As the weather starts to warm up and the semester draws to an end, a new season is upon us: festival season. We spend all year awaiting the lineups, even buying our tickets before who know who is going to be performing. It is hard to explain how unique and amazing of an experience a music festival is to those who have never attended.
Arguably the best season of the year, festival season sends hoards of people, old and young, across state lines to spend several days seeing their favorite artists. Music festivals provide an escape from the real world into a world where where you are emerged into a sea of excitement while surrounded by people that are also looking for a similar experience. Having attended Lollapalooza in Chicago last summer, I feel that music festivals foster a sense of community — from sitting in an intimate field listening to The Kooks to singing every word to “Hey Ya" by Outkast to jamming out to Childish Gambino in the pouring rain. Despite being surrounded by thousands of people in the hot summer sun, the vibe at any festival is a mixture of calm and excitement.
The best part about music festivals is that most of them attract different artists and different crowds. Regardless of the differences, you are seeing some of the biggest names in the world all in one place. Lollapalooza attracts more indie, rock and mainstream artists like Eminem, Outkast, Grouplove, and Cage the Elephant — to name a few. Firefly in Delaware, which I am attending this summer, draws more old-school acts, coveted big names and an array of smaller, less known artists like Paul McCartney, Kygo, Modest Mouse, and Matt & Kim. It is important to go out of your comfort zone and listen to artists you may have never heard of, which is how I have discovered some of my favorite artists at music festivals!
Another amazing part about attending festivals is the fashion. Year after year, we hear about stars like Kendall Jenner and Vanessa Hudgen's “festival fashion." When attending music festivals, you have the chance to experiment with trends and fashions that you may not typically wear on a day-to-day basis. You'll find yourself planning your outfits weeks, maybe even months, in advance.
Lastly, while at a music festival you meet so many people. Almost everyone in attendance is friendly, excited and enthusiastic. People are not afraid to strike up conversation and you may even find that you have so much in common with someone so different from you. Oftentimes people keep in contact with people they've met at festivals and attend together in the future. You constantly find yourself feeding off of the energy of those who are surrounding you in the crowd and even exchanging words and a few laughs.
Again, it is hard to put into words how amazing the full music festival experience is. I believe that everyone should grab their friends, pack up and attend at least one music festival during their life.
