Gentlemen, so for the first time I went to a music festival (I know don't judge), and let me tell you it was exhilarating. J was not able to attend with me he went back to school so he was swamped with homework, but he was there in spirit. This blog is going to cover my experience, but towards the end I will give a few tips that I learned along the way and some that I researched on my own.
As I mentioned before this event was exhilarating and it was such a fun time. I went with my friend Gabriel, who also hadn't gone to a music festival, so we basically didn't know what we were getting into. I got the opportunity to go to attend this event by going as a photographer, which was great because 1) I did not pay to get in the festival, and 2) I got in VIP, 3) I had free parking! I mean if that's not winning I don't know what is.
The first day was good we arrived just as the doors opened at 12 pm. However, it started raining, and it was very much on and off, until later on in the day. In spite of the rain all the performers still performed. The main acts that night were Prince Royce and Mana. Both of them just killed the stage.
The second day was also just as amazing. The main acts that night were Daddy Yankee, Nicky Jam, Reik, and Los Tucanes de Tijuana. This day was great, the rain had gone away so pictures were solid, and more people had arrived since the rain was no longer a factor.
I believe that these music festivals are an incredible experience for anyone. You get to meet so many great people, and interact with others. You know, there was not one fight throughout the event, at least not one that we saw. It was such an experience where people didn't care about anything but the person or band that was playing. So many people coming together for the simple reason of listening to music is so powerful no in day. Alright well enough about my experience, lets get into these tips.
1. Stay hydrated
This is perhaps the most important tip. Stay hydrated, you will probably get so excited that water is perhaps the last thing you want to think about. You will be jumping, dancing, walking, drinking alcohol, all that will dehydrate you, so make sure to drink water. Most of these festivals will have places where you can refill water bottles.
2. Bring a pancho/wet weather gear
Yes, the weather is unpredictable. We got rained on a few times throughout the first day and it just sucked, so bring items appropriate for the weather. That being said, look into the forecast for that weekend or week that the festival will be taking place.
3. Know where you will be staying
Just like other festivals people had the option to camp or lodge at a hotel. Now, we had no prior plans of where we were going to stay so we had to stay with friends and crash on their hotel room floor (no biggie at least it's somewhere to stay right!). FYI, if you are camping make sure that you bring warm clothing or a lot of blankets, a few of my friends mentioned that they were freezing at night because they thought it would be nice at night. So, be prepared.
4. Have a rendezvous spot
We didn't really have this issue but we saw about 6 people on both nights, of people separated from a group because their friends had ran off to another performance without them. At the spot where Los Dells was (Wisconsin Dells), there was no cell phone service, so you weren't able to call or text anyone. Make sure you have a spot (ours was a taco truck), and always be aware of who is missing.
5. Bring Mula
Yes, its already expensive getting in but it's also expensive inside. Remember to bring money with you. Drinks are perhaps the most expensive thing you'll be buying (believe me). Food is not all that expensive but if you are going to be at the festival almost all day, you're going to want to eat more than once, because you can't bring food/drink from the outside. Be prepared to drop money, so you may want to save up prior to the event.
6. Live in the Moment!
The biggest tip of all is just to have fun, you probably have paid so much money to get into this festival, the last thing you need is drama right? Make sure you go with a good crowd and enjoy your time. Try to put your phone away as much as possible. I know that shooting pictures and recording videos to post online for your friends is great, however remember to live in the moment! You paid so much money to just be on your phone? So live in the moment. If it wasn't for the simple fact of having to photograph I probably would of just had a few pictures of my outfits and some from the bands.
I hope that with these tips you conquer your next music festival, make sure to check out Los Dells, they had amazing performances, and I'm sure next year they will too.
Have a great week gents, make sure to share, comment, and like!
-I