How To Deal With Scheduling Conflicts At A Festival

How to Deal With Scheduling Conflicts

You’ve been waiting for the lineup to this festival forever but then…. wait, two of your favorite artists are at the same time??? What should you do with this and other scheduling conflicts?

While at a festival, you may have the entire thing planned out. I’m a planner and get stressed when I don’t know every aspect of what I am doing. But after going to a bunch of festivals, I’ve learned to let go. I still plan a lot of things, like food and camping and getting there, but I’ve let go of my need to plan every aspect. I’ve learned you have to go with the flow otherwise you might not have a good time, especially when things go wrong. Scheduling conflicts will happen- whether it is between you and your crew or with the lineup itself!

I’ve also learned to enjoy the little things. These make up a festival and the experiences you have with your friends can really change everything. I’ve come up with some tips for you to enjoy festivals to the fullest.

Pro Tips for Dealing With Scheduling Conflicts

1. Do not plan every artist you are going to see. First off, there are overlaps. I spend so much time walking from stage to stage and missing out on what is really important, enjoying the music. I’m so focused on the 15-minute walk from stage to stage that I miss out on a lot. Pick some favorites and go with it. Things will overlap but you will have a chance to see these artists again.

2. Explore the smaller stages! I have found some of the best music at the smaller stages. I may not know the names of the artists playing before I go but then when I leave, I have some new artists to listen to! Some of those smaller artists are amazing and leave you feeling so fulfilled. I make sure to explore. You’ll have a ton of fun, trust me. I can name a fantastic experience at every festival I’ve ever gone to that revolves around exploring and discovering the smaller stages.

3. COMPROMISE!!! You can always split up with your friends and go see what you want to see but ultimately I think friends make the trip. There are so many times when you are your friends will disagree about who to see. You have to decide what is most important to you! Pick and choose but really, just go with the flow. I pick a few MUST-SEE artists, but the rest are compromises with my crew.

I still remember the time I discovered this. It was EDC Chicago 2013. I was desperate to see Kaskade by my friend really wanted to see Bro Safari. This was my first festival season so I had no clue who that was. We compromised and I think I had way more fun at Bro Safari because I was with my crew and enjoying the vibes. Keep in mind, if you lose your crew, you may not find them again!

4. GO WITH THE FLOW. I’ve said this several times but don’t have a meltdown when things don’t work out. There are so many artists that I haven’t seen due to shuttles not being quick enough, long lines, my crew taking forever to get in, etc. You cannot stew over these things the entire night! You have to accept it as it is and have the best time you can have! And if you lose your friends, don’t worry! My advice for finding them again? Set a meeting spot and send your friends a text and say, “I’ll meet you at the giant mushroom at 12. If you aren’t there or I don’t hear from you by 12:05, let’s meet at 1!” (Seriously, I’ve used that at EDC Vegas.) That way you aren’t waiting around all night to meet your crew.

5. Don’t be afraid to leave a set you aren’t vibing with. There are plenty of times that I am psyched to see a set but it wasn’t what I expected, so I left. You can go explore those new artists that you haven’t heard of and maybe you’ll find something you love!

Just go with the flow. That is so important. It’s all about having a good time, so do what you need to have a great time.

All of these are memes that I found online- I take no credit for creating any of these!