With music festival season being well underway, it is important to think about how we can keep music festivals accessible for concert goers of all different budgets. It may seem as if some festivals are way out of ones’ price range, but there are ways to save money that may turn one’s dream festival experience into a reality.
If you’re looking to go to a music festival on a budget and avoid unnecessary purchases, here are some tips to save money and keep the experience cost-effective.
Buy your festival ticket as soon as possible
If you are positive you want to go to a festival, purchase your tickets the earliest you can to save money. The majority of festivals, including Lollapalooza, Coachella, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo and Railbird Festival, sell their tickets using tier pricing to increase their ticket sales early on.
As the set amount of tickets in a tier become sold out, more tickets become available in a new tier, but at an increased price. Festivals use ticket tiers as a way to reward their loyal fans who support the festival by buying tickets early on with the lowest ticket prices.
If you happen to miss out on early bird pricing or the tickets sell out, resale ticket sites like SeatGeek, StubHub or TickPick may offer tickets at a cheaper price than the original tickets. Make sure to compare resale prices to the original to get the best possible deal and check multiple resale sites instead of just one. The price of resale tickets tend to drop closer to the event, as sellers want their tickets to sell, so buying them a week (or less) before the show can save you some money. However, be aware of the risk of the resale tickets selling out before you can purchase.
Research your housing and transportation options
The easiest way you can rank up the price of your festival experience is by choosing expensive housing or transportation without looking at your options. If you’re looking to save big, camping is the way to go. Festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo offer car and tent camping for less than $200, and can be even cheaper if you have people to split the cost with. Coachella has all sorts of camping packages, depending on what experience you’re looking to have.
Additionally, if camping isn’t in the picture for you, many festivals have travel packages that offer a hotel accommodation, a ticket to the festival and shuttle transportation as a bundle deal, that could keep you on budget. It is important to keep in mind that booking sooner than later will also save you money, as many fans from all over are also booking flights and hotels hoping to join in on the festival fun.
If you are planning on staying at a hotel, the expensive options tend to be closer to the festival grounds, as the commute time is less. However, if you don’t mind sacrificing a short commute time to save money, look at hotel options further from camp grounds. If you take the time to do your research to find the best deals that fit your accommodations, your wallet will be thanking you.
Be mindful of expensive vendor prices
Expensive food and drink prices can be the easiest way to burn through your wallet at music festivals. However, it is important to keep yourself energized and hydrated to keep your experience the best it can be, so don’t skip out on food and water just to save money. Most festivals, including Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, allow you to bring a reusable water bottle and provide free water refill stations, so you can forgo expensive water bottle prices while staying hydrated.
To save money on food, consider eating a bigger meal before the festival and refueling yourself with lighter meals or snacks throughout the day. This way, you can still enjoy music festival food without unnecessary overspending.
Consider cost-effective festival outfits and merch prices
It can be easy to splurge on concert outfits when online shopping is convenient in today’s age. However, challenge yourself to create an outfit using second-hand clothing sourced from thrift stores or second-hand shopping apps like Depop or ThreadUp to save a few bucks and help the environment.
By purchasing thrifted items for your concert outfit, you are reducing the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills and lowering carbon emissions. If you are looking to be even more resourceful or environmentally friendly, look for thrifted pieces that you will rewear over and over again instead of one time only for your music festival. This will also, in turn, save you money on clothing by adding reusable pieces to your closet.
Merch is also a dangerous way to spend a lot, since it tends to be on the more expensive side. Before buying a merch item, ask yourself if you are going to wear it more than once or if it’s going to disappear to the back of your closet to never be seen again.
It is also important to remember that a music festival is an experience, so don’t limit yourself too much. If you make a budget and account for extra spending to leave room for treating yourself, you can make a cost-effective experience that will create memories that will last a lifetime. Taking time to research the specifics of your festival — like when ticket sales begin, when hotel packages become available, merch prices and affordable food in the area — before you go will help you save money on the small things and will allow you to keep going to your favorite festivals.
