Begin your new year by resolving to become a good festival attendee.
The music festival culture is at its peak currently, being celebrated by millennials all over the world. It is also one that is often taken advantage of. The Sherp has a few New Year resolution suggestions for festival frequenters, and the Festival Sherpa team, to follow. These may help elevate our festival experiences in 2018. Have a look!
1. Stick to your schedule. For real.
One of the most common regrets attendees seem to have is when they miss an act. Festival lineups are often vast and colorful, and every festival enthusiast draws up a mental (or physical, depending on how invested you are) schedule of the acts they’re looking forward to. Missing anticipated acts is natural, with the hustle-bustle of music festivals, but if you try, you can catch them all – as Pokemon vowed to teach us. Stick to your schedule by having a clear picture of the stages you want to see, and don’t forget to account for time you spend at the ticket counter, security, getting refreshments, etc.
(Image Via: survival-mastery.com)
2. Be a good Samaritan.
Picture this: you’re at a festival, and there’s a drunk and/or high girl/boy losing their shit close to you. People pass him/her, chuckling. I mean, stuff like this happens all the time, why be bothered by it? Well, this time, vow to help this strange person, granted they have no one else around and are susceptible to assistance. Get them some water and make sure they know what and how much of the intoxicant they’ve taken. Maybe even call their friend for them. If they don’t need your help, well, at least you tried.
(Image Via: tonedeaf.com.au)
3. Don’t let the intoxicants dominate your experience.
Getting intoxicated is an unsaid etiquette of the festival experience, and that’s perfectly alright. However, forgetting that the whole point of the festival is the music, the vibe, and the people, is also something that comes with getting too intoxicated. Level your alcohol/drug consumption so that you can make the bets of the festival.
(Image Via: dailymail.co.uk)
4. Respect the ‘Leave No Trace’ policy.
Many festivals work hard to implement the ‘Leave No Trace’ policy, that helps them keep the environment and venue clean after the festival is over, and avoid this gruesome aftermath. These festivals almost always have volunteer positions, which attendees can take up and help the organizers clean the venue post the festival. If you’re not available to volunteer, then simple gestures, such as looking for a nearby trash can instead of leaving plastic cups behind in the grass/mud/sand can go a long way. We know you have it in you to be amazing, world. Let’s make the festival community a better place!
Note: When we talk about leave-no-trace, the festival organizers must also take this seriously. Read this amazing article about how leave-no-trace isn’t being implemented in most cases.
(Image Via: Aumega/Origin Festival Facebook)
5. While you’re at it, respect the music.
There are innumerable music festivals in the world, a new one budding literally every month in some part of the earth. Music festivals try their hardest to make their lineup suitable for their target audiences. If that audience isn’t you, move on. Hating on headliners selected by the organizers is not only unfair, but essentially disrespectful to the festival and the artist. If you don’t like the headliner, don’t go for the festival. If you’ve already bought your ticket, you have our sympathy, but that still doesn’t give you the excuse to misuse the internet to bad-mouth the artist or the festival. Same way, while you’re at the festival, try to be respectful of the artist on stage. They’re performing for YOU. If you don’t enjoy the set, move away and be as boisterous as you please, but don’t inadvertently ruin the experience for fellow attendees.
(Image Via: Nh7 Weekender/Facebook)
Remember Woodstock, folks: the festival that inadvertently set the culture of music festivals into motion. Start the 2018 season of festivals with peace, love and music.