Outside Lands

Outside Lands is another big festival in sunny California. Held in parts of Golden Gate park in San Francisco, this music & arts festival is one you will want to go to at least once in your life. San Francisco is a beautiful and colourful city in itself, adding more music and art to it is an unforgettable experience!

Again, with amazing headliners from Paul McCartney to Kaskade this festival has something for everyone. This festival, like most others, is very focused on an eco-friendly environment. They have great programs going on during the weekend of the festival, like having refill stations set up on the festival grounds for everyone to refill water bottles that they brought from home. 

Would you go and experience Outside Lands in San Francisco? I know I would.

Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza is another festival on the long weekend in August. You can travel to the beautiful city of Chicago and experience this festival at Grant Park. It started as a rock festival in 1991 and has now become a huge multi-genre music festival in the US. With headliners this year including, The Cure, The Killers, Kendrick Lamar, Queens of the Stone Age, and Steve Angello, there is something for everyone. The festival has even expanded over to Chile and Brazil!

Another great thing that separates Lollapalooza from other festivals is their little festival within a festival for kids. Yes, you can safely bring your children to Kidzapalooza and not have to worry about all the crazy older festival goers. 

OSHEAGA

Osheaga is one of the largest festivals of it's kind taking place in Canada. The festival happens at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Quebec during the long weekend in August. Since 2006 artists have gathered in this amazing city to experience this music festival.

Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal

This years lineup headlines so many different genres of music, new bands and older ones, too. The Cure, Mumford & Sons, Phoenix, Frank Ocean, and Beck are just a few of the wonderful talent scheduled for this year.

Osheaga 2013 lineup

This will be my first year attending the festival and I am very excited to experience it! Would you ever want to go to Osheaga?

5 Tips for Surviving Music Festivals

1. Boots/ Sneakers, say no to flip flops!

With thousands and thousands of people walking around you are bound to get stepped on. Wearing boots or sneakers (Converse are a great idea!) can prevent you from injuries. Not only that, but with all the dust and dirt your feet will be filthy by the end of the day.

Another tip for rainy weather for a festival is rain boots, you can go with plain boots or some cute printed ones to keep your feet dry.

 

2. Fanny Packs/ Satchels

I’m not one for a fanny pack, but a lot of people can make valid excuses as to why they have decided to subject themselves to one of those brightly coloured, windbreaker material around their waist. You can carry practically anything you would need during those long days in the sun. A CUTER alternative to the fanny pack would be a nice satchel.   

3. Keeping Hydrated

DRINK WATER. One of the most important things is to stay hydrated. You don’t want to end up missing your favourite band because you passed out.

4. EAT.

This should really go without saying, along with the drinking water. However, I know of people that are having too much fun, they forget to eat. Don’t be that person. Have a good time, but remember, you are a human being with basic needs for survival…

5. Have a good time!

Just have fun. Plain and simple. Don’t worry about the people around you that may be hitting you while they are dancing without a care in the world. Just be happy and enjoy the weekend. Leave all your worldly problems at the entry gates.

 

 

Do you know of any more important tips for surviving a music festival?

5 Festival Fashion Tips

For those that start planning out their best festival outfits months in advance, here is 5 essentials when it comes to music fests in 2013. 

1. High-Waisted Shorts

High-waisted shorts have made quite the comeback over the past year or so. Whether you just cut up some of your moms old jeans, found some nice old Levi 501's at a thrift shop, or splurged on those $50 shorts from Urban Outfitters, these shorts are a must-have for summer music festivals. You can stud them, dip-dye them, distress them, or just keep the plain old blue jean look. 

2. Sun Hats

It's hot out there on those festival grounds, with the sun beaming down sun hats are super important. Not only do they protect you from the sun, but they can really pull together a festival ensemble. 

3. Prints/Patterned Anything

Anything floral or tribal print is the perfect go to outfit. These stand out prints scream that you are on your way to an amazing weekend at a music fest. 

4. Flower Headbands

One thing you will see practically every girl in at summer fests is a flower headband. These range from dainty headbands (as seen on Vanessa Hudgens bellow), or full on crowns. You can buy these at a variety of stores or make them at home yourself. It is a fun pre-fest activity for you and your girls to get together and make these. Just be sure to use fake flowers, you wouldn't want any bees landing on your head while you're trying to have fun! 

5. Nail Art

Nail art has really expanded from the little flower you would get on your toes when you went to get a pedicure. Girls go all out showing off their fest nails. Even if you are artistically challenged in the area of nail art, you can still paint your nails a bright color or a nice pastel. 

BONAROO

Bonaroo is a summer music festival that happens on 700 acres of farm land in good ol' Manchester, Tennessee over 4 awesome days filled with music, art, some comedians, movies, and, of course, nature. The main idea spread around the festival is positive vibes, as well as peace and love, while you're camping out on a farm. The festivals' website describes how a "Bonaroovian" should leave the outside world behind and focus on having a memorable 4 days, growing and learning from one another. This years headliner was the one and only Paul McCartney of the Beatles. So many other different types of musician also gathered to the 10+ stages at the festival, including: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Pretty Lights, Wu-Tang Clan, the XX, and the Lumineers. Also, comedians like Daniel Tosh and Bob Saget came out to perform some stand up.

Lineup for 2013

Some day I would love to travel to this festival to experience it. Bonaroo is one of those festivals that even though it has a similar lineup to the other summer music festivals, it still maintains it's own personality and experience.

Would you like to travel to the farmland in Tennessee and experience Bonaroo?

Coachella Music & Art Festival

 One of the biggest Music and Art festivals in the North America, Coachella Valley Music and Art Festival brings many different types of people from all around the world to enjoy a variety of music, art, and culture in the hot desert city of Indio, California. With weekend passes selling out within seconds, this festival expanded to over two weekends in April. That is, the same exact festival over two different weekends. Same art, same music, different people.

Coachella 2013 lineup

The 2013 lineup has brought together headliners such as, the Stone Roses, Blur, Phoenix, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. There is a type of music for practically everyone on the beautiful green grass of the Empire Polo Field in Indio, where the festival is held. Coachella has many stages, including a main stage, a smaller outdoor stage, a dub-step haven (the Do-Lab) and four tents. Their most popular tent recently got an upgrade. The Sahara tent, which is the home of all the EDM (electronic dance music), looks as though it is on steroids this year. With a larger rounder roof, a stage with even more lights, and LED lights and screens on the top of the tent. This tent could practically hold its very own festival. Also this year, Coachella added a brand new tent, or dome, the Yuma. This tent is for the festival goers who would like to experience the music of the Sahara tent without all the people. The Yuma is equipped with a wooden floor, air conditioning, and last but not least, a disco ball. The hot desert heat is enough for anyone to want to venture into the cool air of the Yuma.

Bassnectar performing in the upgraded Sahara Tent

Not only is there music at this popular festival, there is beautiful art as well. Each year the art changes, this year there was actual moving art. A massive snail slowly made its way around the entire polo field. No matter where you were you were bound to run into this artsy snail. Furthermore, a very Palm Spring-y style house was on display in the middle of the festival. Not inhabited by people, but videos played of cartoon people dancing in the home. Other art is set up as a nice hang out place for festival goers to take a break under some shade.

The moving art (snail) moving past the Do-Lab at Coachella 2013

 When heading down to the windmill filled desert of the Coachella Valley in your car painted with “Carpoolchella” decals, there are two very different types of places to stay when you arrive. You can either stay in a nice hotel with day drinking by a pool, a nice bed, and most importantly a SHOWER. There are many hotels spread throughout the neighboring cities of Indio. Of course there is also always camping on the festival grounds. Coachella comes with a very interesting camp ground where the party never stops all weekend long. Some say that you don’t really experience Coachella until you stay on the camp grounds, I prefer to stay in a real bed in a room with a shower, but to each his own. Another suggestion for places to stay is actually having friends that live in the valley. You can crash at their place, it saves a lot of money that could be well spent on the amazing food selection on the grounds.

"Carpoolchella" decorated van

Probably the first thing that comes to your mind if you have never been to Coachella is all the celebrities. Yes, the celebrities are mostly just walking around enjoying the festival with you. However, you are definitely more likely to spot them if you splurge on a VIP festival pass. The VIP area is crawling with the rich and famous in their best festival gear. Some regular celebrities include, Vanessa Hudgens, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, and many more.

Vanessa Hudgens and her boyfriend, Austin Butler, at Coachella 2013

I highly suggest going to Coachella at least once in your life. Yes, the pass prices are getting pretty expensive, but the experience is unlike any other. There is always something memorable, such as the resurrection of Tupac at the festival in 2012. The music and vibe of the people at the festival is amazing, one you will never forget. 

My friends and I at Coachella in 2012