essentials For overnight festival camping:
2-gallon water with tap (mimics running water when your only option is porta potties)
Baby Wipes
Chair for hanging out at the campsite
Nonperishable food (light breakfast items/late-night munchies)
Van/Car*
*My first Firefly, I took the bus and camped. It was indeed a struggle. If you can, I highly recommend a car if you are camping.
Don’t rely on phone service.
You are partying on a farm in the middle of nowhere or better yet in an overpopulated city- two of wifi's greatest adversaries. In both of these settings, you will lose service at least once. For safety purposes, agree on a meeting spot with your friends. To help keep you organized, create a downloaded calendar with the set times to share with your group. Having a personal calendar saves you from having to wait for the festival app to load. Also if you do get lost, your friends will know what set you're likely at.
Explore
A music festival is worth it if you see at least 15 artists you already enjoy and 3 new artists. As said above, curate a schedule pre-fest in your favorite calendar app to keep track of all the sets you'd like to see. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t make every set. Do stop and listen to an artist’s set you happen to be walking by on the small stage. Your next favorite artist could be performing at noon on the smallest stage at the festival, and trust me you’ll look back and wish you had seen their performance when they get big and famous.
Take care of yourself
Stock up on vitamins (especially pre-fest), wear comfortable shoes, test your drugs, know your limits, and most importantly DRINK WATER! No barricade spot is worth passing out from dehydration. I also highly recommend taking a day off after the festival because the wook flu can sneak up on us all.
Finally, Don’t let going alone stop you from living your life!
I’ve gone to several festivals by myself and have left each one very much not alone. I have made so many fest friends that I’m still in contact with today. Festivals are a great place to network if you are in the music industry especially because people come out from all over the world to partake in festivals. As for safety, I share my location with my family and friends and check in with them often. At the festival, you’ll find others that are also there solo and you can form a buddy system.
You can also truly embrace spending time with yourself. Going alone gives you the freedom to see whatever artist you want and do whatever you want without having to acknowledge someone else's schedule. It’s all in what you make of it!
