What To Pack For A Music Festival (Non-Camping)

The north american festival season is now in full swing. Instead of our typical travel material, this week we’re gonna change things up and focus on another type of adventure: music festivals! Every year, music lovers alike flock to fields and parks to stand shoulder to shoulder and belt out their favourite songs in unison. I can already feel the anticipation building for the one festival I’m attending this year (cue high-pitched pterodactyl noises). The energy at a music festival is like none other, and the immediate bond with strangers solely based on music tastes is fantastic.

At the request of a friend, we decided to write a post about packing for a music festival for all you festival freshmen. Note that this packing guide is for music festivals without camping, or if you choose not to camp on festival grounds. We’re assuming you have access to a place to sleep, eat, shower… In other words your festival experience won’t involve a tent, a can of propane, or worrying about finding reasonably priced ice.

Without further ado, here’s a list of what you should bring.

Clothes

Yes, you need clothes! You might think your birthday suit is a good idea in hot summer weather, but you’ll only end up with sunburn on unsavoury places and a complaint or two regarding something about indecent exposure.

1. Weather appropriate tops and bottoms
2. Boots or shoes or sandals (check the weather for rain, festival grounds can be terribly muddy)
3. Rain coat with a hood, if rain is in the forecast
4. Sunglasses, hat, buffer scarf (this is a great to avoid heat exhaustion if it’s super hot and sunny - soak it, wear it around your neck, bask in the envy of others melting around you)
5. Fashion accessories, as desired
6. Socks and undies
7. Pjs, or not if that’s your style

Hygiene

Festival grounds are hot and humid and teeming with people and their microscopic microbial friends. These are a few things you’ll be infinitely grateful you brought.

1. Hand sanitizer. Porta potties may run out of soap. Better to be safe than to contract an illness, as they say. This statement applies to a certain other toiletry item.
2. Tissues and/or wipes. Similarly toilets tend to run out of TP quickly. You may also want to wipe the dust, sweat, and old sunscreen off your skin throughout the day and freshen up a bit. It’ll make the difference between feeling like an crusty vagabond roaming the desert for a month and a civilized person.
3. Dry shampoo, if you don’t have access to a shower at your accommodations, or want to touch up during the inevitably mucky day
4. All your usual toiletries like shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothbrush, etc… but I didn’t need to tell you that. I hope.

Makeup

The hot weather (or heavy rain) aren’t ideal scenarios for flawless makeup, so it’s best to keep makeup light and comfortable during music festivals. If you elect to wear makeup, here’s a few things you might want to bring.

1. Waterproof mascara and waterproof eyeliner. It’s nice being able to dump water over yourself on a boiling hot day without looking like a disgraced soap star.
2. A good primer, with spf, and cream (or longwear) eyeshadow so your makeup doesn’t ominously slide down your face throughout the day.
3. Makeup remover

Everything Else

There’s still a ton of assorted items you’ll want to bring. Let’s take a look.

1. Cash or cards (enough for merch, booze and food). Make sure you check your festivals permitted modes of payment. Some accept only cards, others only cash, or some require you to load money on a wristband.
2. Advil or other painkillers and gravol. Life savers in the event of heat exhaustion and/or a hangover.
3. Granola bars or other snacks
4. Earplugs
5. Your phone
6. Small backpack or purse. Large backpacks are usually not permitted, and be ready to have your bag searched upon arrival.
7. Chargers. Many festivals have charging stations so you can be sure to have enough battery to snap some pictures for that instagram of yours.
8. Bug repellant
9. Empty water bottle. Festivals tend to have refill stations. Stay hydrated!
10. Spray bottle, with a little fan if you want to get fancy. This will make you instant friends.
11. Sunscreen. Don’t get skin cancer.
12. Band aids or blister band aids. You will get blisters, and you will be grateful.

What you can’t usually take into the festival grounds

1. Backpack must be small. As I said above, large bags will be refused. All bags will be searched.
2. No professional photography equipment
3. No alcohol or glass bottles of liquid
4. The obvious things like weapons, illegal substances, a metric ton of glitter, or a shark.
5. Anything you bring to your friend’s camp for Canada day or the 4th of July such as fireworks, giant inflatable animals, camp chairs & equipment, sports equipment, and so on.

Always check your specific festival’s requirements if you are in doubt!

I hope this helps all of you who are heading out to your first festival! Still, the best advice for a music festival is to make sure you sing your little hearts out and to dance your freakin' socks off.

Gen