Well, it’s a little over a year since the beginning of the pandemic, and things are finally beginning to look as if they might get back to normal again. That means a lot of things for different people, and one thing it definitely means for a lot of folks is: music festivals!
Yes, I’ve certainly heard many of my friends lamenting the lack of music festivals all through 2020, so I’ve no doubt that all that pent up outdoor dancing energy will have to escape in 2021. Whatever the conditions and restrictions may be, people will be partying.
Of course, the best way to hit a music festival is in a campervan, the perfect way to fest in luxury without paying the extra fees for an RV. If you’re new to the campervan festival experience, here are a few tips and comments on why it’s awesome, and how best to enjoy it.
Why a Campervan for Your Festival Season?
There are many reasons that campervans are great for festivals. The first and most obvious is the increased level of comfort, in comparison to simply camping in a tent. I hate to sound like a broken record, because we say it a lot in this blog, but a campervan is the perfect combination of comfort/luxury with still being relatively compact and maneuverable.
Along with the smaller size comes less packing, and in fact you end up having to pack less in a campervan than you would if you were tent camping. This is because many of the things that you might have packed separately, such as a camp sink, seating, food storage etc. is all included with the van, and will remain more clean and organized than it would if it was being kept outdoors and/or in your car.
Lastly, there’s the advantage of not having to go through a huge setup and take-down process when you arrive and depart, respectively. Instead, everything is just there in the van, from the moment you arrive, and is ready to go the moment you are. All your towels, sheets, chairs, kitchen equipment etc. is safely and cleanly stored.
Some Things to Know
There are some things about going to a festival in a campervan that you’ll want to know ahead of time, and keep in mind.
For one thing, you need to make sure you get the right kind of tickets, and this may be slightly different for each festival. Because campervans are somewhere between an RV and car camping, it can sometimes be ambiguous. In general, it’s a good idea to this far, far ahead of time, because there are a limited number of tickets that are appropriate for camper vans, and so they sell out quickly.
Another thing you may want to consider is bringing some leveling ramps, or other equipment to make the van level. The likelihood that your camping spot will be perfectly level is relatively low, and while being wonky might not bother some people, it will generally make your experience more comfortable if you’re level.
Lastly, I would say that just because you’re going in a campervan, don’t get over-confident and skimp on the preparation. You’ll still want to bring plenty of supplies and even tools such as hooks, hangers, rucksacks, umbrellas, duct tape, and of course fuel; potentially, you may actually want to bring extra fuel, particularly if you’ll be relying on a generator for power.
Best Festivals in 2021
Even though vaccinations are increasing and lockdowns are easing up, all festival plans should be considered quasi-tentative, at this point. However, so far, here are some of the must-go festivals in the U.S. that are (as far as we know, they could change their minds at any point) planning to continue in person, with set dates:
- Bonnaroo: Sept. 2-5, Manchester, TN
- Austin City Limits: Oct. 1-3, Austin, TX
- New Orleans Jazz Fest: Oct. 8-17, New Orleans, LA
- Firefly: Sept 23-26, Dover, DE
- Riot Fest: Sept 16-19, Chicago, IL
- Electric Forest: August (exact dates not yet confirmed), Rothbury, MI
- Electric Zoo: Sept. 3-5, New York, NY
- Outside Lands: Oct 29-31, San Francisco, CA
- Telluride Bluegrass Festival: June 18-21, Telluride, CO