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I’m thinking about going to a festival in my area (it’s [Sensorium](https://sensoriumfestival.com) for anyone who’s wondering) and I’m (over)thinking about basically every level of decision to be made about it. I was hoping some more experienced people could help me get a realistic idea of how it’s going to be. My thoughts aren’t super organized right now but I’m doing my best so bear with me;
**To go or not to go?** I found out about Sensorium from a flyer on a telephone pole. That’s it. I went to their website and discovered I know exactly none of the artists who will be performing. So, there’s a point for not going. Also, the first, last and only (so far?) time I’ve been to a festival was the 2018 Warped Tour which went horribly for me, which seems like another point for not going until I think about the reasons Warped Tour didn’t work out. I’ll get to the details in a bit, but basically I went with a friend and we had conflicting interests and kept getting separated. I wasn’t too worried since I figured we could just text each other to regroup but he physically walked around looking for me every time it happened, missing his favorite band in the process. I also got hella sunburned, so there’s that. I could prevent history from repeating itself by wearing sunscreen and going alone, but…
**It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this (series of reasons why)!** Since I’ve only ever been to one festival, and that was with a friend, I’ve never been to one alone. I’m a young woman who isn’t very good at faking like I know what I’m doing (and it wouldn’t be fun if I was, because I’d be focused on faking the whole time) and I’m worried that might make me a target for predators. Is that a real risk? The website says that kind of thing isn’t tolerated but I don’t know how seriously to take that.
**But it might be impractical to go with someone.** I have no idea who I’d take. To me, it seems like a potentially fun date idea, but my boyfriend isn’t really interested in music, crowds, the city, or anything else that pretty much defines this festival. On top of that, I’d be paying double, and frankly I don’t want to pay for him to do something he doesn’t even want to do. I don’t have a ton of friends, so there aren’t many options. I don’t want to ruin the day for whoever I go with, if I go with someone, the way I did Warped Tour.
**Why (I think) I want to go:** Short answer: shits and giggles. Long answer: On the surface, I love the idea of seeing a random flyer, going “why not,” and yeehawing it to a festival where I don’t know any of the artists so I can discover new music, meet people, and generally have a hell of a night. I even looked through a post about why it’s fine to go alone to these things (it didn’t touch on the safety thing which is why that’s still a worry) and from that, devised a plan to purchase a portable misting fan to use on myself and others and to bring that, some batteries, some water for drinking and misting, and sunscreen. It’s the whole aesthetic of one night to go nuts with no strings attached except some financial stuff for which I can budget.
**What do I do? TIA for the advice!**
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11 Responses
Go! You WILL meet people and make friends. Don’t take party favors from strangers, and take an empty water bottle to keep your drink in. That way it has a lid and can’t be dosed.
My favorite part of festivals is just closing my eyes and feeling all the good energy swirling around. Closing my eyes also helps if I’m feeling anxious.
While I’m not familiar with any of these bands either, the festival experience in itself is worth having!
Sensorium isn’t anything like warped tour, it’s more like a long concert. No security no camping , one stage, less than 1000 people. Sounds like you’re having some social anxiety; these events are filled with people that just want to have fun. Go , have fun, Leave. If something seems off or spooky just find someone and say “ hey something feels off or spooky could you help me out for a minute?”. The community is there to help you have a good time, utilize it
Take your boyfriend even if he thinks it might not be his thing would be my suggestion. My fiancé was not the most interested in live music or crowds when we first started dating. We just hit our first EDC and Forest this year and she absolutely loves fests now. It’s all about the shared experience. If you do go alone just be careful and smart. I wouldn’t get fucked up on anything that you don’t do on a super regular basis and bring in with you. Drinking a little can be fine, but you gotta remember to bogart your shit so you don’t get dosed.
I’ve been to Sensorium before- it’s super chill! You can freely exit/re-enter at any time and the venue is walking distance to a few bars and even a Target in case you forgot anything/get bored.
It’s a tiny tiny venue with a bunch of really great people. I don’t think you have anything to worry about as long as you have plans for safe travel home.
Let me know if you have any questions!
I only know the top two bands on this lineup but based on that… you should go.
If you go alone, have a plan on communicating with your boyfriend. Say that you’ll check in every other hour or “if you don’t hear from my by such and such time then I may need help,” or something like that. Or see if your boyfriend will tag along but show up later in the evening. If you’ve already gotten comfortable there it may help him with crowd anxiety and such. And if you want my opinion, he should definitely go!
Stay out ahead on sunscreen and water. You’ll be much more comfortable if you stay hydrated and unburnt. Wear comfortable shoes. Have a good bag with you and bring a water bottle, sunscreen, phone, portable charger, wallet + emergency cash, a little card with emergency contact info on it, sunglasses, head covering, Advil, hand sanitizer, and other creature comforts. That’s a robust packing list for a one-day fest so just think of those items as a suggestion.
Talk to other people. It’s super fun to bond with strangers and it happens quickly when everyone is having a blast. That being said, don’t feel obligated to stick with a group of people and definitely bail if they creep you out. Some of the best decisions I’ve made at festivals have been to strike out on my own.
Finally… if you have fun, buy a shirt! Or a hat or something. It’ll be a conversation starter later on.
Have fun!
Based on you having been to Warped your, you should know the style of music at this event will be completely different. Familiarize yourself with some of their sounds and see if it’s something you want to spend a day listening to. That should help ease some of your worry of social anxiety since you’ll be into the music. The people from this scene are mostly respectful and chill. I really don’t think there is much to be worried about in that regard. Just be smart and don’t take things from strangers.
Have an open mind. Only bring what you need. It’s nice to pack light. Camelbak, water bottle and fanny pack, whatever works. Light jacket or something for night time if necessary. Be yourself and have fun! Dancing like nobody is watching is so liberating 🙂
If you do go with someone, pick a meeting spot as soon as you walk in. Agree that you’ll meet there once it’s over. If you feel inclined, agree that you’ll meet there every two hours or so.
This seems like it will be a pretty friendly scene. I don’t recognize any names on the line up, despite be fairly well acquainted with the Philly scene, but I haven’t been paying attention for awhile. Regardless, they have a list of live painters. That doesn’t happen unless it is a fairly psychedelic / hippie oriented event.
If you make it to the after-party, make sure you see Beard o’bees. Lotus is awesome and Jesse in particular is awesome.
You don’t have to fake anything. Just go, knowing that this is a 10 hour span than you don’t have to worry about a god damn thing except enjoying yourself. Don’t get sloppy fucked up, and you will have a blast
Bring good energy and you’ll receive it
People on the app called Radiate are always looking for other people to meet with. It’s basically an app for ravers that want to connect
I live in Philly, didnt know about this festival it looks dope though you should definitely go!