How To: Survive a Music Festival

Luckily for those in Mansfield, the great city of Austin is only three hours away. One of the best cities in Texas for culture and live music, it is easy to find a music festival nearby to attend. While some festival-goers are still currently recovering from a long weekend at Austin’s Fun Fun Fun Fest, others are already saving up for the notorious South by Southwest Music and Media Festival in March and waiting for the lineup to be revealed for Euphoria Festival in April. If you are attending a festival for the first time, it might be difficult to know what you should bring or the best way to save money while still having a great time.

Here are some simple tips on how to survive your first music festival:

1. Buy tickets/badges as early as possible! Tickets are usually cheaper the sooner you buy them. After they are completely sold out on the festival’s official website, other vendors will sell them for hundreds of dollars more.

2. Camelbacks are cool. While they might look lame with your cute boho outfit, being dehydrated is lamer. Don’t worry, everyone else will have one too, so you will not be the only person. There is usually a limit on the number of water bottles you can bring and they are a hassle to carry around everywhere, especially when it flies out of your hand when you’re dancing and it accidentally hits someone in the face (sorry guy in the floral shorts). If you are worried about running out of water, there are plenty of stations to refill at, so you don’t have to waste money on buying more water bottles.

3. Dress for the weather. People faint at music festivals more often than you may think, but hey, at least they look good in their leather jackets and jeans while doing so, right? Check the weather before packing your clothes. If it is warm and humid, make sure to bring shorts or a dress. If it is going to be cold and rainy then pack a jacket with you.

4. Bring hand sanitizer. Porta potties are gross, but you’ll have to use one sometime.

5. Plan your schedule. If you love most of the artists on the lineup it can be very difficult to remember what time each one performs and where. Some artists also have signings and meet and greets along with their performance, and you definitely don’t want to miss the chance to chat with your favorite musicians. Knowing when to get to a stage is helpful, especially since it could be on the other side of the park from where you’re at. Also, make sure you show up to more popular artists at a slightly earlier time, because it gets crowded quickly.

6. Always keep an eye on your backpack/fannypack/purse. Bring something to carry your stuff in, because you will need somewhere to store your food, money, and purchased merchandise. Just make sure that it is with you at all times!

7. Have fun! Things will not always go as planned, no matter how much you prepare, so just be sure to make the most of your time. There are so many different things to do at festivals from listening to live music to browsing little shops and food vendors that are set up throughout the area.