What is actually good about festivals?

[longhaulstress]

Is watching the live music worth:

Mega amounts of money
Camping in rubbish conditions
Bad Weather conditions
Horrible toilets
Queuing for everything
Limited ways to cook or expensive food outlets

I was watching Facebook updates from the download festival last weekend and it looked awful.
What are the good bits of festivals, I toy with the idea of trying one one day but the thought of the above puts me off. I don't even mind camping and not too bothered about limited showering but I can't help thinking to enjoy it you must have to be drunk (or under the influence of other stuff!) and a hangover at a festival sounds even worse.

Really interested to see what people like about them/the good bits are?! (I promise this isn't a snooty Aibu I am genuinely intrigued!)

I love festivals and my 5 year old will be coming with me this year. Now I'm a mum I chose family friendly ones rather than the crazy drug and drink fueled ones. I want my boy to grow up as a free spirit with music running through his blood. I want him to be able to dance like no ones watching and loose himself in that moment of euphoria. When hes a teenager he'll be used to festivals so maybe wont go crazy like his friends (although I suspect he might follow me and be crazy anyway!). Its important to me for him to experience those times with me, it drives his father crazy that I take him on festival adventures but these are some of the experiences that will make a childhood special (in my opinion) x

Ok this is good so potentially smaller ones are better.
Or outsourcing sleeping out at a hotel for showers, comfy beds and breakfasts, I could get on board with that!

I like the idea of sitting out in the sun drinking with friends though but again I think I'd need a wee all the time and keep having to trek a million miles to the loos!

Most are shite, operated by PR and event management graduates who don't really know what makes a good festival. A huge line up needs to to be funded so they rely on big brand sponsors which is pretty bland and no atmosphere. You think you're getting your moneys worth because you're seeing a big list of bands but they don't invest in the infrastructure or facilities so charge some poor mug 4/5 times the original ticket price and call it "glamping". Soulless concerts in a car park in my opinion. There are very few festivals which do it right and in my experience they are usually independent ones with character built by communities which is, in my opinion, the whole point of a festival.

Seeing bands you like outdoors as the sun goes down.

The food - lots of festivals now have AMAZING food vendors.

The camaraderie - everyone is living in close quarters and I've seen some amazing stuff, like twenty or so lads pushing an ambulance stuck in mud up a hill at Leeds Festival so it could reach someone who needed it.

The 'other' stuff than music - festivals with TedTalk style stuff, the ones with crafts, the ones with interesting and unusual things to do and see, from circus skills to Buddhism.

The way artists respond - some are shit (Arctic Monkeys, for example, gave the shittest festival performance I've ever seen) but lots really love festival audiences.

The bands/stuff you see on the first day when it's quiet, or in the afternoons - I've seen some amazing bands I never expected to.

Not going to lie, I've had some bad festival experiences too, but they're an experience like nothing else. I've been genuinely emotional on the last day of a festival (and it wasn't due to mind alteration) - you go into this little special bubble for 4-5 days.

BeyondOverTheMoon

You really thing there weren't many drugs there. You either don't know what you are looking for or had your eyes closed

I went to Reading Rock in the early 80s, I really enjoyed it at the time. The weather was amazing. I don't think I could handle sleeping in a tent at my advanced sge

I'll rephrase - there are very few drugs in comparison to what people expect when they think of a festival.

I never went to one (well OK one, it was miniscule though so doesn't really count) and now I think I'm probably too old and all my friends have kids so don't want to, they (sensibly) did all their partying when they were young rather than sitting at home with babies. Oh well.

It appeals to me in the sense of spending time with friends, not having to worry about time and appointments etc, enjoying good music, drinking, maybe drugs? Not hugely fussed about drugs TBH. Friends and music is lovely. Some of the best nights of my life (including the doesn't-really-count festival) have involved guitars next to the fire. Just something about it. And then they're just weird aren't they? Strange stuff happens at festivals, which ends up being a hilarious memory/story/shared experience for years to come.

I probably wouldn't be too fussed about the sleeping arrangements, mud, toilets etc if I was knackered or pissed. I definitely wouldn't go on my own. But with a group of good friends, I would love to, maybe one day.

You probably have to be an extrovert to find the idea appealing though? Most of MN are introverts so it's fitting a lot of posters would be turned off.

I was at Download this year and last year and both times were bloody brilliant. The people, friends, food, drink, music... all made it totally worth it despite the blistering heat/ankle deep mud. I think festivals are daunting when you're not actually at one, but once you're there you settle in a new norm that involves beer for breakfast and gallons of hand sanitizer!

As long as you plan for the weather that's forecast then festivals are awesome... even for this mid-30s introvert

I've been going to festivals for nearly 30 years now, and I still love them. Never been into nightclubs, I do my dancing under the stars. Yes, I'm older, but now I go to smaller festivals and I can afford a camper van, head-to-toe gore-tex when necessary, plus better food, drink and drugs.

We go every year to the Isle of Wight festival. Very normal 40 somethings with very normal jobs. However we love it. Leave the children at home and off for the weekend. No time pressures really other than when a band you want to see is on.

We stay off site in a hotel, usually not too far from the beach and then bus in and out each day. Oh and we always, always pay for the posh toilets (otherwise I refuse to go to the toilet!).

There are obvious downsides, like the river of piss as we call it, when the blokes can't be bothered to wait for a toilet so just do it somewhere nearby. And the completely shitfaced people, but there is generally enough room to avoid them.

However, there is nothing better than sitting in the sunshine watching your favourite acts with a drink in your hand. We always find something surprisingly good to go and watch that we hadn't expected and most people are super friendly, all out for a good time.

Latitude festival is also good (managed to get on the Mumford and Sons guest list one year!) But I wouldn't go back to Reading, full of teenagers happy to have a shit next to their tent. Disgusting place.

I know it's not for everyone but you should try it at least once.

I’m 46 and off to Glasto next week. Can’t bloody wait - it’s the most joyous place! I am paying extra for glamping & hot showers though! I love the music, the food, the glitter, the fun and the escapism.
Glasto is special though and not like other festivals- it’s retained it’s soul

Everything.
Our sons came with us from small babies, they grew up loving them, now adults, they still go with their mates.
We still go, but nowadays stay in nearby hotels, we are in the older group of festival goers, sadly must look it too, as not searched for drugs anymore and the youngsters come up to me for sun cream or toilet roll, lol
We dont drink or do drugs, just love live music.
We've dropped the bigger festivals now, as so commercialised, too many people and not enough facilities.

I went to a couple as a teen and loved every minute. I felt like I came back from that first festival experience a different person somehow.

I'd love to go again but i'm sure it wouldn't be quite the same now i'm in my 30's!

I'm off to Mera Luna this year.

I have this feeling it's bigger than the festivals I'm used to.

I don't do festis like Reading or Glasto; they're rammed, huge, and full of arseholes. Done them both once, and if the teenage me couldn't hack the behaviour of the other campers, then now-sensible and irritable me is not going.

I do smaller festivals, and I do them with people I know. Which granted, at the last ones I've attended has included so many people I know. Which makes it better.

I've done festis indoors, festis partly indoors, several with the old camper van, and the last four were hotel jobs. Well, the last one was technically halls, at Infest.

I'm not into large commercial festivals. They don't play the kind of bands I like anyway.

No drugs, limited alcohol, I like my quiet and not being hassled or having my portaloo pushed over.