It's that time of the year where there's a bunch of music festival ads popping up in your social media and if you're anything like me, you just HAVE to go. Speaking from experience, even though music festivals are basically a bunch of mini-concerts packed into one, there are a lot of things you do need to plan ahead in order to not only enjoy your time, but to also make every penny count (cause let's be real, they can get a little pricey).

So, without further ado, let's cut to the chase and figure out what you need to do in order to make it worth your time and money!

1. Get Your Sunscreen and Water

This is a must. Music festivals consist of standing outside with a lot of people surrounding you for hours and hours. Not only do you have the sun beating down on you, but you're sweaty and losing all that water and getting dehydrated. First and foremost, you don't want to be lazy and get burnt. Not only will that make your entire trip miserable and filled with pain, but it's also something that is totally preventable - so just do it. As for water, I once went to a 4 hour long Post Malone concert, had pit tickets and drank an entire bottle of water and still felt really lightheaded and dehydrated to the point where I had to get water from the security. It's not a good look and it'll only be worse if you're at a bigger event.

2. Ditch That Phone

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Yes, you might want to take a cute picture for that Insta feed to document that you're having the time of your life but you might not be able to even post it if it got stolen. Generally, this type of stuff does tend to happen. Imagine this: you're in a huge mosh pit, your hands are sweaty, people are bumping into you and your phone just happens to slip through your hands. Next thing you know, it's gone and people are probably trampling all over it. OR if you're at a festival like Electric Forest, the chances of someone getting in your tent while it's unattended is very high so just don't risk it. If anything, if someone you know brings a phone and you want to take pictures - have them take it and send it to you - but really, try to live in the moment because that's what you paid for. Don't be the person who watches the whole concert/festival through their phone and documents it for everyone else at home.

3. Check the Weather and Plan Ahead

This is really important especially if you're going to a festival like Bonaraoo, Coachella, or Lollapalooza. Make sure you are prepared for it all. Before leaving to go to the festival for the weekend, check the weather forecast ahead of time so you have an idea for what may or may not go down. Along with that, make sure you have the appropriate outfits for that kind of weather and maybe even bring a backpack/fanny pack or something that might hold an umbrella, a water bottle, and extra food. You can always accessorize it and make it cute. Always think: function and appearance.

4. Be Nice to the People Around You

Its really important to be nice to people in general, but also if you're trying to move up to a spot or get closer to the stage - be nice to those around you! Chances are, they will be a lot more receptive to letting you pass by if you're just minding your own business. Surprisingly, a lot of fights tend to break up in music festivals and concerts in general so make sure that you avoid those types of people and situations entirely. Not only will you be ruining your time, but also your friends' if you happen to get into an altercation with a stranger. Stick with your friends and make a game plan on who you want to see, where you will meet up if you do happen to lose touch sometime during the festival, and what you would like to do beforehand. It's important to have fun and also be safe!

5. Download the Festival App

I can guarantee you that almost all festivals have their own FREE app with all the information. They usually consist of lineups, any changes that may take place, and their rules of what you need to bring to the festival, what you can't, and etc. It's a good idea to know what you're going into and what to expect so that way you can just be stress free and enjoy your time! It doesn't take too long and will honestly make your life a whole lot easier.

Music festivals are always a great time to just have some time to yourself and with others before life starts to get hectic again. So if you're gonna do anything, at least make life a little easier for yourself using these small hacks and ideas so that you want to do it all over again!

Until next time,

Salsa.