Nowadays it’s not enough to just see one amazing performer at a concert – you need to see 20! Or at least that’s the strategy behind multi-day music festivals. Although they’ve been around for many years, music festivals have become more common across the world. In fact, many musicians now tour with other groups to take the same set of artists from one city to the next.
For attendees, it can be an exhilarating and exhausting experience. To make sure you enjoy yourself as much as possible, the Allcal Team put together a list of tips for rocking a music festival.
- Get psyched
At least a week before the festival, start listening to all the bands and performers who will be there. Not only will that help you when it comes time to sing along to their songs, it’ll also get you super excited for the upcoming event. - Pick your must-see
With so many artists performing in such a short amount of time, it can be hard to decide who to see. If you’re going in a group, have everyone pick their “must-see artist.” This is the one person that they simply can not miss – emphasis on ONE. First, head to the allcal app to see if your festival is in our Public Calendars section. If so, you can easily see which artists are playing at what time, and create your own schedule by adding each event. You can even put the set times on a shared calendar with your friends, so everyone can see who is playing at what time. Once everyone decides on their “must-see artist,” you’ll have a custom schedule just for you and your friends.This tip guarantees that everyone gets to rock out to their favorite star, so no one feels they missed out on a major opportunity. As for what to do when your friend’s pick is Taylor Swift? Well – you’re on your own. - Hydrate
Start drinking water the second you wake up before a festival – especially if its multiple days. On your way to the venue, bring a big water bottle for everyone to drink up until you get to the gate – where the guards will inevitably make you throw it out. Not only is water expensive, but its hard to come by once the really good performers hit the stage.NOTE: This does NOT mean you shouldn’t buy and drink water at the festival – you definitely should. By drinking plenty of water before as well as at the festival, you can get your body as hydrated as possible before you sweat and dance all day. - Wear the right shoes
Because wearing the wrong type of shoes will literally ruin your entire experience. First, consider the festival venue and vibe. Is there a lot of jumping up and down or moshing? If so, closed toe shoes are a must. Is it outside? Whether you’re in grass, dirt, or sand, go a head and plan on throwing away whatever shoes you wear. And unless you’re in VIP, for the love of god don’t wear heels. - Take pictures early
You put a lot of effort into your outfit, so make sure you remember how cute you looked before the festival starts to ware you down. Most major festivals will turn that adorable headdress into a beaded rats nest within a few hours, so snap pics early. After the festival, you’ll have evidence that you looked good at one point. You can even share the photos directly on your group calendar through allcal chat. - Pick a home base
As soon as you get to the festival, decide on an obvious spot for your group to meet in case anyone gets lost. Yes, I know you are an adult. And yes, I know you all have cellphones. But trust me – once you get in that field with thousands of other cellphones, your data plan will be worthless. If you don’t have a place to find your lost friends (because in every group there’s always one), that person is lost for the rest of the night.If you and your friends created a custom schedule on the allcal app, you can also make plans for where to meet before each new artist. For example, if your schedule says Kanye West is performing on the Main Stage at 9 p.m., you can add a note to meet at a certain landmark at 8:45 p.m. That way any friends you lost during the day, can have a chance to meet up with you before the next event. - Pace yourself
Many major festivals are at least 3 days long. To make sure you don’t fall apart before getting to see your favorite artist, learn to pace yourself. For some, this means getting to the festival later in the day if you plan on staying all night. For others, this means making sure to sit, eat, and rehydrate regularly. Whatever your strategy, don’t feel like you have to give it 100% the whole time. Then when your favorite act gets on stage, you’ll be ready to rock!
For more information on how to use allcal, head to our User Manual or Frequently Asked Questions section. Or you can email us directly at team@allcal.com!
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