How to: plan your festival day

Life Is Beautiful - Gorillaz

Hey music lovers!

Today, I’m going to talk through how I plan my festival days. Sure, anyone with basic organizational skills could figure something out, but let's look at my "pro" way to go!

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Ahead of the weekend

Let’s start with some important basics: rest up and take it easy leading up to your event! Nothing dramatic, but I would save your partying the night before, if you can help it. Pacing yourself will make the weekend so much more enjoyable and stand-out - there will be plenty of fun to be had at the event! Also, make sure you have everything you need in advance. Check out my essentials packing list so you can make sure to order any missing items before it’s too late! And DON’T FORGET YOUR TICKETS. It shouldn’t have to be said, but even I’ve done it before… Do yourself a favor and triple check you’ve got them! Smooth sailing will reduce stress and make these long days much better.

Before heading into the weekend, consider your travel and transportation plans too. Many events will have a park-and-ride lot where you can drive yourself and hop on a shuttle to the venue (and it’s usually free). Just be mindful of shuttle times and pick-up/drop-off locations! These details are usually on each event’s website, but the last shuttles usually run up to an hour after the last show ends. If you don’t plan on driving (and unless you’re within safe walking distance), plan ahead for your ride home. Getting a rideshare car can sometimes be difficult with long distance walking and lots of waiting after the event ends, so have a backup plan, if you can. There are usually options, which is why researching ahead of time helps. For example, Insomniac shows at the NOS Event Center in California have also had a special deal with Metrolink; a shuttle pass for the weekend is around $20 and they have specially extended hours to get you home even after the last show. While it may be more expensive than other options, booking a car service for pick up after the event can add flexibility and make it easier to navigate some of the more difficult locations (and the cost can be shared with friends). Keep in mind that during peak demand times (for example at the end of a show), rideshare surcharges may make the cost of a pre-booked car service feel competitive!

Check the lineup schedule

It pays to do this ahead of the weekend entirely (and the schedule usually comes out the week of the event), but I make sure to check each morning-of and go through it with my group. If you’re the group planner like I am, make sure you know what shows everyone wants to be at so you can try to plan accordingly! Personally, I like to stay with my group the whole day if I can help it, but sometimes there can be unavoidable conflicts!

Set a meeting point

It’s unavoidable, you are going to lose cell service at some point or another. Any big crowd is typically enough to strain your service regardless. Especially if you have group members splitting off, it’s a good idea to set a meeting point somewhere in the venue, ideally somewhere central, where everyone can meet in a worst-case scenario. Do this at the beginning of day one!

Be smart about merch

If you’re like me, you probably want to snag a cool lineup tee to take home with you. Merch goes fast at these events, and usually when something is gone it’s GONE. So, swing by the merch stores early on in the first day, maybe even before you see any shows. If you’re worried about having to carry your purchase around, remember there are often rental lockers available to stow away extras, like jackets for the evening or your merch purchase. Lockers should be pre-booked, so plan ahead if you’re interested. 

Plan your water fill-ups

If you have a break between shows, that is usually the best time to go fill up your water and hit the bathroom. I sometimes do a water refill even if I’m not close to empty, just to save myself the trouble of running out mid-stage hopping! If there’s a show you are really excited about, try to hit the bathroom before then too so you won’t have to leave before you’re ready.

Don’t forget to eat!

This is an easy mistake to make, especially if you like to show up early. Personally, I don’t like to buy food at the venues very often, so make sure you eat something hearty before you go, and try to sneak in a protein bar for backup. I recommend still coming prepared to buy yourself at least one thing to eat later in the night if you need it. These are long, tolling days, so fueling your body is important!

Study the map!

Yes, this is a little extra, but I am a little extra! It really helps to know where the important things on the map are, like the stages, bathrooms, water refill stations, even first aid. This is also helpful in planning out your time, let me tell you why below.

Make the most convenient schedule you can

This part sounds like work, but believe me when I tell you that it will make a difference…. There’s always bound to be at least one scheduling conflict with some of your must-see artists, but where there’s a will there’s a way! And the will is strong over here. If one of the shows starts first, absolutely start there. You usually won’t want to stay for the entire show anyway, so whenever you and your group decide you’re ready, make the switch over to the next stage. I like to leave at least 20 minutes for the other show I want to see, so leave sooner too if need-be, and keep an eye on the time and distances between stages.

Now, sometimes there are multiple conflicts all at once! This happened to be the case at Life Is Beautiful this year. One of my picked shows started, then another artist on my list started about 10 minutes later, and then the third at the same time as the second! This is where the map becomes your friend! Again, start at the show that starts first. After that, though, you should start with whichever show is closer to the stage you’re leaving. If you have three shows all at the same time, this will also apply. Start with whichever show is closest to where you are then, then hop around to whichever is the next closest. There will always be a lot of walking, and sometimes it’s unavoidable that you’ll be straddling the two furthest stages. Stamina and will, people!

Get your beauty sleep

I am not personally one for the after-party, but most festivals have some scattered around, officially and unofficially. If you’re on night three and still kicking, enjoy yourself, but otherwise, I like to hit the hay as soon as I can so the next day won’t be any harder than the first! I’m really there to enjoy the music, my friends and the crowd around me, so there is plenty to make the days fun whether you partake in the after-party scene or not.

Wishing everyone luck and fun at your upcoming festivals! Have any special tips or lessons learned you want to share? Let me know in the comments!