Coachella tickets went on sale last week, and, as usual, people scooped them up in a matter of minutes. If you’ve never been to a music festival, the complete frenzy of finding tickets, waiting for hours while you refresh your browser – barely able to focus on work may seem slightly insane. But if you’ve been to even one, you understand what all the fuss is all about.
Music festivals are more than just a three-day-long concert or a bunch of heathens throwing an awesome party in the desert. Sure, maybe that’s part of it; but, music festivals provide the escape from daily life many of us crave. Festival outfits allow you to be whoever you want, free of the restrictions of your job or other people’s expectations.
You probably are already googling which festivals you should hit this season – but if you need more convincing before adding a ticket to your cart, these ten benefits of attending music festivals may help convince you.
1. Escape the Ordinary
It’s easy to fall into the grind of everyday life and forget to be curious: checking emails, sitting in traffic, and clocking into work day after day. According to Psychology Today, stepping away from reality is a form of self-care; escaping the mundane can help heal your soul.
A music festival pulls you out of the everyday. When you arrive, you fall down the rabbit hole. Suddenly, you are completely immersed in every moment.
2. Express Your Most Authentic Self
Festival fashion came from the counterculture: think hippies at Woodstock wearing crochet tops and bell bottoms. Festival outfits are anything but basic! No one will bat an eye if you try out that rhinestone mini skirt you thrifted six months ago but are afraid is “too much.”
At the festival– there is no such thing as too much. Here you’re free to wear whatever makes you feel the most authentic version of yourself. Plus, with the rise of artists like Lizzo rocking the mainstage at huge festivals like Coachella, there has been a surge of body positivity within the community.
3. Become Part of a Thriving Community
There is a reason most people who try out one festival turn music festivals into a lifestyle. Once you arrive onsite, you become a part of a thriving community of music lovers just like you!
Unlike online forums, music festivals bring people who love the same artists you do together in one place. The collective consciousness inside the festival is something you have to feel to believe.
4. Make Friends to Last a Lifetime
Many people plan festivals with a group of friends – but plenty of people choose to attend festivals solo. While this may seem scary, know that if you go to a festival alone you will not once feel lonely.
The festival community is an extremely supportive and generous group of dreamers. If they see someone alone they will check in and incorporate them into their group. If you’ve ever lost track of your friends after a bathroom break at EDC, you know the kind of people I’m talking about.
5. Challenge Yourself to Get Uncomfortable
Festivals provide you with an experience outside of the ordinary. Especially if you choose to attend a camping festival you may be met with crazy challenges. Maybe it rains and you are literally stuck in the mud all weekend? Face the hurdles the festival throws at you head on and realize how resiliant you are!
6. See Multiple HUGE Artists with One Ticket
The lineup is the first thing most people check when deciding whether or not to attend a music festival. Music festivals provide the opportunity to see multiple top-tier artists with one ticket. Where else can you see Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Frank Ocean in one weekend? And those are just the headliners at Coachella 2023.
7. Discover New Music
Beyond the big name headliners, music festivals feature many up and coming artists who aren’t yet featured on the radio. Hit the festival early and check out new acts. Take a walk and see what sounds tickle your eardrums.
8. Dance Like No One’s Watching
The best part of a music festival is arguably the dancefloor. Where else can you dance with absolute freedom. At the festival, the music can set you free. Turn to your left and someone is smiling at you, sharing this moment, just as free in mind and spirit as you are.
9. Experience Art, Culture, and Workshops to Elevate Your Consciousness
While the music influences many people to buy their tickets there is so much more to these festivals than just a stellar line-up and a groovy dance floor. Many festivals like Lighting in a Bottle, Electric Forest, and more offer yoga, unique workshops, and interactive art installations.
The festival can help you transcend your everyday life, grow as a person, and elevate your consciousness.
10. Indulge in a Childlike Sense of Wonder
Being a grown up is stressful, and challenging, and exhausting, and sometimes… boring. Music festivals allow your inner child to come out and play. They basically are a giant adult playground. Go ahead dance, play, make friends like you did in kindergarten. Let loose and let your curiosity be your guide.