Camping At Music Festivals 2024

If you have plans to camp at a music festival this year you are in for a treat! It’s a unique experience to be immersed in music surrounded by new and old friends, and living out of your own camping oasis, on a seemingly endless weekend of festivities.

Dreamy as it is, it is much more of a commitment to camp at a festival than just attending one day to day. Camping music festivals often take place in large stretches of land where there’s limited access to amenities. For example, portable bathroom and shower facilities may or may not be part of the equation. Food and drink vendors, rides, big stages, and more are often brought and set up on-site.

What To Bring

Tent

Creating the ultimate camping festival getaway is an event in and of itself. You can really choose your own adventure with this one– either go super simplified, go with a typical camping setup, or go all out with decorations. 

But let’s start with the basics. The tent you choose to bring will seriously make or break your experience. Decide beforehand if you’re going to want a tent that can hold multiple people, or if you’re going to want it to be your own private getaway. That will help you narrow down if you want a large camping tent or something on the smaller side. Whatever you decide, we recommend using one of our festival tents, as these have been treated for UV protection (a MUST in the summer heat) and waterproofed (which helps with internal temperature control).  

Camping Accessories

As for the rest of your gear, we’d say stick to your basic camping routine. We’d recommend having a sleeping setup, water, food storage, some folding tables and chairs, extra blankets, and lighting. Remember, you won’t be entirely off the grid, and you certainly don’t want to have too many items to keep track of in the chaos of parties and festivities. Bringing durable canvas bags for organized storage and to help keep things clean is a great solution to this. 

Decorations

This is one of the best parts of festival camping setups– they can be personalized for a stylish, comfortable experience. It’s certainly not a requirement and does involve extra packing, however bring rugs, lights, speakers, plants and more to help add to the festival vibe and make your camping space an inviting place to hang out!

Packing

Camping music festivals often cover a very large area of land. This means it could be a matter of miles between you, the stages, bathrooms, and your campsite. Bring comfortable, durable walking shoes!And bonus points to you if they’re already broken in- if you know you know. Bring a pair of sandals for lounging to give your feet a rest. Just remember to put sunscreen on the tops of your feet, and bring a blister care kit for all the miles and dancing you’ll be doing.

Food & Meal Prep

When it comes to festival food, know that itis usually pretty expensive and separate from the designated camping area. Bringing easy-to-cook, simple ingredients for large meals is the perfect solution! Check the venue’s website for any restrictions regarding stoves and cooking at campsites. Note that in the heat of the summer, it’s likely there is a burn ban, and campfires are often not allowed anyway due to safety reasons. If your venue allows and your tent accommodates a camping stove, you’ll have the ability to eat a little more fresh! Just be mindful of the heat it may create inside your tent. Better yet, prepare some simple group meals at home to bring– like cold sandwiches and pasta dishes to store in a cooler!

Ways to enhance your camping festival experience

Games & Icebreakers 

Bring lots of activities to play with friends and any new people you add to your group along the way. This is especially helpful to have during the hang time between shows and events, or waiting in long lines for food.

Be kind! 

It adds so much to everyone’s festival experience when kindness flows from one person to the next. Remember to be courteous, respectful, and responsible with fellow attendees.

Attire

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: if there’s ever a time to go all out, it’s at music festivals! Go crazy with costumes, matching outfits with your group, or match the vibe of your favorite artists and get into the spirit!

Pointers

Here are a few pointers that may give you the best possible experience at your highly anticipated festival! 

Download the map and schedule

You’re going to want to know when and where your favorite artists are playing. At large enough venues sometimes there are multiple stages quite a distance apart. 

Bring plenty of sun protection 

Those UV rays sure know how to sneak up on you, and sometimes wearing a hat just isn’t enough. If you want to avoid dealing with a painful, itchy sunburn all weekend, bring plenty of sunblock to share!

Don’t forget electrolytes!

Hydration is key to enduring long days and nights of standing, walking and dancing. Elevate your hydration with electrolyte packets you can store in your daypack!

Bring more snacks than you think you’ll need

Seriously if it isn’t you, someone else is probably hungry. In your day pack, bring small, filling snacks to share!

Portable charger

This is essential for long days away from your campsite using your phone to navigate, keep in touch with others, and of course the endless photos you’ll be taking.

Camping at a music festival is truly the ultimate summer experience. Now that you’re all prepped, it’s time to book those tickets and get ready to dance the nights away. Stay safe and have fun!