It is officially music festival season. If you find yourself going to one this year, you’ll want to be prepared. Here are some tips to survive the event and have fun.
Look at the festival rules. It is 
important to know what you can and cannot take into a venue, and the more you know, the quicker you’ll get through the lines.
Get a ticket beforehand. You may be able to buy tickets on site, but they typically will sell out quickly.
Get a bag that can carry everything. And I mean everything and extras, like T-shirts or freebies. You won’t want to carry a water bottle or your phone around the entire time.
If you have prescription or expensive glasses or sunglasses, put them in a case when you take them off. They’re less likely to get damaged and harder to lose.
Find a good sunscreen, and 
reapply it every few hours. Even if it is a cloudy day, UV rays can still damage your skin. Also, make sure to bring BAND-AIDs—accidents happen, especially in crowds.
Get a portable battery pack for your phone. This will come in handy when you’ve been at a festival for the better part of a day, and your phone is dying while your favorite band plays. Some festivals may also have charging stations, so keep an eye out for those.
Don’t eat a lot before the festival. Trust me. You will regret it. Sweaty and stuffed are not a fun combination.
Conserve your energy beforehand. You may be at the festival for seven-plus hours, so you want to be as rested as possible by the time you get to the event.
Bring snacks, such as protein bars or small packets of peanut butter. If the venue allows outside food, this can save you quite a few dollars. More money for merch!
Bring a poncho. Almost every music festival gets rained on at some point, so you want to be prepared. And it can double as something to lay on the ground.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Sure, it’s nice to look cute, but you should probably also wear something that you don’t mind getting dirty. Take a look at the weather forecast, too, as rain boots may be a good idea.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.
