How to Survive a Music Festival

The summer music festival has become a tradition ever since Woodstock changed the way that people experienced music forever. Whether you are into heavy metal or jazz, rap or international sounds, there is a music festival just for your kind of music. Here are some tips to help you enjoy your experience and survive a music festival.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Attend with a friend. Going to a music festival with a group of friends or at least one other person will not only be more fun than going alone, but it helps keep both of you safe. Having someone watching out for you in a sea of strangers is a good way to stay safe.
2. Locate safety stations. Most music festivals held on large pieces of land provide handheld maps or prominently post large maps to let festival attendees know where to find necessities like food, bathrooms and souvenirs. Find first aid stations, as well as security or police stands, within the festival grounds and determine how far these locations are from each of the stages you will be visiting. This helps keep the information fresh in your mind should you need to get help quickly.
3. Travel lightly. The best way to ensure that nothing valuable gets lost or stolen at a music festival is to leave it at home. Do not carry credit cards or large amounts of cash; take only what you need for necessities and keep the money that you do take closely on your person rather than in a bag or purse. Do the same with cell phones and keys. Do not wear clothing or shoes that are particularly valuable, as they could get rained on or have beer spilled on them by clumsy patrons.
4. Have a plan. Decide on a strategy ahead of time with your companions for what you will do if you become separated from one another or lost. Choose a prominent and memorable location on the festival grounds to be your meeting place and decide on a time frame for everyone to head to that spot; knowing that you are meeting your group at the front gate if you haven't found each other in a half hour is a lot less stressful than wandering through a sea of music fans trying to find your friends. Also, do not rely on cell phones for communication. The abundance of other phones, as well as all the musical equipment at a festival, makes reception less than ideal.
5. Hydrate yourself. Summer music festivals mean days of hanging out in the sun amidst crowds of sweaty fellow music lovers, and nothing can ruin a concert experience faster than a case of heatstroke. Drink lots of water throughout the day and eat at regular intervals as well. Limit your intake of alcohol as this will dehydrate you and impair your judgment.
6. Wear ear plugs. Some music fans say that wearing ear plugs ruins the concert experience and that they are pointless, but if you plan to listen to a lot of live bands for a long period of time, consider protecting your hearing. Hearing damage caused by loud noise like live music is irreversible, so take precautions ahead of time if you want to stake out a spot at the front of the stage.