Music festivals can be the highlight of your summer experience. You can have an amazing time whether it’s one day or a weekend long event. But festivals are not known for being student friendly. According to Billboard more than 32 million people attend music festivals each year, with almost 70% of festival goers ranging from the ages of 18 to 30. According to advisers, 76% of students reported to have gone broke at some stage during their college career. This is a guide for traveling students to make the most out of festival season.
Picking the best festival
Sziget
This is one of the worlds biggest music festivals. The festival includes a lineup of different genres including rock, dance and pop. This festival attracts people from all over the world. Sziget drew around 565,000 visitors last year.
When: 5-11 August 2020
Where: Obuda Island, Budapest, Hungary
Price: 7 day - €299
5 day - €269
3 day - €199
1 day - €69
Ultra Europe
This festival includes a week of house, techno and EDM music. The festival includes spectacular smoke cannons and firework displays. This is one of the best festivals for students to attend to dance and is a DJs favorite. Ultra Europe had an attendance of 120,000 fans last year coming from 143 countries from around the world.
When: 10-12 July 2020
Where: Mladeži Park, Split, Croatia
Price: 3 day - €159
Festival international de Benicàssim
This is an alternative and indie festival in Spain. It takes place every July and is known for its diverse range of music. The acts don’t start until later on in the day freeing up the early hours to do whatever you want. Around the festival is a beach and a wide variety of activities like boat trips and scuba diving. This is one of the smaller festivals with an attendance of 110,000 last year.
When: 16-19 July 2020
Where: Benicàssim, Castellón, Spain
Price: 1 day - €65
Parklife
Thisis one of the biggest festivals in the UK. The festival takes place in Manchester and has since 2012. It is very popular with Manchester students but also for students traveling from all over the world. The festival includes genres like indie, hip hop, dance and electronic. Around 160,000 people attend parklife every year.
When: 13-14 June 2020
Where: Heaton Park, Manchester, United Kingdom
Price: weekend - £125
1 day - £69.99
Preparation
You want to be ready for the day and have everything prepared before you start your journey. Here’s what you’ll need.
A plan
Once you get the festival schedule you’ll need to find out which acts are playing on which stage at what time. Making a plan beforehand can save you time. But be ready for when two of your favorite acts inevitably clash when they’re scheduled to play at the same time.
Money
Some festivals have wristbands that you put your money on to pay for your food and drinks. This isn’t always the case and at some festivals those ATM fees can be a complete waste of your valuable money. To save yourself some money bring cash.
I’d recommend €50 per day just to be safe. If you’re planning on buying extra things like merchandise you’ll need to bring more.
A refillable water bottle
The price of water at festivals is through the roof. That’s why it’s important to bring your own bottle. Most festivals have water fountains for you to fill up your own bottles. The lines are usually huge but it definitely beats spending that extra money.
Saving money
For a student the price of a festival can be the only thing that matters. However there are some ways that you can save money or cut costs.
Accommodation
Spending money on a hotel during festival season can cost a lot of money. Airbnb is a great alternative where people rent out rooms or their homes for an affordable price. This is usually better value so you should check out airnbnb before looking for a hotel.
Camping
Camping is also another good option. If you do choose to camp, most festivals have tents that you can rent but like hotels they can be expensive. Bringing your own tent is usually the best option to save money.
Look for free services
There are loads of free services that you can look out for at a festival. You can find tents where you can cycle to generate energy to charge your phone. This can help you save money as you don’t have to spend extra money on charging stations. However I’d suggest just switching off your phone and enjoying the weekend without it.
Staying safe
Music festivals usually take place in the summer which means it’s going to be hot. It is very important to protect yourself against the heat especially with the combination of alcohol which can lead to dehydration. This is what you need to do.
hydration and alcohol
It’s extremely important to drink water as alcohol dehydrates the body. Staying hydrated becomes even more important when you’re in that intense heat. You should also stay cool by wearing a hat, sunglasses, sun cream and by staying in shaded areas when you can.
Have a buddy system
Thisis where youlook out for a friend and theylook out for you. You should set up a time and a place to meet with your buddy in case you want to see different acts or get lost. Never just rely on your phone as it might run out of battery or you could even lose it.
Learn your way around
It’s also a good idea to learn your way around the festival as soon as you get it to know what’s where. Festivals can be huge so it’s important to know where everything is. The most important things to look out for are the exits, the toilets, first aid and the spot you pick to meet with your buddy. It’s also good to know where food stalls, bars and chill out areas are.
So there you have it, a traveling students guide for music festivals. We hope this helps you plan for your next festival abroad! Don't forget to share this with your friends. Thanks for reading a Student Wanderlust blog.