What to pack for a music festival

I went to Bonnaroo in 2014 with one of my best friends and we had an absolute blast. There is no feeling like having thousands of people gathered in one place for one reason: community and music.

The year I went had a killer line-up:

We saw Chance the Rapper, Grouplove, Die Antwoord, Zedd, Skrillex, Kaskade, The Flaming Lips, Phoenix, Arctic Monkeys, Frank Ocean, Jack White, Kanye West, and finished the trip seeing Elton John.

Kanye West was wild (not in a good way). He had missed his show a few years prior, showed up 45 minutes late to his set this year, and spent the first 10-15 minutes berating the crowd (there are some videos on Youtube I recommend looking up). We left in the middle of his tirade because I didn’t want to be cussed out while in a massive crowd of people lol.

This was my first major music festival and the main thing you hear from people who haven’t been to one is “how do you shower? Isn’t everyone so smelly?” They offer showers (for $7 when we went) but honestly, no one really notices if you smell.

You can bring your own personal shower set if you’d like because it is hot and humid out, so you are sweaty. But keep in mind that everyone is sweaty and hot and no one is going to be thinking , “wow, this person REEKS.”

Clothing

I would recommend packing the following:

• light, breezy clothing like a sundress, linen shorts or bathing suits. I wore the black dress in the photo for maybe half of the trip.

• rain boots or chacos because it gets muddy

• a hat to protect your face and shoulders

• beach towel or light blanket

Food

We bought a lot of food there and wasted money doing so. Bring a light electric grill or stuff to make sandwiches.

• snacks - chips, granola bars, fruit like oranges, bananas, apples, peanut butter crackers, beef jerky

• lots and lots and lots of water. Bottled, gallons, frozen. All of it.

• Gatorade or pedialyte. You’re going to sweat a ton - bring something to help replenish your electrolytes!

• Peanut butter and jelly for PBJ sandwiches

• Beer, if you want! We were psycho and packed Malibu… no, thank you.

Living Area

We bought a 10-person tent for the 2 of us and it was honestly perfect. We kept our personal items in our tent and we had enough room for a queen size blow-up mattress, cooler, and our bags.

• tent

• cooler

• tailgate tent + table and chairs

• electric lantern + flashlights

Bathroom Essentials

They do have female-only restroom sites which we didn’t find until our last day. They were so much nicer and we were given gift bags with tampons, pads, wipes, and a small roll of toilet paper.

• Toilet paper

• deodorant

• dry shampoo

• toothbrush/paste

• hand sanitizer and/or soap sheets

Etc. things to bring

I did not pack sunscreen and had this tanline of my body paint for weeks….

• first-aid kit!

• sunscreen!!! and bug spray!

• ear plugs

• portable, electric fan

• FrogTog or bandana (put in cooler and wet overnight so it can keep you cool the next day!)

• portable charger

• paper towels/plates/cups

• body paint

• jumper cables for your car

• walkie-talkies (so much fun and good to have if you get separated and have no service)

If you have any additional tips on what to pack for a music festival, drop them in the comments below!