Things To Know Before Attending Your First Music Festival

Some say that going to a music festival is one thing everyone should do at least once in their lifetime, and if you’ve never rocked out to your favorite bands while surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of other festival-goers, maybe it’s time you should?

However, while it might be an experience you’ll never forget, if you don’t go to one of the top music festivals prepared, it might be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Read on to discover what essential things you should know before attending your very first music festival:

When it comes to clothing, comfort and practicality rule the day

You’ll want to look stylish at your first music festival, no doubt about that, but what looks great in the mirror or on the pages of the latest fashion magazines, will likely not look or feel as good when you’re getting soaked in a rainstorm and wading through mud, or standing for hours on end in the scorching sun.

You’ll be on your feet all day long at a festival, and you’ll need plenty of flexibility when you bust out your favorite dance moves, or soar over the heads of strangers in the mosh pit. Prioritize comfort over style, and you won’t regret it.

You might feel like crap a lot of the time

Excess drinking, dancing, standing, sun, or rain, can combine to create an experience your body may not want to repeat in a hurry. Be prepared for an aching back, sore feet, a possible headache, and dehydration.

When hunger strikes, you may stay hungry for longer than you’d hoped

Catering for so many people as they do, food vendors at music festivals always have long queues at their stalls, so when hunger strikes, you may need to be prepared to wait a long time to fulfil your needs.  

Your favorite artist may be nothing more than a pinprick on a huge stage

Getting to the front of the stage to see your fave singer may require hours of standing around, staking out your spot. Instead, the average festival-goer has to settle for barely making out their pop or rock idol on what looks like a tiny stage, past a sea of heads.

Bathroom breaks may be few and far between

Whether you’ve managed to stay hydrated, those beers are going are straight through you, or you haven’t had a drink in hours thanks to long queues, you’re going to need the bathroom at some point in your festival-going experience. Unfortunately, the portable toilets at festivals rarely make for the most comfortable or convenient experience.

Laughing and hugging your friends might be furthest from your mind

Music festivals have always had the reputation of being happy places where everyone laughs, smiles, and sings along to their favorite tunes, 24/7. But factor in inclement weather, tiredness (from standing around and sleep deprivation), and you may not always feel quite as cheerful and carefree as you had hoped.

While all of this is said and done, attending the biggest music festival in the world, or indeed, any festival for the first time, will be an unforgettable experience that’s hard to replicate anywhere else in life. And, chances are you’ll have a blast, especially if you’re well prepared, and committed to getting the most out of your time there.