One more year, with the arrival of summer, the music festival season opens, and the whole country fills up with people wearing fabric bracelets and wanting to have a good time.
In the north, for example, in June you have the Azkena Rock in Vitoria, and in July the Bilbao BBK Live and Monegros Desert Festival, in Fraga; and more towards the south of the Peninsula, the Contempopránea in June, in Badajoz, or the Planeta Demos in Jaén in July.
If you are planning to join the club of the tireless festival-goers, enter our “Travel Tips” and take a look at our guide and info-graphics first to be well prepared and let nothing and nobody spoil your experience!
Make sure you have all the necessary paperwork before you leave home
These days, getting to a festival site can be as complicated as catching a plane. The security measures have been increased so much, especially in big festivals, that if you are missing any paper or document, you can stay without entering.
This is especially hard when the venue itself is far from the centre or the city, as is very common, since between making the return trip to look for the ticket or the forgotten ID, you can miss several concerts.
Stock up on everything “mini”
Anything that weighs little and fits in your bag or backpack is likely to be super useful. It may seem silly, but you can’t imagine how grateful you’ll be to have mini wipes, mini dental hygiene kit or mini anti-bacterial gel with you.
Disaster-proof shop
If you’re going camping, make sure your tent is sturdy. Sometimes it pays to spend a little more money on a good tent than to suffer the hell of sleeping in a flooded or broken one.
Also take a flashlight so you can find your “home” when you return at night, and a mask to gain a few hours of sleep in the morning, which you will need!
All-season models
The weather at this time of year, and especially in our country, can be very variable, so be prepared for any scenario.
Take cool clothes, a hat, sunglasses and a fan with you, because if it is hot, it will be three times hotter in the venue (there are usually not many spaces in the shade, and if there are, they will be occupied by other hot festival-goers).
Of course, don’t forget to wear clothes more suitable for the cold, as temperatures will drop at night, and it may even rain.
Good footwear is crucial, as you will be on your feet for hours on end: forget about flip-flops or ballerinas that will ruin your feet, choose shoes that are cool but have a good insulating sole (e.g. trainers with a bit of platform) and boots for the evening concerts.
Money Money Money
Bring cash, even a little more than you plan to spend. You never know if you’ll need to take a taxi, buy food or if you’ll suddenly feel a sudden urge to wipe out the bands’ merchandising stands.
At the big festivals they usually have cash machines inside the venue, but there is a long queue in front of each one of them.
Fuel for the body
You know you’re going to be on your feet for hours, dancing and giving it your all, right? Well, for that you’re going to need to be nourished and hydrated.
Food stands within festivals can be a good solution for a day, but if the festival lasts all weekend, you will be ruined (apart from security measures, many festivals are adopting airport prices as well), and you will not have many options.
It’s better to bring snacks or fruit from home. Even if you’re not hungry when you go out, these will taste great when you’ve spent a few hours going from one concert to the next. Choose light snacks with sugar, or prepare several small snacks to eat from time to time.
WATER, LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER
We put it in capital letters because it’s so important! The difference you will feel if you hydrate every x time will be enormous, and your health will appreciate it. Drink water even if you’re not thirsty, because it’s summertime!
Protect your eardrums
It may sound absurd or counterproductive to use earplugs when you go to see a concert, but the truth is that you will hear the music more clearly and, best of all, you will not be deaf the next morning.
Keep everything handy but well kept
We recommend carrying a backpack or fanny pack rather than a handbag or cloth bag. The bag is not good for your back if you carry it too much, and cloth bags do not have a zipper, so anyone can take your wallet in the middle of a concert without you knowing it.
Backpacks or fanny packs are better for the back and harder for wrongdoers to access. However, as soon as there are crowds, put the backpack forward to control it better.
Peace be upon you
There are many concerts to be seen, some will coincide in time or overlap, and it is very rare that in a group of friends absolutely everyone has the same musical tastes.
To avoid fights, it’s better to check the schedule before going and get organized. Accept that going to see your favorite band by yourself is a possibility, and who knows? maybe you’ll make new friends during the concert.
The important thing is to establish a meeting point from the beginning, in case someone gets lost. And limit the use of your smartphone, as it will be a while before you can charge your battery. Call only when strictly necessary and don’t look at the Whatsapp every 5 minutes.
