Feature photo by larskflem. Photo above by spinlab

When I went to my first summer musical festival few years back I was unprepared and could’ve used a little guidance. Over the last few years as I’ve covered Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Music Festival, moe.down, and other summer festivals, I’ve acquired a checklist of sorts that I wish I’d had before embarking on my first festival.

Seasoned veteran or festival novice, I hope these tips can make your experience more rocking, relaxing and fun.

Picking a festival

One of the best places to start is going to Jambase.com, an aggregator of all things involved with music festivals and concerts. Check out the history of each particular festival via its website or third party music blogs or websites.

Each festival tries to set itself apart by creating a particular slant through a combination of line-up, location, and overall vibe. Generally, festivals will be teaming up with local and regional media and artists to offer unique side shows ranging from improve theater to art exhibits to on-site record stores and activist booths promoting voter registration and green initiatives.

As you do your research, think about the following:

Festival passes can range anywhere from $50 to $250 (US Dollars) or higher, depending on venue, location and who’s headlining and promoting the festival.

M.I.A. rocking Coachella. Photo by SToppin.

Musical tastes are pretty diverse these days as most people enjoy several genres and the festival line-ups show. Though there are festivals that are genre exclusive, most festivals showcase acts playing everything from bluegrass to hip hop.

For festivals like Bonnaroo, Coachella and Rothbury, much of the experience is all about pitching your tent and camping out for the weekend. Some of the camping festivals do offer luxury cabins or tents at higher ticket prices.

Most festivals offer a map before you get there so you’ll want to know where the camping sites are in relation to the parking and the music stages. If the camping sites are far you’ll want to keep your gear light or invest in a small pull wagon or cart.

Depending on how much sleep you want to get or how close you want to be to the action, as many of these festivals run 24/7, you’ll want to know if the camping sites are near the stages, scattered across the grounds or both.

Bring the usual camping gear–tent, sleeping bag, etc.—and in the age of texting and cell phones, you’ll want have some type of alternate power source like a car charger.

If you’re attending a festival located in a city or metropolitan area such as Lollapalooza, Pitchfork Festival in Chicago or All Points West in New Jersey, getting a hotel room for the weekend on your own is an option or you can take advantage of the festival’s package lodging deals.

Some cities also have affordable hostel locations available, or you can connect with a friend in that city and work out a set up to stay with them during the weekend and maybe even go to the festival together.

Learn the local history before you go.

As with any travels, having a cultural awareness of where you’re going can enrich your festival experience and take you beyond just enjoying the music. The uniqueness of many of the best festivals is rooted in their locality. For example, Glastonbury in the UK occurs on festival grounds that go back for centuries.

Being clued in on local culture and history will also help if you plan on venturing away during the show to give your ears a rest or plan a pre or post festival mini-excursion to visit other locations nearby.

Push slightly outside of your cultural and comfort zone.

One of the best parts about the summer music festival experience is observing the meshing of different cultures and being around a new group of people. As more and more festivals incorporate different genres, I’ve seen an increasingly diverse cross-section of fans at festivals.

Take the opportunity to interact with other festival-goers, and don’t be afraid to ask for that camping tool you forgot. chat about the last night’s set of a commonly admired band, or join in a game of Frisbee.

Be smart about using drugs and alcohol.

I don’t include this tip to be a killjoy, but only as a word of caution. I’ve seen festival experiences come to an early end and create a complete nightmare for everyone involved because of drug and alcohol abuse.

Even though music culture and drug culture overlap, especially in a live music setting, be wise about bringing drugs or large amounts of alcohol into the festival. At most festivals you’re going to get searched inside and out before you even get though the gates. Security will either confiscate prohibited materials or ask you to leave with no ticket refunds.

Make time to chill.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to plan out a few intervals of rest and not run yourself ragged and become ornery by trying to see every band. If you’ve done initial research on the area, take a short trek to one of those spots you learned about and give your cochleas a break.

Many festivals have also begun featuring morning yoga classes, offering a chance to recharge the mind and body. I can’t stress this enough. However you do it; whether it’s reading a book, taking a nap or journaling in a quiet spot, make time to give your ears and other senses a rest. Knowing the festival ground layout and scheduling in time to relax is the most important tip I can give you.

Community Connection

Heading to a festival this summer? Link up with new friends on your way there by posting to matador’s forum.

For more on music festivals, check out our Top 10 Music Festivals Worldwide.