Are you a new raver? Have you been raving for a while, but still don’t feel like a pro? Let me help you with these 8 mistakes new ravers make at their first festival. Don’t get me wrong, even ravers who have been raving for a while may still make these mistakes.
Going to my first festival I was not prepared at all, I have made most of these new raver mistakes and I hope to save you the trouble. As for the rest of the mistakes that I personally did not make, many of our fellow ravers have, including my rave fam. So let’s get to it because I know you need to hear this to make your first (or next) festival easier.
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What New Ravers Forget to Bring to a Festival
The first big mistake you can make is forgetting things you will need at the festival. Whether you are traveling far to get to your festival or just driving down the street, these things are really important to have but are forgotten a lot.
Some of the things forgotten you do need to have just get into the festival otherwise you will be turned away.
ID
The biggest thing ever to have is your ID. Whether it is a diver’s license or passport it is tied for 1st place on what you need to have to get into a festival. If you do not have your ID they will not let you in so you will have to go back and get it, especially for festivals 18+ and 21+.
Wristbands
Most festivals nowadays have wristbands as their tickets so that you can go for multiple days without it getting lost. These wristbands tend to be made from fabric so that they don’t tear easily or disintegrate when wet.
You need your wristband to get into the festival. There isn’t another way. If you lose your wristband you have to go to one of the help desks/ ticketing desks to get a replacement that will cost you more money.
Wristbands are made to be tightened so that ravers can swap it with someone else and sneak people in. They are supposed to stay on the entirety of the festival and festival weekend so that you can get back in the next day.
That being said you can get your festival wristbands off (depending on the wristbands and how tight you put it) without having to cut it. There are many people showing you how to take wristbands off on YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook that you might want to look into if you really don’t want to cut it.
Personally, I just don’t tighten my wristbands extremely tight and keep it loose enough to take off with a bit of effort, but not loose enough to fall off. The only reason I take mine off sometimes is to take a shower because I don’t like sleeping with or wearing for that matter a wet wristband.
Your Wallet/ Money to Spend
While I don’t suggest bringing your whole wallet, I do suggest bringing something where you can safely put your spending money. But you need to have some spending money.
Whether or not you want to spend money at a festival, there will be times when you actually need to. Like if you forget your water bottle (which I will talk about next) or when you need to eat because you will get hungry at some point, and for all of those unexpected times where you need to buy a hoodie to be warm (aka EDC Las Vegas 2019).
Either way at some point you will need to have some money to spend while at the festival. Just try to keep it safe and don’t bring everything you have at one time because you really don’t want to lose it.
Water Bottle
If you want to save money at a festival you need to bring an empty water bottle. Festivals want to make sure you aren’t bringing in other drinks so it has to be empty, but if you don’t want to pay $8-$10 or so for a bottle of water then bring your own.
You can buy a water bottle at the festival and refill it at the water stations though which is the next best option.
I highly suggest a hydration pack instead because then you have more water you can carry at a time and fill up less often. A hydration pack also means you can keep your hands-free. Since they are usually on your back and vary from 1 litter – 3 or even 5 litters, you don’t have to worry so much about losing it or not being able to take those festival pictures and videos.
Sunscreen
Please, oh please, don’t forget the sunscreen. If your festival starts in the afternoon and the sun is still going to be up, you need sunscreen.
If your festival is all day and all night, you need sunscreen. You don’t think you need sunscreen? You will probably burn from not wearing sunscreen.
Being burnt at any festival feels like crap. Your fun goes out the window and the pains set in. Don’t ruin your festival experience by forgetting sunscreen.
Many people will come back from festivals looking like lobsters and it hurts them. Even if you don’t feel it during the festival you will feel all of the pains when you head home or even to the hotel. Save yourself the pain, especially if you are ghostly white like I normally am and burn easily.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to apply the sunscreen before the festival and while at the festival. It doesn’t help anything if you aren’t wearing sunscreen.
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New Raver Mistakes at the Festival
Now that we are through with the main things that get forgotten by new ravers it is time for the rest of the mistakes. Don’t forget that even if you have been raving for a while you might be making these same mistakes.
Choosing the Closest Porta-potties
I truly don’t understand this, but when everyone goes to the porta-potties at a festival they go to the first rows. There will be a gigantic crowd around the first rows of portapotties, but once you make it through the crowd there will be a ton of porta-potties that have barely been used.
Why? Why don’t people just think “Oh hey these are full and there is a huge line for it, why don’t I just go farther in and find ones that don’t have a line?”. I don’t get it.
I do know that most people really have to use the bathroom and they just want the fastest one, but the fastest ones are in the back where people aren’t.
Do yourself a favor. Use the porta-potties farther in/ in the back. They are usually much cleaner than the front ones that everyone is crowded around. And tend to have toilet paper when the front ones don’t.
Pro Tip: If the porta-potties don’t have toilet paper check on top of the porta-potty. Many times there is extra toilet paper hidden on the roof of some of the porta-potties (thank you tall people for teaching me that!!!).
Trying to See Every Artist On Their List
First off, just don’t even try because most festivals have many stages and that means many overlapping artists. Most of the time your favorite artists will be playing at the same time and on the complete opposite sides of the festival.
Its sucks, it truly does, but that is life. But there is a way to make it better. Enjoy your time and look at the lineup to decided your top artists you want to see. If your top 3 artists all play at the same time then pick your top 1.
The best way is actually to pick your favorite artist and make that the one person you want to see. From there go with the flow and see whoever is next or just pick someone you like during each time slot. Do not be afraid to miss artists because it will happen anyway.
If you miss your artist at one festival you can probably catch them at the next festival you go to or the next year.
Always Sticking With the Group
Going with a group is great in many ways, but don’t feel forced to stay with them the whole time. If they are going to see someone you don’t want to see then go solo for a bit and check out the artists you want to catch.
It is okay to be separated from the group for a while when you try to enjoy the time. If you do plan on splitting up, but want to end up together a little bit later then set up a meetup spot. Make it a place that you won’t forget about, but not something where there is going to be a huge crowd.
The easiest way to find your group is by having a totem. Something that stands out and can be seen from far away is best.
Getting “lost” for a while at any festival is actually one of the main things people love to do because they get to explore the festival and discover new artists and music. So feel free to split up and enjoy the festival as a whole even if your group doesn’t plan to.
Not Booking Ahead
Oh my goodness please book things in advance. If you are going to a festival and don’t book your flight, you may never get there in time. If the festival is about to end for the night and you don’t have a hotel or camping spot to be at then you are in trouble.
Plan ahead for these things. I understand if you are last-minute choosing to go to a festival, but try to make sure you have a way to get there and back, and somewhere to stay while when the festival is over for the night.
If you book last-minute you might not even get a hotel room near where the festival is being held because places book up quickly (like EDC Las Vegas where the strip is basically booked completely months before the festival). And if you do find a hotel to book a room last-minute it may be quiet expensive too because they raise prices for festival weekends.
Not Dressing for the Weather
Do yourself a huge favor and check the weather for the festival you are going in advance. Check what the weather was like the previous year, what it normally is like, and then check when you are packing the week of the festival.
The more you keep an eye on what the weather is going to be then the better you can dress for the weather. You do not want to be caught in the cold when all you packed was for the desert heat.
If it is supposed to be hot, but the year before happened to be a bit colder then make sure to pack at least one warmer outfit in case it gets cold. Even if you just pack a sweater. Be prepared if the weather changes.
Otherwise, if you aren’t a bit prepared then you will be spending a lot of money to buy something from the festival.Take EDC Las Vegas 2019 for example, it was supposed to be hot, but the wind was strong and cold the entire weekend. Because everyone packed for the heat, EDC sold out of every hoodie, sweater, long-sleeve T-shirt, blanket, and anything else that was warm.
So save yourself some money, pack something extra just in case and definitely pack for the usual weather of your festival.
If you are wanting warmer outfits that still are festival-worthy then I suggest checking out iHeartRaves because I love their selection and many of my favorite outfits come from them. If you do choose to go with iHeartRaves then use the code LIFEOFAURA at checkout for an extra 10% off on top of your deals already. Or there are other great websites to check out in my list of best rave wear companies.
Forgetting to Sleep or Take Naps
As much as everyone loves to party and enjoy the festival, you need to sleep. When the festival ends you need to find some time to sleep so that you are prepared for when the festival starts back up again.
If you are feeling tired during the festival then find a nice place with less traffic and more room and take a nap. Many festivals actually have areas where ravers go and nap or relax at so that there are fewer chances of them being trampled on by the crowds.
Don’t be afraid to take a small nap. If others think it is lame or weak, don’t listen to them because you need to take care of your own body. Festivals will take a lot out of you and most people don’t take care of their bodies well at any festival. Which of course leads to the pains their bodies have after each festival. Or they could even end up at a med tent.
Pro Tip: Take care of your body while at a festival because at many festivals, if not all, med tents can cost you. They are not cheap if you need your stomach pumped or banana bags, etc. The more careful you are and know your limits the less a festival will cost you in the end. Emergen-C and Pedialyte are your best friends.
Eating Wrong Before or During Festival
The last thing I want to talk about is eating at a festival. For the most part, you may forget to eat while you are at a festival. You will be having to much fun and the bass of the speakers will drown out your stomach growling. But you do need to eat.
When you eat before a festival make sure that you eat something you are used to eating. Something that won’t make your stomach upset. Don’t choose greasy foods because trust me you don’t want diarrhea in a gross porta-potty, let alone trying to get through the crowd to get to a porta-potty.
Eat foods that fill you up for a long time, has protein, gives you energy, and don’t overstuff yourself. You don’t want to walk into a festival already feeling sick from overeating.
While at the festival do the same thing. Find foods that aren’t greasy, something you might usually eat, and can fill you up well. You truly need foods that keep you full for longer because festival food is expensive. If you are vegan you might have a harder time finding foods for you to eat, but I know Insomniac tries to make sure there are options for everyone at their festivals.
Pro Tip: The best two options I have found that weren’t greasy and fill you up well are the chicken tenders/strips with fries and the buddha bowls. If you are vegan then the buddha bowls are for you, but they are a bit more expensive.
Conclusion
There you go, the 8 mistakes new ravers make at their first festival and many ravers who have gone many times still make these mistakes. I hope this helped you out for your first (or next) festival so that you don’t have to go through the pains many of us ravers have already gone through and have been going through.
Now please share this post with your friends so that they too can have a better experience without making any of these mistakes!
