Going to a Music Festival Sober? Read This.
Attending music festivals and concerts were a big part of my life prior to quitting drinking. In high school, my friends and I would go to as many concerts as we could at small, dingy venues here and there - using each as an excuse to get drunk on a school night (or at least I did).
In college, I started attending more festivals now that I lived in sunny California and if I’m being honest, I don’t fully remember any of them very well. I’m sure many of you can relate to that horrible feeling of waking up and realizing that you have little to no memories of an event you spent weeks and months anticipating.
I’m over a year and a half sober*, so I’ve made it through my year of “firsts” quite some time ago. My first sober birthday, first sober Halloween, first sober summer, etc. However, due to COVID, I wasn’t able to experience my first sober music festival until last weekend when I attended Outside Lands in San Francisco. I was both excited to remember the entire festival, and also nervous to see if I actually enjoyed music festivals (or if they were just another excuse to drink).
I am happy to report that I enjoyed this festival just as much, if not more than other festivals I’ve been to. However, it was a good learning experience and there are a few things I would do differently at music festivals in the future. Read on to learn about my experience at my first sober music festival and some tips and tricks for enjoying yours!
1. Bring something to sip on if you can.
I was able to sneak in a couple cans of Kin Euphorics each day of the festival (mostly because security was so poor...which made me nervous). It was really nice having those to hold and sip while others around me sipped on beers and cocktails. I’d recommend trying to bring something with caffeine if you can tolerate it to keep you going late into the night. If you aren’t able to sneak anything in, I’m almost positive most music festivals will have at least one non-alcoholic beverage you can buy. OSL had many vendors selling lemonade and Red Bull.
2. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes.
When I was drinking, I could tolerate less comfortable shoes and clothes after a couple shots. At OSL, I was SO thankful to have worn comfortable shoes and pants that allowed me to walk long distances and sit down comfortably. My favorite festival shoes will always be Doc Martens because even though they may be out of trend now, they’re comfortable, durable, and kept my feet dry, warm, and painless.
3. Enjoy being present.
I quickly found that I loved being fully present during each set. The songs felt longer and I could actually pay attention to how talented the artists were. I noticed things I wouldn’t have if I was drinking like clever remarks they made on stage (or how much they were sweating).
4. BUT expect to get tired easier.
Festivals are a lot different when you aren’t fueled by alcohol and drugs. While sober, I definitely got tired earlier in the night. This is when the caffeine from the Kin drinks helped a lot.
5. Don’t be afraid to take breaks.
At previous festivals, I would often ignore my hunger cues or exhaustion levels in fear of missing sets that I really wanted to see. At this festival, when I got too tired or hungry, I made sure to sit down for a minute or grab some food. Giving my body the rest and fuel it needed allowed me to be fully present and enjoy the rest of the sets for the day.
6. People watching is fun.
It was really fun to look around, see all the costumes, and watch people dancing and enjoying themselves. But, I will admit there were a few times I felt left out when I saw people buying drinks. To rid myself of this feeling, all it took was seeing someone else too drunk to remind me why not drinking is the best decision for me. I don’t mean to make fun of their misfortune, but I know that if I was drinking at this festival, I would be just like them or worse.
7. Enjoy the other aspects of the festival you usually don’t when drinking.
There are so many other aspects of music festivals besides just the musical acts, especially at OSL. They had delicious food and other vendors selling all kinds of crafts, games, and more.
8. It’s likely no one will care - or even notice - that you are sober.
At first, I was nervous that I would stick out like a sore thumb if I wasn’t intoxicated in some way at this festival. I quickly realized that literally no one cared. Everyone was so wrapped up in having a good time, that they couldn’t care less what I was doing. The happy energy emanating off the other people in the crowd was enough to make me feel giddy and even drunk myself.
9. If you’re not one for sober dancing, fake it ‘till you make it.
Sober dancing has never been my thing. I always feel awkward and uncomfortable. I quickly learned at this festival to push past these feelings and just let loose. Besides, like I mentioned in point 8, most people are too focused on having a good time themselves to care about your awkward dance moves.
10. If you’re a bit claustrophobic like me, try and stay near the side or back of the crowd.
When I was drunk, I was able to ignore my feelings of claustrophobia in the crowds. When I’m sober, it is harder for me to push these feelings away. I learned that staying near the sides where I had more room to dance was much less anxiety-provoking.
That’s all the tips I have for now! It feels so great to be back writing blog posts. Thanks for reading xx
*I have been alcohol-free for over a year and a half. Throughout my early sobriety, and in other moments of weakness, I’ll be the first to admit that I dabbled with other substances to try and replace alcohol. I soon came to realize that my addictive personality transfers to pretty much anything that alters how I feel. I finally made the decision to go completely sober and have been free from all substances for just over 5 months at the time this post was written.
