Seven Tips for Summer Concerts & Festivals

Summer has a lot going for it here in the US of A: it is beach/barbecue/baseball/wedding/Hollywood blockbuster season! Kids (and teachers!) don’t have to go to school! For the next 3–4 months, there is a 0% chance you will have to dig your car out of a snowbank to get to work!

If you’re a music lover, summer is also outdoor concert season, which in my opinion is the most irresistible of its charms. Listening to live music under the sunshine or stars with good company and a cold drink is one of life’s purest pleasures.

Keep your superhero movies and your $6 stadium hotdogs, I’ll be here.

Whether it’s a massive 3-day music festival or your local philharmonic in the park, you will almost never regret getting outside to hear some great music. Here are 7 tried-and-true tips for maximizing your enjoyment at music festivals and outdoor concerts:

1. Carry tissues & hand sanitizer: this should be a no-brainer up there with “wear sunscreen,” but if there is any possibility of a port-a-potty situation at the event, keep a travel pack of tissues and a small bottle of hand sanitizer in your purse or backpack. You do not want to be caught in a portable plastic toilet stall without either of these things. While we’re talking hygiene, baby wipes are great for removing layers of dirt, sunscreen and sweat if you don’t have access to a shower (keep them in the cooler if you have one. You’re welcome).
2. Don’t wear flip-flops: I understand that it’s summer, but flip-flops are year-round garbage concert footwear. Besides providing zero support for standing/walking around all day, and zero protection should you encounter a questionable puddle, they are easily stepped on by others and stepped out of by you. If you’re caught up in a stampede of people rushing to the main stage and somebody clips the back of your rubber shower shoe, that’s a $2.50 Old Navy purchase you can kiss goodbye forever. (Note: this does not apply to concerts on a beach. If you are at a concert on the beach, go ahead and wear your flip-flops — also, excellent life choice.)
3. French braids are your friends: This one’s mostly for the ladies, but if you’re a man with long enough hair to do it, go to town. French braids get your hair off your face and neck and will stay put through a long day of dancing — especially if you do them while your hair is wet. Since French braiding weaves your hair flat against your head, you can put on a hat or hood without ruining or reconfiguring your hairstyle. Bonus: if you’re camping and have slept on/not washed your hair for a few days, braiding it helps hide the grime!
4. Pack sturdy, shareable snacks: I swear by Trader Joe’s Trek Mix. It’s full of nuts for protein, is both salty and sweet, doesn’t include chocolate (delicious, but messy when it melts) and comes in a resealable Ziplock bag big enough to pass around. Unless you’re allowed to bring in/willing to schlep around a cooler, skip anything that needs to be chilled, or that becomes unappetizing after being squished at the bottom of a backpack or cargo pocket for several hours.
5. Leave your lawn chair at home: Yes, some outdoor venues allow them. They’re still bulky and annoying to carry around, not to mention unnecessary. If you MUST bring a chair, make it one of those low-rise fold-up beach chairs (NOT the tall camping kind) so that people sitting on the ground behind you don’t have your canvas-cradled posterior in their faces for the whole show.
6. Wear long sleeves: To be clear, a hot summer day is not the time for your fuzzy college hoodie or your favorite leather jacket. But a lightweight cotton button-down doesn’t add a ton of bulk in your backpack or around your waist, can be draped around your shoulders for sun protection, and is great to throw on after the sun and the temperature go down.
7. Tailgate AFTER the show: Credit where it’s due to my Newport crew for this one, which is a GAME. CHANGER. Festivals and outdoor concerts tend to attract large crowds, which means thousands of cars attempting to exit packed parking lots all at once when the performance is over. Nothing will squash your happy post-concert high faster than sucking in exhaust fumes while inching through a gridlocked sea of red tail-lights. Instead, pack some coolers with a picnic dinner and your favorite beverages to leave in the car and enjoy after the show. Depending on the venue, you might even be able to find a picnic area or a patch of grass to camp out on until the parking lot empties out. In addition to opting out of a nightmare traffic jam, the post-show tailgate gives you a chance to hydrate and refuel for the drive home, enjoy the summer evening weather for a little while longer, and (my favorite) rehash the highlights of the show with your fellow concertgoers.