How much does it cost to attend a camping music festival?
In short, there’s no quick answer. Each experience in unique. You will need a general admission ticket and camping pass at least, which vary in price per festival. But the true budget for attending a camping music festival really depends on the needs of each individual camper 🫶 Some basic considerations include shelter, transportation, food, water, personal hygiene, portable power, footwear, lights, and so.much.more.
IDEALLY, attendees are experienced campers with most gear acquired over time. These are things therein hard to quantify, and which vary by season, location, etc. Some campers sleep in tents or hammocks (my personal favorite). Others won’t even consider attending if they can’t have their recreational vehicle with water and power hookups on site.
i.e. Maybe you don’t care about having a beauty bar out there, yet I swoon for the natural sunlight✨. Some campers prefer to make fancy outdoor kitchens for cookouts around camp, meanwhile I enjoy the convenience of pre-cooked meals instead. Most people attending a camping music festival don’t bring as many decorative flowers as I do and instead bring out their flow toys, instruments, corn hole sets, etc.
Learning about ourselves and what makes each of us special is a [very important] aspect of a camping music festival experience. Check in with yourself for serious reflection about what you require in order to show up as your BESTS self. Fun looks different to different people. Figure out what matters to you most first in order to figure out what your budget will need to be for a camping music festival.
Make sure to afford yourself plenty of “other” money in the overall budget.
You can responsibly anticipate that you’re going to be tempted to indulge in countless offerings at a camping music festival. From frozen lemonades to ferris wheel rides, consider how much it might cost to enjoy those cold beers or whatever else makes you happy. I usually budget for freshly made everything smoothies (plus tips) at around $20ea. I also like to hold space for possibly buying some cool artsy things. You’re there to have a good time of course, but you still need to hold yourself accountable to whatever amount you pre-determine beforehand is a comfortable amount to spend per day at a camping music festival. It+all+adds+up. Quick! Know how much discretionary money you can spend.
A safe rule for budgeting: literally double or triple whatever you think you might need. And please note: Even if you have unlimited funds, you should still bring with you EVERYTHING you need also, regardless of what you anticipate having available on site. You can’t eat dollar bills nor credit cards, and these make terrible makeshift tents. Arriving with everything you need and plenty extra to share is the name of the game at a camping music festival. You can’t over prepare. Not to mention that a tiny bag of ice can cost over $8 at a camping music festival. Expect the unexpected.
It is HIGHLY recommended that you bring your own camping gear instead of paying the event organizers in advance and hoping they make good on a promise. And come ready for every scenario: heat, cold, rain, etc. Even if you opt for some special accommodations or upgraded services, you should also have your Plan B ready to go.
Please include a hotel room in your budget even if you’re planning on camping. Remember that things like roadside assistance and emergency health care need to be in your budget. Please do not underestimate these costs. Plan ahead as much as you possibly can for every scenario so you can rest assured you’re READY TO PARTY.
⚠️FOMO is safer than wookery. In my sincere opinion, it is better to postpone attendance rather than show up unprepared. Even if you already purchased an admission ticket, it may be BESTS to opt out. Don’t fall victim to any sunken cost fallacy or peer pressures and just show up praying for the things to work themselves out.
We gather for a melody, not a malady. Please know your needs and understand that participating in this PLUR community involves personal responsibility. I recommend you prepare so well for any camping music festival that your budget on site can be legit zero, that way everything else is just a bunch of really cool sprinkles on top. A prepared camper is a happy camper.
xo,
Karla
P.S. You also need to budget your TIME… make sure to get plenty of restful sleep before/during/after any camping music festival. And dedicate a full 2 minutes to brushing your teeth. The rest is noise.
Below are some “make it your own” options:
Example of less expensive and arguably *way more better* setup for a camping music festival:
Example of [way] more expensive and mostly vibe-less isolation for a camping music festival:
Below are some “just pay other people to do everything” options:
Shambhala Music Festival 2023:
Fyre Festival 2017:
Bonnaroo 2023:
Note about the Bonnaroo setup: lack of canopy (a summer camping music festival essential IMO), lack of chair, lack of air flow, and I don’t even want to know how these held up during the thunderstorm Sunday night. Also, they were set up literally all the way in the back of The Farm. They sold tiny saunas for $450. My Outeroo car camping pass was only $50 to set up my own sleep spot anywhere else. Newsflash: my first Bonnaroo tent cost me less than $40 and it’s still in use after several Bonnaroos and other adventures.
YOU CAN DO IT 💪 and if you don’t like setting up camp sites, then I wonder if maybe camping music festival are not for you. Arenas, stadiums, theaters, and many other regular music festivals do not require camping out, like ULTRA or III Points in Miami, FL just to name two. When patrons treat a camping music festival as a new home away from home created by their own imaginations rather than perceive them as all-inclusive resort experiences, I believe it ends up much more enriching for both themselves and others. Our differences unite and expand us.
Tell ya frens: it can get pretty wild (heat, cold, dust, rain, noise, etc). The weather can be weathering. Stamina and physical endurance will be challenged. Soul searching might happen. Preparation is required.
Hope it helps 🫶✨