Going to festivals is one of the best ways to escape the stress of everyday life. The only thing about festivals is that they too can be stressful before you go and sometimes trying to come back. And all of that stress comes from what you have to prepare for a festival which isn’t as simple as you may think.
Each festival is different, but for most festivals, you will have most of the same things you need to prepare. Whether that be the clothes you plan to wear, securing a ticket, getting there, or just who you want to go with. Some festivals you may have to prepare a lot more for like Burning Man or some may be a bit smaller and just require some basics. Either way, there will always be something you will have to prepare for a festival.
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Securing your ticket
This may seem like the most simple thing to do, but sometimes it can be difficult. Not everyone gets paid the same or at the same time so when tickets go on sale not everyone can get theirs. Let alone if you are trying to get a ticket to an event that sells out like EDC Las Vegas 2020 did.
The best way to do this is to save up for the tickets beforehand and try to get them on their layaway plans if possible. This way you will have the ticket secured for you to go. Otherwise, you might have to buy it off of third party sellers that may be a scam.
I do suggest you check out this video I found on how to check to make sure you aren’t being scammed on Facebook! Everyone should know about this because I really don’t want anyone to go through being scammed for a ticket to a festival or rave as well.
Figuring out transportation
Depending on where you live and where the festival you are Lyft, or to is you will have to find out how you are getting there. It may be by car, bus, or plane. Either way, you will need to figure out how much it is going to cost you to get there and save up for it.
If you are going by plane you will need to book your flight far in advance to get the cheapest price and to make sure there is a spot for you. This can also cost a heck of a lot depending on how far you are coming from and that may take a lot of saving up in advance.
Now if you are going by car, you will need to determine if it is your car or a ride-sharing car. For your own car, you will need to add up the cost of gas and the cost of parking at or by the festival. For a riding sharing car then you need to pick which company you will be going with, uber, lyft, or a taxi. And determine how much that will cost.
I will tell you that for many festivals like EDC Vegas the prices will skyrocket for costs in transportation to get to and from the venue. Some people have told me it costs about $100 to just get to EDC in an Uber. Be prepared.
Another cost that will skyrocket is hotel costs.
Booking a hotel or camping
Some festivals have a campsite and I highly recommend them because it is more fun that way. But some don’t do camping at all. Here is the thing when it comes to hotels you really need to look around at different hotels. You need to compare the prices for those specific days because they can truly skyrocket for festivals. And they can run out of rooms the closer it gets to the festival.
So do yourself a favor and book a hotel room early, like basically the same day you buy your ticket. Otherwise, you might not have a chance to get a room that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to stay at. And for most of us in the EDM community, we spend basically all of our money on festivals so we don’t have that much extra to spend just for a hotel.
Getting the days off of work
This is probably one of the funniest parts about going to a festival. All because many people don’t ask their employers for days off far in advance. This sadly can be one of the most stressful parts as well because some jobs work weekends or don’t usually allow people to have that many days off. Or you may just have a boss that hates you as well and just chooses to not let you have those days off.
Part of all the festival-goers finds this as an easy task and the other part may find this to be extremely difficult. Either way, most can work around their situations and end up going to their festivals. Sometimes you just need to get creative with the solutions.
Picking out your outfits
This is especially the place where you can get creative. Now you don’t have to go over the top if you don’t want to, but festivals are all about being you and wearing what you want to. If you want to wear an inflatable dinosaur costume then do it. If you want to dress up like a favorite character then go for it.
I usually find some amazing outfits and ideas from places like iHeartRaves, Rave Wonderland, Freedom Ravewear, and iEDM. There are other places to check out some great outfits and find something you really want to wear.
Just remember there are some places that have a long shipping time and to get your outfits early. That way you don’t miss out on wearing your amazing outfits if it doesn’t get there in time.
Deciding between going with a group or going solo
This may not be too big of a thing right away, but it is always good to think about if you want to be with a group. Only because it may change a few things for your trip. It could mean having some company in your hotel rooms or saving on transportation to the festivals.
It can also influence your experience as well since it takes more time for a group to be ready versus going solo. But you may have more fun going together as a group.
This does not mean that if you go as a group that you can’t split off and go more solo during the festival. You totally can and it is amazing to do that sometimes. You can also go solo and meet a new group there and go with them to stages. Just know that it doesn’t have to be one or another. You really can go to a festival and be both solos and with a group. It is up to you. And if you are worried about your safety going solo don’t be scared because there are ways to stay safe at a festival.
Packing for a festival
Another stressful task can actually be packing for your festival. Which most people do the day of because we love to procrastinate. But hopefully, you bought most of the items you need to pack ahead of time to make it a bit easier. Though something’s you may already have and others you have to buy sealed and take there unopened which you can buy last minute like gum.
For most festivals, you will end up bringing basically the same things. Which does make it easier to remember. I did make a list for EDC Vegas of what to bring, but it will work for most other festivals as well. Now if you don’t need something then don’t worry about bringing it. I just wanted to make sure I got everything you will need to bring. It does not work well for Burning Man because there are a ton more things needed for that festival that is not on this list.
Lastly, spending money
As much as we are all spending so much money on the tickets and everything else just to get to a festival we need to think about money while there. Sadly, most places will not allow outside food or drinks and that means you have to buy it there. And for a much higher price as well. Which is why we need to have some money to feed ourselves. Especially for 12-hour festivals.
Don’t forget they have merchandise there as well. And we love to have things with the festival’s name on it to remember the time there. Plus merchandise with our favorite artists on them is a huge cost we magically cough up our money for.
