I’ve traveled to music festivals from the USA to Mexico. I’d never attend one without these things.

Music pumped through my veins as a kid, but I’d never managed to attend a real show. I cursed my 8th birthday when I got sick the day I was meant to attend a Hilary Duff concert. 

All that changed when I saw Train play at the Chance Theater in New York at age 12. I nudged my way to the front, so close I could make out beads of sweat forming on the singer’s forehead. 

At one point, the band wanted to bring someone on stage. I nearly jumped out of my skin when he pointed at me and I was heaved up there by two security guards. That was the moment I became hooked on live music. 

I kept going to shows all throughout my formative years – Linkin Park, Mac Miller, Jack’s Mannequin, Twenty One Pilots, and The Fray. In college, my love of concerts evolved into an adoration for festivals. A whole weekend of watching multiple artists perform? It was a dream. 

Now, I’ve attended well over a dozen festivals and countless concerts from Michigan to Mexico. 

There are a few things I really wish I knew when I first started, though. So, I’m going to break down the essential items I’d never attend a festival without and some advice that could save your weekend. 

My Top Music Festival Essentials 

A durable water backpack

Dehydration can kill you at a festival. That isn’t an exaggeration. It is a scarily common occurrence to come across deliriously dehydrated people at these events. 

At Camp Bisco in 2019, some poor guy passed out at our campsite and it was really terrifying. After getting him help, we found out that he just hadn’t been drinking enough water. 

This is why a water backpack is a must at a festival. It’s the easiest way to have accessible water and it holds way more than a bottle. 

I’ve tried a few options over the years, including one that leaked all over me mid-fest. My favorite is the Water Buffalo Hydration Backpack. It’s very durable, has a big storage section, and even comes with a lifetime warranty. 

Comfortable clothes, broken-in shoes, and rain gear

Wearing cute festival clothes is part of the fun, but your outfits should also be comfortable. You could be wearing the same shoes and clothes for 12 hours or more at a music festival. Choose wisely. 

I once wore a pair of boots to a show that I hadn’t broken in yet. By the end of the night, I was convinced my feet were fully bruised. Now, I strictly wear my coziest sneakers to concerts and festivals. 

I also prepare my wardrobe for any weather outcome. All it took was getting caught in a festival storm one time unprepared to learn that lesson. Rain is the most common occurrence, so I pack a rain jacket and a warm hoodie even if the forecast is clear. 

A reliable, comfortable hotel or a high-quality tent/hammock at camping festivals 

The quality of a festival experience largely depends on your accommodations. I went to a festival called HiJinx in Philadelphia and my friend chose our Airbnb. It was in a sketchy neighborhood where my other pal’s car was broken into. On top of that, it had a mouse infestation. 

This put a huge damper on the rest of the weekend. Festivals are exhausting enough and a comfortable place to rest is a must. This is even more true when you’re doing a camping festival. You need solid gear to enjoy yourself and it’s worth an extra investment. 

My whole tent got flooded once because it was cheaply made and couldn’t handle a little thunderstorm. These days, I prefer using a hammock when possible because I find it much easier to fall asleep in. I’ve seen a lot of festival-goers using the Wise Owl Outfitters Hammock because it’s portable and can hold up to 500 pounds. 

Earplugs 

Watching your favorite musical artist perform doesn’t need to come at the cost of your ears. Unfortunately, it is very possible to get hearing damage from a festival since the music plays loud enough for thousands. 

To protect my future self, I would never go into a crowd at a loud concert without earplugs. Before I started doing this, I got ringing in the ears and other unpleasant repercussions after festivals. 

Earplugs make the performance sound slightly muffled, but that is a good thing because it means you’re not doing yourself any harm. 

First-aid kit 

Headaches, sleeping problems, nausea, and other troubles can arise from spending days dancing your heart out. Avoid suffering through any symptoms by packing a first aid kit. 

I include things like bandaids, antibiotic ointment, over-the-counter painkillers, tweezers, a sleeping aid, and vitamins in my festival first-aid kits. Not only is this stuff really useful for you, but it can also help someone in need. 

I saved the day when a tent neighbor came down with a bad headache on the very first day at Camp Bisco. Another time, a friend was setting up their campsite when a fat splinter got lodged in their palm and I managed to get it out with tweezers. 

FujiFilm Instax Mini camera

The FujiFilm Instax Mini camera is one of my favorite festival accessories. There is an immediate look of joy when someone sees it. Not only is this an amazing way to capture tangible memories with your own group, but it can be a beautiful memento for anyone you meet along the way. 

When I was at Camp Bisco, a girl walking by offered to take a Polaroid of my friends and I. It ended up being my most beloved memento from the weekend because we could all get in the photo. Then, she just handed us the photo and went on her way. 

FujiFilm cameras are a sweet and easy way to introduce yourself to new people. Plus, it’s fairly affordable at less than $150 for a full camera set with film. 

Sun protection in various forms 

Festival season typically takes place during the summer when heat and sunshine are at its height. Sun protection in its many forms is key because a sunburn at a show is miserable. My friend Ashley once got sunpoisoning at a festival because she went too long without any shade. 

The most obvious protection is sunscreen, but sunglasses, a sun hat, sun umbrellas, or a portable fan that sprays water can all be life savers as well. As you can see from the photo above, my friends always have their sunglasses on during the day at festivals. 

A lightweight, portable magnetic charging bank

Most people opt for a charging block with a wire. However, this is a horrible choice for a festival because they’re incredibly cumbersome to carry around. 

A better alternative in my opinion is a magnetic charging bank that attaches directly to your phone. That way all you have to do is stick it on and it’ll supply the juice without lugging around a heavy brick the entire day. 

I think that the holy grail of portable chargers is the Anker 621 Magnetic Portable Charger. It’s lightweight and charges up devices very fast. However, these do require a phone with MagSafe capabilities. 

Travel Insurance

I would never travel without being protected by travel insurance in general, but even more things can go wrong at a festival. While many wouldn’t consider this extra expense for just a concert, I think it’s well worth it. 

At an out-of-state festival, my friend rolled his ankle and had to go to a local ER to get it checked out. Since he didn’t have any travel insurance and wasn’t from the area, he had to pay for the whole thing out of pocket and it was not cheap. 

For reasons like this, I always cover myself with a World Nomads Travel Insurance plan before a big event outside of my state’s insurance range. 

Not only will this come in handy if you get hurt, but it’ll also help if you need to cancel your flight to the show or your belongings are stolen. 

The right group of friends

Even if you’re prepared with everything you need to have a great time during a festival, there is one thing still left to consider: your friends. 

Truth be told, attending a festival can be quite stressful or intense at times. You want to go through that with the right folks. 

If I’m going to a festival, the first people I invite are my girls Mariah, Ashley, and Tali. I know that these three will be just as prepared as me and bring the open-mindedness needed for a good time. Assess your festival crew for travel compatibility before committing. 

My Tips for Attending Music Festivals

Research the festival beforehand and understand the terrain

I’ve been to festivals at Citi Field in Queens, New York City, and in the middle of the woods in Michigan. Unsurprisingly, these environments were completely different and required unique preparations. That’s why researching a festival’s terrain is so important. 

At Electric Forest in Michigan, it was imperative to bring bug spray and a face mask to block out dust clouds from dancing. 

For The Meadows in Citi Field’s parking lot, sun protection was more crucial because there was absolutely no shade in the entire venue. 

Expect inflated food prices

Festivals are a contained ecosystem with limited food and drink options. Merchants are aware that they can inflate their prices at these events and they do. I’ve found festival grub to be around three times more expensive than airport food. 

While it agitated me to pay $10 for an iced coffee in the morning and $30 for a simple sandwich at lunch, this is just the reality of festivals (at least in the U.S.). You need to consider that when you’re budgeting for the weekend. 

Establish a meeting point with your friends 

The thing about having thousands of people partying in a remote location is that it can make phone service extremely spotty. At almost every festival I’ve ever attended, I couldn’t send or receive text messages. 

In lieu of modern technology, set a meeting point at the beginning with your friends and head back there if you get separated.  After all, you can waste an entire day just looking for your friends if you don’t. 

Hold on tight to your phone because thieves prowl festivals 

At one festival, I didn’t even notice that someone stole my phone until I saw the gigantic slash across my small backpack. Someone managed to cut it open and grab the device while I was dancing with my friend in the crowds for Diplo. 

It turns out a team of phone thieves infiltrated that festival and hundreds of people suffered the same fate. 

While there is a lot of beautiful energy at these events, there are also people who go there solely to take advantage of others. Be mindful and keep a close eye on your phone, especially during the sets. 

Be prepared for big crowds and only go to the front if you can handle it 

I’ve been a body in crowds with hundreds of thousands of people. I’ve loved the feeling of swaying with the masses of music lovers since I was young, but it is 100% not for everyone. 

I’ve seen people have full-blown panic attacks or even worse — pass out from the feeling of being enclosed in a big crowd. That’s why I recommend new festival-goers avoid going up to the front unless they’re positive they can handle it. 

Book accommodations, parking passes, etc. months in advance 

Me and my friend Tali at our Electric Forest camping/parking site

I’ve attended a Pennsylvania festival called Camp Bisco three years in a row. Every single time the parking and camping passes sold out before the actual festival tickets. 

It’s not impossible to attend without these things, but it can make it significantly harder. You’ll need to figure out transportation to the venue each day. 

If you need a hotel, make sure you nab that ahead of time as well. Festivals can host up to half a million people and every single room could be booked once the date looms near. This is even more possible if it’s being held in a smaller city, like Scranton, Pennsylvania, or Rothbury, Michigan. 

Have a flexible mindset and go with the flow 

If I could go back in time and give myself one piece of advice before I began attending festivals, I’d say, “Just go with the flow.” The truth is that these events never turn out exactly as you envision, but sometimes that can be for the better. 

For instance, I never planned on being backstage for some of the biggest sets at Camp Bisco 2019. But, I ended up becoming fast friends with an artist photographer and was invited to see four sets up close and personal. Including the LSDream show photographed above. 

A flexible mindset can lead to some exquisite memories. 

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That’s all my festival knowledge wrapped up neatly with a bow. I’ve learned something new at every festival I’ve attended and it’s helped make the experience that much better. 

Interested in traveling for other festivals? Check out Betty’s piece about winging it at the Sundance Film Festival (and why you shouldn’t).