My Festival Prep Journey
Started this whole thing back in January when rumors about the 2025 lineups began. Scrolled through artist fan pages like crazy trying to piece together which festivals my favorite bands might play. Didn’t wanna commit too early and pick the wrong one!
February rolled around and I built my battle plan:
- Made a spreadsheet ranking festivals by artists I must see
- Set up price alerts for flights/hotels near each location
- Pestered friends weekly about who was actually serious about going
March was TICKET WARZONE. Woke up at 5am for each presale like my life depended on it. Had three devices running:
- Phone on cellular data
- Tablet on home wifi
- Laptop tethered to my phone
Refreshed like a madman when queues opened. Almost cried when GlowFest sold out in 8 minutes but scored Electric Oasis passes seconds later!
Survival Packing & Travel Hacks
Two weeks before D-Day, dumped everything on my living room floor. Test-packed my hydration backpack to ensure it could hold:
- Collapsible water bottle
- Mini battery pack (lifesaver!)
- Foldable poncho
- Bandana (dust + sweat = mudface)
Pro move: Sewn-in secret pocket inside my shorts for cash. Pickpockets ain’t getting my beer money!
Flights were brutal but flew out Tuesday instead of Thursday. Saved $300 and snagged a cheap hostel bed while everyone else arrived exhausted on Friday.
On The Ground Tactics
First morning at Cosmic Valley, grabbed the paper schedule immediately. Used highlighters to mark:
- MUST SEE artists (pink)
- backup options (yellow)
- food/rest breaks (green)
Camping tip I swear by: Brought frozen water bottles. Kept snacks cool the first day, then had cold water as they melted!
Navigation horror story: Got separated from friends during SZA’s crowd surge. Our solution? Picked ONE specific taco stand as emergency meetup spot. Found everyone within 20 minutes!
Biggest regret: Not charging my power bank fully Thursday night. Missed recording my favorite band’s closing song when my phone died. NEVER AGAIN.
Magical Moments & Lessons
Best accidental win: Stumbled upon secret acoustic sets behind the merch tents twice! Artists just vibing with 20 people instead of 20,000. Pure gold.
Final night wisdom:
- Trade snacks with neighbors – my jerky for their cookies = win
- Wet wipes > toilet paper always
- Actually LEAVE EARLY from headliners once. Avoided the 2-hour shuttle line!
Home now nursing sunburned shoulders, completely hoarse, and finding glitter in weird places. 100% worth every chaotic minute. Next year? Already eyeing those lineup rumors again…
