What to Expect at Your First Festival or Rave: The Full Experience

FESTIVALS ARE BACK

Let me tell you, it has been TOUGH without them. Music has always been very special to me and I have been spending my extra money for live shows from the moment I was allowed to go. I remember my mom went to my first festival with me because I wasn’t allowed to go by myself. She gave me an ultimatum; either you don’t go at all or I go with you. I’m sure she was hoping I wouldn’t go at all, but I was dedicated. So, my mom and I packed up and went to our first festival. I have been going ever since.

As the world is opening back up and festivals are back again, I’m realizing that there will be a whole new group of rave / festival newbs. It wasn’t so long ago that I was a rave newb as well and I had so many questions. So, if this is your first rave / festival , here is my full list of how to prepare for your first rave or festival.

Buy your ticket!

First things first, find a festival you want to go to! I recommend for your first festival to be something local and possibly only one or two days. It will be easier for you to adjust because you are close to home and do not have to be worried about finding a place to stay or not having a car. One or two day festivals are also a bit cheaper making it easier to afford for your first time. Some festivals that are two or three days may offer one day tickets for sale or payment plans.

The Goods: Consider a side hustle or picking up a few extra shifts to be able to save for your festival tickets. Planning way in advance will be your best friend.

BEWARE OF FOMO. You may buy a one day pass and be finding yourself wishing you had bought the second day as well.

The Goods: Check resale sites such as Craigslist and Facebook for those selling their day passes.

WARNING: Be careful that the ticket is legit! It is not an uncommon occurrence to buy a ticket the night before and meet at the festival for a pass off. A lot of people end up dropping out or finding themselves with an extra ticket they're trying to sell the second day. A lot of times it works out, but if you’re not smart about it, you can be sold a fake ticket or they might fall through on the meet up all together.

Plan your stay.

Ideally, your first festival is local, but that just isn’t reality for a lot of people. Whether your location isn’t ideal or the best damn lineup of the year happens to be 200 to 2,000 miles away, planning a stay is inevitable.

Advice for planning your stay:

• Book your stay as soon as possible because that is when the prices are lowest.

  • The longer you wait to book your stay, the more expensive the rates will be and the less selection of stay is available.

  • This is especially true for bigger raves and festivals such as Coachella and EDC.

The Goods: Check hotels near the venue, but don’t be afraid to use other resources such as AirBnb and Motel 6 (do your research on Yelp first, but a lot of Motel 6's have really upped their game since when they got their bad rep).

• Always consider going with a group or at least one other person to away raves and festivals.

  • Not only is it fun to have a rave fam, especially when you’re first starting out, but it is a lot easier on the wallet when you can cram a few people in your hotel room or AirBnb house.

• Consider using a credit card responsibly to pay for your stay and make payments every month.

  • This helps be able to pay for it as soon as possible while also building your credit over time.

  • Another perk is if you go with a group, you can have them pay you back and be able to pay off your credit card that way.

Getting to the venue and leaving.

The Goods: Get there early, take your own car, and have a DD!

If it is possible for you to have a DD and take your own car to the venue - do it. Although there is usually a fee, you are really paying for ease and to thank yourself later. Make sure to get there two hours earlier than the artist that you want to see!! There is always a line getting into the venue (both for parking and riding sharing drop off zones!) and there is always a long line getting into the venue. Expect lines for will call (usually pretty fast if you have your ID), the security check (truly the longest part), and finally the pearly gates with wristband scanning. You can usually do all that and get yourself acquainted with the festival grounds just in time to see your first fav.

When leaving is where having a DD and having your own car really comes into play. I like to pack a little after-the-rave-pack for myself. I’ll make sure to have my eyelash case, a makeup wipe, a bottle of water, a little snack, sweat pants, hoodie, and a mellow playlist for the line on the way out of the venue. That just adds the perfect end to the festival or rave for me. After walking, running, singing and dancing all day and night the last thing I want to deal with is the chaos of trying to find your Uber while hundreds of other people are doing it at the same time.

But, if ride sharing is your only option, here is what to expect:

• Finding your Uber is wildly difficult.

• Everyone is trying to order their cars at the same time, so cell service sucks.

• Uber drivers cancel frequently because they can’t get on the street to pick you up.

• The app itself is crashing due to high use.

• Your phone died hours ago and you’re trying to bum an Uber ride.

How to prepare:

• Bring a cordless charger and save it for the end.

• Try to avoid the peak traffic time - try to get to the pickup area a bit early or late.

• It’s a right of passage, be patient, make friends, dance it out :)

What do I wear???

I think this is the most daunting and exciting part for many people. It is definitely part of my top three favorite things about festivals and raves. Especially raves. It is the one place where everyone can come together and wear whatever tf we want to wear and we are accepted. Do not let this be a place of stress for you, just live by these concepts and you’ll be fine.

Think comfort!! The whole point of festivals and raves is to dance and sing with your friends to your favorite artists all day and night. I love a good trend, but it is not worth sacrificing your entire time for the trend. Yeah, I said it. You’re not paying that much to be uncomfortable the entire time and changing how you would act because of the fit.

Considerations for comfort:

• Weather appropriate clothing

• Fits you well - no adjusting!

• Comfortable shoes

• Able to jump around and walk all day

• Able to be hands free

• Able to layer easily and store easily

The Goods: If you have your own car, take a full outfit pic right outside the gates. If you aren’t driving, take a full outfit pic before you get to the venue. Then, change whatever piece that will make you uncomfortable, post your Insta pic, and then go inside and HAVE FUN.

Also, consider clothes that are functional.

Functional Options:

• Pockets

• Places to hook chains or bags

• Breathable clothing

• Easy water storage

• Easily layerable and convertible clothing

At the end of the day, wear what you want. Wear what makes you feel happy, comfortable, and confident!

What do I pack???

I was so stressed before my first rave about what to bring. I had no idea what I needed and what I would regret not bringing. So, here is my list:

Must haves:

• Phone

• ID

• Cash

• Card

• Wristband

• Mask

• Cordless Charger

• Hair band

• Sunnies

Highly recommended:

• Tissues

• Water cantina

• Sanitizer

• Fan

• Jacket

• Chapstick

• Gum

Do I eat before?

What to eat before a festival or rave is specific to everybody, but I can let you in on what works for me. I like to eat quite a bit leading up to a festival until about an hour before give or take. I don’t like to eat too much right before leaving and I also make sure to eat what I am used to eating, so that there is no guessing game for my stomach. (My first rave I had way too much Pho right before leaving for the venue. At the time I was way too excited to eat that much all at once, I wasn’t used to Pho enough to trust my tummy in a high pressure situation, and ultimately it all came back up before sunset. Ya live and ya learn what works for you.)

I do like to eat a lot however because food at festivals and raves is expensive and the lines are very long. So, I try to limit it to one time that I have to eat again before the end of the night. But hey, some people’s favorite part of festivals is the food, to each their own!

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Overall, when it comes to festivals and raves, just go and have fun. Remember the essentials such as tickets, shelter, ID, money, and comfort. After that, the rest is optional. Get out there, have fun, be safe, and PLUR.