The thoughts of going alone to an EDM festival when everyone is expected to attend in groups can seem like a daunting idea. But going alone to such a huge public musical event can take the experience to a whole new level and bring you new insights despite the initial nervousness.
When you’re on your own, you get to take all the decisions yourself, and create the full experience based on your own needs and wants without any external input. You won’t have to worry about missing out on something you’d like to experience and you will get the freedom to roam around the festival, discovering it’s acts, meeting new people. In addition to the freedom, below we go in detail on how sometimes, you can end up meeting new people, focusing on the music you like, you enjoy the festival without waiting for anyone else, you won’t have to worry about losing anyone else, and you have nobody else to be shy of.
How Do You End Up Alone?
There’s this really great festival coming up and you’ve been waiting for a chance to grab a ticket and go. But from the looks of it, your group of friends or anyone you’d like to go with seems unable to attend. You try for months to sell them the idea, they doubt being able to handle the cost at this time, and someone else might come up with another random reason. You feel trapped. But why should you? Sometimes you will end up able to attend an EDM festival on your own. And it’s fine! As long as you enjoy your freedom and the time at the festival then you will be fine. It’s always much better going on your own than pushing someone who doesn’t want to go, they might end up ruining your mood or the experience as a whole.
Another way you might end up going alone is simply because you feel like it, and want to enjoy the escape from your already-crowded social circles. In the end, and EDM festival is a sort of escape from the usual day-to-day life. It is your ticket away from the crowded busy professional life and what you’re usually accustomed to.
On another hand, you might originally have chosen to go with a group (maybe your friends or their friends) and the first few hours made you seem like you don’t fit in. Or simply felt off. You end up leaving them by making some kind of excuse and going on to enjoy the EDM festival on your own. Everyone reading this might be asking: but wouldn’t it feel awkward? Going to a huge musical gathering like an EDM festival on your own?
The first few minutes? Of course it will! But with the passing time you’ll feel free to enjoy all you want to enjoy, to do all you feel like doing. It will be easier to make new friends, to meet new people, to move around.
So, it doesn’t really matter if your friends can or want to attend an EDM festival, or if they’re even into that kind of music in the first place. It will take a bit of courage to make the decision and just buy those tickets as soon as you can and get the plan going to attend the festival on your own!
Now, let’s go in detail into how you can create the best experience for yourself when going to a music festival alone.
Keep It Positive
One of the most important aspects of going to an EDM festival is your attitude. You’re there to escape and enjoy yourself to the max, no matter if you’re with a group or on your own. Go to the festival with the will to enjoy yourself and be happy to have the chance to attend. With that positive mentality, the rest will come easier no matter what happens in the end.
A positive mindset means keeping your expectations at the door. We all have heard so many news and info about EDM festivals and the people there. But why set yourself up for a bad time if your expectations aren’t met? Have an open mind about the music and the people before setting foot on the festival grounds.
Meet New People
EDM festivals all over the globe are filled with like-minded people who are there because they love the music, love to party and are intentionally peaceful lovers of life. You will naturally be out of your comfort zone when you’re alone at a festival, which will have the benefit of forcing you to meet new people. When you’re within a group, more often than not, one or more people will wander off, and you end up around strangers anyways. Going to a festival on your own will liberate you from your friends and help you make an entirely new group of friends.
Sometimes, you’ll find yourself becoming a magnet to people around you, to your camping neighbors and their friends as well while at other times it might seem harder than usual. Even if you don’t consider yourself a social butterfly or an outgoing person, pretending that you are and taking the steps to introduce yourself will pay off. You’ll be positively surprised how open strangers at an EDM festival are when you approach them.
All it takes is a simple step and not thinking much about it.
A second point to make here is about our cell phones. This one will seem like a tough thing to do but being glued to your phone all the time will isolate you from your surrounding and is the opposite of what you need to be doing when you’re alone at a festival. People don’t feel comfortable approaching someone who looks busy or interested in something else on their phone.
When you’re at the festival, it’s time to live in the moment and put your phone away. The reason you’re at the festival in the first place is to experience it fully. Take the time to explore the festival grounds, check out the art, and explore the stages. You’re there to discover, to enjoy yourself and to learn more.
Give yourself the time and be patient. Things will start happening naturally so don’t rush it.
Enjoy The Music
How many times have you felt stuck at a stage with music you’re not feeling?
This happens a lot when at a festival with a group of friends. We’d rather stick with them instead of exploring other stages and looking like “the odd one” from the group. Checking out different stages within a certain festival when with a group is more difficult than when you’re attending on your own.
Losing yourself to the music is one of the main reasons we go to EDM festivals and we get the chance to enjoy our favorite artists and check out new interesting stages when we’re there on our own. You get to create your own schedule and find/follow your favorite artists.
With that freedom, you also get to discover new style on your own, take pictures and capture the moment fully.
Unleash The Dancer Within
Another great benefit of enjoying the music on your own is that you get to unleash the dancer inside you! Without the tease of your friends or feeling shy in front of the people you’ve known for years, you can simply let it all go on the dance floor. Dancing with other people from the crowd can be a great way to interact with them, to meet them and form a certain bond. Those people might end up becoming your friends! At EDM festivals, friendships spring up naturally and excitedly. Let go and have fun, and enjoy yourself!
In the end, wearing something fun (like this unique men’s body shirt), will definitely get some attention from people around you. And having your own way around the festival and meeting people in a positive context: while smiling, being interested, and polite, in addition to a helpful attitude, will increase your chances of having a great time on your own and making new friends along the way.
You will definitely feel the music much more on your own than within a group and you will get to be immersed fully in the whole experience.
The key here is to stay positive, to let yourself go and enjoy whatever the festival experience brings to you.
If you’re having a blast, odds are that others will want to have a blast with you too and you’ll be coming back home with so many great new stories to tell everyone and memories to keep for life. So embrace the freedom and take the risk, if you still call it that after reading all of the above.
Who knows you might end up wanting to go to every festival on your own!