Tips & Tricks to Successfully Survive Festival Season
Intro
Last week around this time I was reluctantly coming down from the high of attending my first music festival. It could’ve been the contact from the colorful aromas that filled the Dreamville Festival skies or residuals from the brownie I’d consumed at the event. Either way, I wanted to stay there and bask in the joy that comes from live music and beautiful people and pat myself on the back because, well, I SURVIVED!
As a pure lover of concerts, attending a music festival had marinated on my bucket list for quite some time. Miles of fields full of colors, activities, drinks, strangers, fun outfits and Ferris Wheels had long covered my timeline but I felt unprepared. So, I did my research. What shoes should I wear? How should I dress? What goes in my fanny pack? Should I carry a fanny pack or bookbag? What’s the weather? How’s the weather at night? I mean, question upon question.
I likely annoyed my friends, but every question and research session came in handy. After a bit of grounding, I was able to enjoy my experience and learn more without feeling anxious or unprepared.
Valuable Tips
- Eat a good breakfast before attending because meals are expensive.
- Have a copy of the performance schedule and make a plan
- Pace yourself
- Pack light
Here’s how I survived Dreamville Festival 2022.
Shoes
Comfortable shoes are undoubtedly the most important thing on this list. Walking about 4 miles per day, going from stage to stage, vendor to vendor is not an easy feat 😏. Without my Adidas Ozelias, I wouldn’t have made it. I was literally walking on clouds. As a wide, flat-footed girl, did my feet still hurt? Yes. This is real life. But it wasn’t unbearable. No blisters and my ankles were secure. I was pleased and cute! And I need them in all colors.
Fanny Packs and Backpacks
The last thing you want during a constantly moving festival is a bunch of shit in your hands. No one has time for that. I opted for a fanny pack because it gave me security in an event filled with about 40,000 people and if we’re being honest – it masked my FUPA.
This holographic waterproof fanny from amazon is spacious, waterproof and PLUS SIZE FRIENDLY!
What goes in it?
Cell Phone
Wipes
Wisps/Gum
Cards/Cash
Water Bottle
And whatever else you can slide in there :)
Collapsible Water Bottle
If you’re like me, you had no idea this was even a thing! This collapsible silicone piece of God’s goodness fit perfectly in my fanny pack and it was only $12. Just refill as needed (and trust me you’re going to need it) and collapse when you’re feeling good and hydrated. HYDRATION is a must. The last thing you want to do is pass out in a sea of hyperactive people.
Comfy Clothes
Festivals are for sure a musical fashion runway. However, fashionably comfortable is the way to go. There’s no place for wardrobe malfunctions or sticky clothes that could lead to an uncomfortable night. I’d originally planned for variations of these cute little numbers from Forever 21 but I quickly learned that I wouldn’t be happy or warm once the sun set and the 40-degree lows set in.
So I swapped for this cute sweatpants number from Walmart.
The most valuable lessons I learned while attending Dreamville 2022 were to pace myself and the most fun! Rest when your body says rest. Drink your water, enjoy your people and make new friends. The Official Dreamville Facebook group (link) helped me correlate a plan, gave me plenty of laughs and introduced me to some dope individuals.
Next year, I’m going VIP and I’ll be there early enough to enjoy all the cool photo opportunities. All-in-all I could never complain!Thank you, J. Cole and the rest of the Dreamville crew. See you at Dreamville 2023!
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