How To: Survive A Country Music Festival

Having been to my fair share of music festivals, including Stagecoach, Route 91, and more. I’ve done all the work, so you don’t have to! If you’re thinking of heading to a country music festival, here are a few tips and tricks to help you survive.

Register Your Wristband

You know those annoying emails that you keep getting telling you to register your wristband? DO IT! Because if you destroy it, lose it, break it, rip it, burn it (woah, calm down), damage it – they’ll get you a new one!

Hydrate, Hydrate, HYDRATE!

We don’t mean hydrate with any beverage, we mean water! It’s hot, alcohol is dehydrating, and it’s going to be a looooong day.

Bring your own empty water bottle to the festival – there are stations where you can fill it up free of charge. And trust me, when you wake up without a hangover in the morning, you’ll thank me.

Pregame (your wallet will thank you)

The very first day you get there, before even heading to the festival, stop by the local grocery store for a booze run. Have a drink or two while getting ready, take a to-go cup for the walk to the festival and ta-da! I just saved you $20 or so. Now you already have a nice little buzz going on and saved yourself some money.

Sunscreen that skin

Let’s face it – it gets hotter than haitis at these music festivals. Temperatures at Stagecoach in Palm Springs/Indio have been known to hit upwards of 100 degrees. To save yourself a sunburn, pack on the SPF! Because if you don’t, you’ll be packing on the Aloe Vera later.

Plan your day ahead of time

Hate to disappoint, but some of your favorite artists play at the same time. GASP! Take a look at the schedule ahead of time and see what artists you want to see, and which one’s you’re fine with letting go. Typically, at the larger festivals, there are 2 or 3 different stages showcasing your favorite country crooners, pick your favorites so you don’t miss them! Download your festivals App from your App Store ahead of time for schedules and set times right on your phone!

Have a Plan B With thousands and thousands of people on their phones calling, texting, Instagramming, Snapchatting, Facebooking, Tweeting and more… cell phone service is hard to come by. Have a back-up plan in place in case you and your friends get lost, and don’t rely on your cell phone battery to last all day either!

Bless You… Tissues

I know this sounds like the weirdest tip, but bring a travel pack of tissues! Musical festivals like this usually have Porta-Potti’s and Porta-Potti’s only. And in some cases, they run out of toilet paper, paper towels, toilet seat covers and more. Trust me, you (and your bum) will thank me for this one.

HAVE FUN! This one is a given.