About a week ago, Coachella announced their full lineup for this year’s festival, including headliners Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Frank Ocean. This means, folks, that festival season will be upon us before you can say “flower crown”!
Going to music festivals is so exciting. Many music lovers budget all year to afford to watch their favorite artists live. And don’t even get me started on planning the perfect outfits. Naturally, going to a festival can be exhausting—standing outside all day in unforgiving weather, jumping up and down for hours on end, packed like sardines with strangers, and often forgetting the little things, like sunscreen and hydration. Amid all the fun, don’t forget to take care of yourself!
Of course, a pivotal part of festival-going is drinking with friends. That said, make sure you always have access to water, especially for the festivals that take place in the middle of the desert, like Coachella and Joshua Tree. Doing your best to keep your water intake on track with your alcohol intake can make the difference between having a great time and having an amazing time, even if that means chugging a liter or two in between sets.
Sun protection is just as important. While you’re ready for hours and hours of music and dancing, the sun will be ready to tire you out really fast. Water is important in beating this fatigue, but so is proper protection like sunscreen, sunglasses, and even a nice sunhat. Keeping the sun out of your eyes will stop you from squinting, which can lead to headaches, and keeping your skin protected from UV rays will make sure that heat rash or sun poisoning isn’t ready to ruin your festival weekend.
Festival food can be just as enticing as the musical acts themselves, but make sure you are often choosing nutrient-dense options, like a smoothie or veggie tacos. Ice cream is great, too, just as long as it’s paired with something that will keep your energy up into the night, which is usually when the headliners perform their sets. Staying fueled and healthy during the day will ensure you are ready to dance your heart out when the sun sets and the stars appear over the stages.
In your stylish fanny pack or over-the-shoulder bag (or in your plentiful pockets, likely, if you are a guy), keep some other quick refresh items handy to up your overall feeling of wellness, such as Fresh Body’s cleansing wipes and sweat-drying lotions, breath mints, eye drops, travel-size perfume, you name it. These little things at your fingertips will keep you feeling just as fresh and healthy throughout the day as you did when leaving your hotel room that morning.
And finally, a great tip for having a healthy festival season: dance! The whole point of a music festival is letting loose with your friends to your favorite artists. And if that’s not enough movement for you, many festivals offer morning yoga sessions or 5k runs. Either way, a day at a festival promises memories for a lifetime, so stay healthy, and stay present!
