What Should I Bring To a Music Festival?
Earlier this week, some of my friends brought up going to a music festival next summer. Interested in the idea, I looked into the topic to find out some more information about what something like this would entail. As a result, I came up with a comprehensive guide on what to bring to a music festival.
What should I bring to a music festival? When traveling to a music festival, you should bring everything that you need to take care of yourself, from personal hygiene items to over the counter medications and a large water supply.
You will also need to pack the outfits that you have planned, along with any travel documents or important information. If you are traveling internationally for a music festival, there will be some additional items needed, and the same thing goes for music festival camping.
Music festivals are fun activities that everyone can enjoy. From live music and performances to extravagant decorations and positive vibes, the possibilities are endless when you attend one of these events.
Whether you will be going to a music festival for the first time or you just want to improve your packing skills, the information in this article will provide you with everything you need to know about what to bring on this kind of adventure.
How To Prepare For a Music Festival
The preparation that goes into a music festival might be more than what you are used to in comparison to the average vacation planning process. With that being said, this might seem like a very overwhelming task.
What should you bring? What if you forget something? Could anything go wrong with your travel arrangements when you get there?These are the questions that go through everyone’s head throughout the process of preparing for a music festival adventure.
In this section, we will be going over the detailed steps that you should go through in order to get ready for a music festival, with more insightful information throughout the rest of this article.
Music Festival Preparation:
- Research the festival/location
- Look at the weather for your travel dates
- Make a list of things you need
- Find flights, hotels, campsites, etc.
- Make a schedule
- Gain advice from experienced music festival travelers
- Find tips and ideas for packing/outfits
If you are thinking about attending a music festival, you might have some idea of what kind of experience you would like to have. For example, if you are always seeing videos of electronic dance music (EDM) festivals on your social media timeline, you might be in search of a similar event to attend yourself.
After searching for your desired experience and locating the particular festival that you want to go to, you should do some deeper research on the event itself as well as where it will be taking place.
Is it in a city that you are familiar with? It could even be located outside of the country. The important things to learn about the area that you will be traveling to include what is located around it and which areas are safe.
If you are going somewhere that you have never been before, it would be helpful to know where all of the grocery stores, drug stores, restaurants, and other similar facilities are in relation to the festival location.
Aside from finding out more information about the city itself, you will want to look at the weather predictions for your anticipated dates of travel. This can be checked online with a simple google search, allowing you to see a few weeks out from the date that you are searching
Knowing exactly what the weather is supposed to be will help you in packing the necessary clothing and protective items that you need, such as a rain coat for cold weather or sunscreen for the extreme heat.
Once you have figured out where you are going and what the weather will be like, you can begin to make a list of things to pack for your trip. This should include everything from personal hygiene items to electronics, clothing, and camping equipment if you will be staying on the festival grounds.
Making a detailed and organized list without leaving any items out will help you to successfully pack without forgetting to bring anything that you might need later on. The last thing that you want to do is arrive to the music festival and realize that you forgot something extremely important.
If you are traveling out of the state or the country, this could be detrimental to your festival experience. To avoid this altogether, make sure that your packing list is thorough and that you don’t forget to put each item in your bag.
The next step will be determining what all of your travel accommodations will be, from your plane tickets to hotel reservations. If you are planning to camp at the festival, this should be accounted for at this time.
Making a scheduled itinerary of events that will be taking place throughout your trip will keep you on the right track and prevent you from becoming distracted or missing out on something that you planned.
When it comes to traveling to a music festival for the first time, it never hurts to ask for some helpful advice from people who are more experienced. This can be sought out on social media websites or group messages with friends that you know.
In addition to asking for advice, you can find some packing tips and tricks on the internet, such as the ones that are outlined in this article. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about music festival packing essentials for every travel situation.
What To Pack For a Music Festival
When you are planning out your music festival trip, one of the most important steps is creating and executing your essential packing list. In this section, we will be going over everything that you need for the average music festival trip.
If you are planning on traveling out of state to get to the music festival of your choice and staying in a hotel or similar accommodation, you will be able to take advantage of this information.
Take a look at the lists down below and use them as a sample packing list, adding any other personal items that you might need to bring with you.
Shower/Bathroom:
- Travel sized lotion
- Travel sized deodorant
- Travel sized soaps/shampoos
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Caffeine pills/energy drinks
- Over the counter pain relievers
- Stomach medication
- Vitamin supplements
- Sunscreen
The first area of your essential packing list that we are going to cover in this section will be used for the shower and bathroom. You will need to start by packing everything that you will need in order to keep yourself clean throughout your trip.
This can include soaps, body washes, shampoos, conditioners, lotion, deodorant, and anything else that you would normally use. The only difference between your packing list and normal everyday products will be that these items should come in a smaller travel size for easy packing.
Along with your shower items, you should have a toothbrush and toothpaste, along with anything else that you need such as a travel sized bottle of mouthwash.
When you are planning to be at a festival all day and night for a duration of several consecutive days, you can expect to be outside in the sun and harsh weather for hours on end.
As a result, there are some additional precautions that you should keep in mind while you are packing for this type of adventure. First of all, you should have some kind of caffeine pills or an energy drink with you for each day, whenever you need a pick me up.
Dancing and partying at music festivals can get very tiresome after a while, so you might want to bring some coffee or find a way to make it in your hotel room.
Aside from just needing more energy to be able to party through the festival, you might need some quick remedies for headaches or minor injuries. Standing out in the sun all day and making repetitive movements can be a recipe for a migraine, especially when loud bumping music is involved.
As a remedy for these types of common ailments, you can have a bottle of over the counter pain relievers on hand. These pain relievers also go hand in hand with medications to settle your stomach if you get sick, as well as vitamin supplements to prevent all of these things.
The best vitamin that you can take for this purpose, especially while you are at a music festival, is Vitamin C. This type of supplement will help you to fight against sicknesses and all of the germs that you will come in contact with around crowds of people all day and night.
In addition to the supplement version, you can pick up a packet of Emergen-C powder for added immune strength and protection against illness.
Lastly, you will need to bring a product that will protect your skin from the sun’s heat. Even if you will not be attending the music festival in the summer, you can still get a burn from being outside for so long anyways.
Sunscreen comes in a variety of different types and strengths, from lotions to sprays and light protection to full. It is recommended that you look for a sunscreen that has a minimum strength of SPF 30 for the purpose of music festivals in particular.
Outfits/Personal:
- Wallking shoes/sneakers
- Rain boots
- Socks
- Shorts
- Hats
- Light layers
- Comfortable sleeping clothes
- Swimming suit
- Sunglasses
- Underwear
- Rain coat
- Backpack
- Crossbody bag/fanny pack
- Reusable water bottle
- Garbage bag (for dirty clothes)
The next section of your music festival packing list will include what you are wearing. While you were planning out your trip plans, you might have noticed that the clothing part of things took the longest out of any other category.
While attending a music festival, it is customary to go all out with your apparel, whether you are a guy or a girl. Depending on what kind of event it is, you might see colorful masks or elegant flowers on the people that you pass throughout the festival.
The exact outfits that you choose to put together will be up to you, this list will just serve the purpose of giving you a place to start.
Regardless of what kinds of colors and pieces that you are purchasing or making yourself, don’t forget any of the items that are listed above.
In addition to your outfit, you should have a bag that can be held close to you at all times. For example, you might choose to bring a crossbody bag or backpack, or strap a fanny pack across your waist instead.
Electronic Items:
- Camera and charger
- Smartphone (in a case)
- Phone charger/portable charger
The necessary electronic items that you will need to bring for any festival trip include your camera and smartphone, although these can be used interchangeably and do not necessarily have to be packed together.
Both your camera and smart phone will need to have a charge in order to preserve the battery and make sure that you are not left alone without at least one of them. Especially for music festivals, it helps to have access to some kind of portable charger that you can use while you are out and about.
Portable chargers usually come with a moveable base that you can plug USB cords into like your very own outlet. The charger itself will need to be plugged into a wall to charge, but they can last for several hours to a few days on a full battery.
This is especially beneficial to those who will be camping at the festival site with no electrical outlets to plug a phone charger into.
When you are carrying your smartphone around, you should make sure that you have a case on the back to protect it from any shattering or other damage. You never know what could happen at a music festival, and you don’t want your phone to become collateral damage to any events that conspire.
For added convenience and safety, you can try to find a phone case that will allow you to attach it to yourself or your bag to prevent losing or dropping it.
Miscellaneous (Important!):
- Government issued ID card
- Festival ticket (bracelets)
- Ear plugs
The other essential items that are needed for any music festival trip include your government issued ID card, festival ticket, and some ear plugs.
You will always need to have your ID on you in case something goes wrong, and it should always be kept on your person to avoid losing it. With such a small item, it is easy for it to get lost if you do not keep track of it properly.
Your festival ticket is another important item that you should keep with you at all times. This one is much easier to hold on to, as they will usually come in the form of a bracelet that is tied around your wrist for easy identification.
Ear plugs are another essential item that can be used to your benefit while you are trying to sleep, especially if you will be festival camping. Just because you are sleeping in your tent does not necessarily mean that the music will quiet down, so you should bring these reinforcements just in case you need them.
What To Pack For a Music Festival
Throughout the beginning of this article, you have probably noticed the mentioning of something called festival camping. Festival camping consists of pitching a tent on the festival grounds and sleeping there throughout the duration of the event.
When it comes to sleeping on the festival grounds, there are few tips and tricks that you should keep in mind after you arrive to the location. Take a look at the list down below to get an idea of some guidelines you should follow for the best possible results.
Tips For Festival Camping:
- Bring all necessary equipment
- Set up your campsite before you explore the festival
- Get familiar with your surroundings/directions
- Hang a flag/identification item on your tent
- Make sure everything works before you settle
First and foremost, you must make sure that you have effectively packed all of the necessary equipment. Unlike flying to another city and checking into a nearby hotel for a music festival, you will need to bring your own accommodations.
The specific packing list that is needed for festival camping will be outlined in more detail in the next section, but for now we will be going over some tips for the best experience.
With everything that you need for festival camping, you will be able to set up your campsite including your tent and sleeping mat. This should be done as soon as you get to the festival grounds and before you do anything else.
While setting up camp can be a tedious task, you will be happy that you got it over with before all of the festivities began. If you were to wait, you would most likely come back very tired and confused in the dark.
Along with setting up your sleeping arrangements before you join all the fun of the festival, you should start to get familiar with the area around your campsite. What is near you that is recognizable? How can you get back to your tent when the day is over?
Another thing that will help you to locate your campsite is to hang something directly from your tent. Instead of relying on nearby objects that might not be there permanently, you can tie a colorful flag or something similar onto the outside to lead you right to your bed at the end of the night.
The last thing that you will need to do before you head out toward the festival grounds is to make sure that everything works. This includes any electronic charger or device, flashlights, and hot plates that can be used for cooking in your tent.
If you are able to test these items before leaving your campsite while the sun is still out, you will have the opportunity to find a quick replacement or solution.
What To Pack For a Music Festival
The packing list for festival camping will be slightly different than the one that was outlined in the first section due to the fact that you will need to bring sleeping and camping equipment of your own.
In addition to the personal hygiene and clothing items that were detailed in the first packing list, you will need to bring along the additional pieces of equipment that are outlined in the list down below.
Festival Camping Essentials List:
- Tent
- Shade
- Rope
- Stakes
- Mallet
- Tarps
- Tapestries
- Sleeping mat
- Cooler
- Hot plate
- Reusable dishes (plates, silverware, etc.)
- Chairs and portable table
- Flashlight/lantern
- Head lamp
- Garbage bags
- Wet wipes
When you go festival camping, you will need to bring all of the necessary sleeping arrangements, just like any other camping trip. This will include your tent, a tarp to place it on, the stakes to keep it still, rope, and a sturdy mallet for assembly.
Shades and tapestries will come in handy when you need some additional shielding from the rays of the sun. They can also help to create separate rooms in your tent for privacy when you have roommates.
Inside of the tent, you will need a comfortable sleeping mat and anything else that you may need for a good night of rest.
The cooler, hot plate, and reusable dishes will come in handy when you are eating inside of your tent. Even if you are planning to eat out for most of your trip, it will help to have the option to snack in the middle of the night.
Chairs, tables, flashlights, lamps, and garbage bags will make your camping trip more comfortable and convenient when you need to relax or clean up your campsite.
Since camping usually doesn’t include showers, you will need to bring a few packages of wet wipes to keep yourself clean while you are there.
What To Pack For a Music Festival
When you become a frequent music festival traveler, it is likely that you might come across an opportunity to attend an international festival in another country. In preparation for this kind of trip, you will need to keep a few additional essentials with you for the best experience.
Take a look at the list below to get some ideas on what you should add to your list for festival camping, in particular.
International Music Festival Packing List:
- Passport
- Passport holder
- Plane tickets
- Train tickets
- Hotel information
- Proof of purchase/receipts
- Emergency contact
- Copies of important documents
- International adapter
Your passport and passport holder are among the most important items that you can have with you for any international trip. The passport book or holder can also multitask and serve as a safe place for any other loose documents that are small enough to fit inside.
Your physical plane ticket for getting back home should be included in the important documents that you bring on your trip, along with any train tickets that you might have and the information of your hotel.
It also helps to make electronic copies of these documents to keep on your phone or tablet, along with some paper copies that are held in a different location in case one gets lost.
Keeping documents that prove the purchases you have made throughout your travels, from plane tickets to hotel bookings, will help you to quickly solve any problems that might arise with booking conflicts along the way.
When you are traveling to another country, especially if you will be going by yourself, you should have some kind of documentation that will display your emergency contact information. This should be someone that you trust at home who will be able to take care of any medical emergencies that might arise through your travels.
The last thing that you need for an international music festival might seem like it doesn’t fit into this list, but it is one of the most important. You will need an international power adapter in order to charge all of your electronics.
If your phone, tablet, and camera do not have enough battery to last you through your trip, you will likely run into a lot of problems, from getting lost to missing out on photo opportunities, which is the last thing that you want to happen.
In conclusion, there is a lot of planning that goes into mapping out a music festival trip. Whether you will be flying straight in to a hotel, camping on the festival grounds, or even traveling out of the country for your festivities, you should be able to benefit from the information that was provided in this article.
