Festival Planning: Tips for Attending Winter Concerts
Music festivals are awesome. The music, the people, the vendors. Who wouldn’t enjoy such an extravaganza of the senses? In winter, however, they can present their own unique set of challenges. Keeping warm of course being chief amongst them. But, with a little preparation, you can overcome these challenges and party and dance to your heart’s content.
Get a List Together
It may sound like advice from your mother. But your mother was a pretty smart cookie. Making up a list of everything you need before hand, and getting it all together, is a great way to reduce your stress. It’s also the best way to insure you don’t forget anything either. This is especially important for winter festivals as there are somethings that you kinda sorta really need. In the summer, if you forget a shirt or something you can just wear another one twice. In Winter if you forget your mittens you’re going to have very cold hands.
Dress for it
Again, it may sound like advice from your mother. And again, that’s because it’s good. It’s going to be really hard to enjoy anything if you can’t feel your hands or ears. So make sure you bring everything you might need. Things like gloves, a warm hat and warm footwear are a must when it comes to winter festivaling. Things like hand and foot warmers can also be welcome additions. And don’t go thinking you’re just going to tough it out. It might seem a little uncool to dress appropriately. But you’ll find people don’t care nearly as much as you think they do. You’ll also find that if you’re miserable because you’re cold people really won’t want to talk to you.
Research
Usually you know exactly who you want to see when you’re going to a festival. Usually that’s the reason you’re going there in the first place. But in the week leading up to it it can be a great idea to go through the lineup and give some of acts you don’t recognize a quick Google. Usually there’ll be some of their stuff somewhere you can listen to for free. A lot of the time you’ll find a lot of the smaller acts are actually quite good. This of course includes stuff like comedians and dancers not just musicians. Knowing smaller acts are good will mean you’ll always have something to check out if you want to.
Give the Festival Itself a Google
Every festival is of course different. By googling the specific festival you’re going to you can find tips and tricks for it from people who have been there before. Maybe there’s a little stage in the back that not many people know about but always has awesome music. Or there might be a to die for food vendor. It could even be as simple as a little used bank of bathrooms slightly off the beaten path. It’s little tips like this from seasoned professionals that can make all the difference come festival time. And you can show off this knowledge and look like a seasoned professional yourself.
Guide to Snowboxx
Snowboxx is an electronic music festival in the resort town of Avoriaz in the French Alps. The festival features some of the best EDM in the world, as well as all the winter activities you could want. There are of course the ski hills and extreme snowball fights. But there’s plenty of non winter related activities as well. You’ll find things like zorbing, paintballing, and karaoke to keep you busy between acts.
Fortunately there aren’t many things you need to do specifically to prepare for Snowboxx. Of course if you want to ski or snowboard you’ll need to bring any gear you have. You’ll also need to bring warm clothes in general of course. Seeing as it’s an EDM festival, it’s a good idea to get some rave wear together as well. If you’re traveling from outside of France you’ll of course need your passport in order, but most western countries don’t need a visa to visit France.
Guide to Ultra Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival is held in downtown Miami every year at Bayfront Park. It’s one of the biggest winter festivals in the world with 150000 people in attendance, and naturally attracts some of the biggest names in electronic music.
Ultra is perhaps a little easier to prepare for than most music festivals. Being in Miami, the cold isn’t an issue. Instead, you’ll want to be bringing plenty of light clothes to beat the heat. You’ll of need your passport in order, but most western countries can stay for 90 days visa-free.
