How to pick a festival

01The short version

Pick the shape of the weekend first, then the sound, then the lineup. Most people do it the other way around and end up at a festival that is too big, too hot or too far.

You can do the whole thing in an evening. Answer the six questions below. Put two or three festivals side by side in the compare tool. Check the final price and the weather. Then buy.

021. When can you go

Start with the calendar. Dates and the time you can take off cut the list more than anything. The calendar lists upcoming dates, and festivals with dates still to be announced are kept apart so you do not plan around a guess.

Some festivals ran earlier editions in a different month. Past dates in the archive are not a promise about next year, so check the festival page for the current edition.

032. How far will you go

Distance is a cost you pay twice, going and coming back. Use the map to see what is within a drive, and the archive to filter by state. A festival in your own city saves a flight, a hotel and a day off work.

For a first festival, closer is usually better. You can sleep in your own bed and bail out if it is not your thing. See getting there and home for what each choice involves.

043. How big, how long, how rough

This is the question most people skip. A few thousand people on a single day feels very different from a big crowd over three nights. Neither is better. They are different jobs.

Next, decide whether you want to camp. Camping is a different trip with its own costs, risks and rewards. The camping guide lists which festivals offer it.

Last, look at the age rule. Some festivals are 18 and over, some 21 and over, some all ages. If you are going with a group of mixed ages, this one decides it.

054. What do you actually listen to

Not what you think you should like. What you play when nobody is watching. Festivals are built around a sound, and the festivals that fit yours are the ones where you will enjoy the other 10 hours as well.

Every festival page has a genre mix and stage-by-stage notes, so you can see where the music you like sits. Electronic genres 101 explains the families and lists a few places to start listening.

065. What will it really cost

Sources 1

Compare the final checkout total, not the headline. The FTC rule on fees means live-event ticket sellers must show the total price up front, including mandatory fees. Anything that appears later should make you pause.

Then add the parts that are not the ticket. The budget guide has the full list and a worksheet that splits shared costs. Use the compare tool to see up to four festivals on the same fields.

076. What will the weather do

Sources 2

Look at the time of year and the venue. The National Weather Service says the Heat Index it publishes assumes shade and light wind, and full sun can add up to 15°F. A paved lot or an open field in summer is hotter than the forecast.

Each festival page has a weather section drawn from past editions. It is a guide to what has happened, not a forecast. The heat guide covers how to deal with it.

08Narrow it down

1. 1
   Cut by date and distance

   The calendar and the map get the list short.

2. 2
   Cut by shape

   Size, days, camping and age cut it again.

3. 3
   Cut by sound

   Genre mix gets you to two or three.

4. 4
   Compare the last 2

   Put them in the compare tool. Look at the final price, the getting there and the weather.

5. 5
   Pick one

   Buy from the official seller. Read the tickets guide first.