The Ultimate Guide To Proper Etiquette At Festivals & Shows

Happy New Year, kiddies! We hope that all you humans had the most incredible New Years Eve weekend ever, and were able to bring in a fresh new year the proper way- at a festival or show.

Whether you were at Snowglobe, Decadence, a local show or honestly just hanging around with your pals waiting for the ball drop while listening to some dope tunes, we hope you had a great time and treated each other with love and respect. We know that you guys, our beloved readers, spread positive vibes everywhere you go, but not everyone is as great as you guys.

However, we've all seen some pretty disrespectful things happen at festivals, such as stealing, fights and ridiculing, but we as a community have to always make sure that we treat each other properly. So on that note, we've decided to create a guide on proper festival/show etiquette- to both ensure that you've been doing the festival game the right way, and to offer some insight and pointers.

Share this guide with your friends or newbies that need a crash course in Festival Etiquette 101 and generally just anyone that you think would benefit from these tips:

1) Share Water

I cannot stress this tip enough, which is exactly why I placed it as the number one. That one sip of water to the random person next to you who looks like he/she is about to pass out from dehydration can make a world of a difference.

Always be aware of your surroundings, and look out for the people around you to make sure that they're alright too. Looking out for one another is always key, even if you don't know the person- and it usually leads to great conversation!

*disclaimer: if you have a drink, do NOT pick it back up after you put it down- and use your best judgement when taking water from someone else*

2) Look Out For Those Who Might Not Be Okay

Piggy-backing off of the previous point, if you see someone that's passed out on the ground or stumbling around, ask if they're okay. A lot of the time the person could simply just be napping or chilling out, but there have been too many incidents where the person was actually feeling physically ill- in which you should help this person to get the proper medical assistance they need.

I'll always look back on and appreciate the person who came over to me and my friend napping on the grass under the light-up trees at Electric Zoo and asked if we were okay- props to you (whoever you are) for making sure we were okay!

3) Go Everywhere With An Open Mind And Soul

If you walk into a festival or show in a bad mood or with even the slightest ounce of negativity, I can 110% guarantee you that you're gonna have the shittiest time- it's the way the universe works, people. The whole point of going to festivals and shows is that we let all of our worries fade away, and lose ourselves in music for the however amount of hours we are at the event for.

Always have a smile on your face- people will gravitate towards you and want to befriend you if you're friendly. And if you see someone who is alone or doesn't seem to be having a good time, try to engage with them and talk to them! You'll be surprised how many friendly solo ravers there are out there.

4) DO NOT BRING A WHISTLE OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MAKES OBNOXIOUS SOUNDS

The title says it all- you will be shamed and shunned, point blank. It should be common sense not bring anything of the noise-making sorts to a MUSIC festival (just making a wild guess here *sarcasm intended*). Just.. don't be this guy.

5) Be Polite When Both Going Through Crowds And In Crowds

No one ever likes the anxiety-provoking and tedious task of weaving in and out of a packed crowd, but it must be done either way. You don't have to flail your elbows around to push and shove your way through a crowd, simply say "excuse me" and gently make your way through.

There is a much greater chance of someone making room for you if you're polite, rather than feeling the need to whip out the crazy elbows or flail yourself around to make room. Also, when you roll in squad deep for a killer time, just make sure your entire crew doesn't dominate the entire room, scatter yourselves around in one designated area so that there is room for everyone else. Unless you're making a shuffle circle, then that's different story!

*pro tip: don't go head first into a crowd and brace for impact, ease your way into a crowd by going through the sides either on the left or right. There's always less people!*

*another pro tip: if you see someone behind you is shorter than you and is struggling to see the stage, offer them to go in front of you. The short person struggle is definitely real!*

6) Be Respectful to the Venue or Grounds

This is one pointer that is often overlooked and disregarded. Festival grounds are not just a barren piece of land that festival organizers came across and were like "this'll work." A lot of them are actually historical landmarks, like the iconic Bethel Woods (where Woodstock was held and is now home to Mysteryland) and Sherwood Forest (where Electric Forest is held). Show love to Mother Nature and don't trash the grounds and leave garbage everywhere.

With concert venues, be considerate to the fact that the venue is also someone's business. Be mindful to your atmosphere and surroundings and don't trash it; at the end of the day, someone has to clean up after all the mess, so try to make their jobs a little easier.

7) Pack The Essentials

We already got a solid list down of camping fest essentials, but there are some day-festival essentials that are definitely needed. Essentials include but are not limited to: hand sanitizer, tissues, sunscreen (DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE NEED FOR SUNSCREEN- ROOKIE MISTAKE), water bottles/empty hydration packs, portable chargers and more.

Also make sure to dress comfy, while also slaying at the same time- something you can groove in! And always check the weather for the weekend, and bring a light jacket or hoodie if it's gonna rain during the day and especially since it gets cold at night.

8) Be Respectful To Staff and Security

They're people too. Their job is to watch out for your well-being and safety, it's basically like looking after thousands of their own kids and ensuring their safety. It's also not ideal to be standing in the hot sun for hours upon hours constantly being on the watch, so always be respectful to them and give them a high-five or something upon entry! It'll make their day, I promise.