Travelling Overseas to Attend a Music Festival.

Every year thousands of festival-goers travel outside of their home country to attend a music festival. Whilst many will be seasoned travellers there are also those embarking on their first overseas festival. What are the essential guidelines for potential travellers to ensure a successful trip that maximises the festival experience?

Many large-scale music festivals feature artists from around the world and equally attract an international audience and festivals like Tomorrowland and Glastonbury always have a wide mix of nationalities in their audiences many of whom have travelled overseas to attend. For those embarking on international travel to attend a festival what are the essential elements they need to consider? 

Festival Logistics. 
Many of the larger music festivals sell out so securing a ticket as early as possible is the first priority, not many events sell tickets on entry. Once tickets have been confirmed festival-goers can start planning travel and accommodation around the given dates. Planning expenses and budgets can be challenging so some research of the destination country, currency exchange rates and the event on-site costs should help determine the amount of money that will be required for the whole trip. Whilst many festivals are now cashless travellers should ensure that wristbands are pre-loaded with sufficient funds and that access to funds using credit and debit cards is planned for. Thorough research the festival rules is required to understand what is and is not allowed on-site, this can vary widely in different countries. Also, it is worth gaining an understanding of any local cultural differences and laws to minimise causing offence or unintentionally breaking the law. Finally make a plan for use of mobile device coverage either using a roaming package or purchasing a local sim card. 

Passports and Visas. 
Irrespective of the destination country almost all immigration services require a minimum of 6 months validity in a passport to allow entry. It can take months to obtain a new passport so early planning is essential. For many nationalities it is possible to obtain a temporary visa on arrival, usually 30 days, but in some instances a visa may be required which can take days of weeks to obtain from a destination county’s embassy. If a new passport and/or visa are required this will likely incur additional expense too. 

Travel and Sustainability. 
Depending on the festival location and festival-goer's home country the travel options may be limited to flying. Throughout Europe the option for travel by train, bus, car or ferry will be available and a cheaper option than flying, however, festival-goers will need to weigh up the time duration of all options. If flights are chosen, they should be booked as early as possible to obtain good prices, although train services can also get expensive if booked at short notice. Festival organisers will also offer numerous transport options but these can get sold out quickly. Obviously, the use of trains and buses will always be the most sustainable means of transport and organisers will encourage this. For those opting to use cars to travel between countries there are additional requirements for vehicle registration and insurance documentation which can take time to arrange and incur more expense. 

Insurance, Security and Safety. 
Many travellers forget about travel insurance but it is essential to avoid hefty medical expenses in the event of an emergency. Travel insurance is also great for covering any loss due to cancellations or loss of any personal belongings. A music festival in any country can present dangers, although rare in most countries, attending a festival overseas can present additional challenges so festival-goers who should be extra vigilant regarding their personal safety and belongings. It may be worth assessing the local medical facilities on the festival site and understand how the hospital network operates as standards and service can vary enormously between countries. The use of narcotics is prohibited at all music festivals irrespective of the country, even in locations where cannabis has been legalised events often have strict restrictions on possession and use. It is recommended that festival-goers appraise themselves of local laws related to any narcotics as penalties in some countries can be severe including the death penalty. 

For festival organisers planning their next events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by  Ketut Subiyanto via Pexels

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