Summer is the season for music festivals. While these events are nothing new, festivals have become increasingly popular over the last decade, with various flavors appealing to every taste: Coachella, Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits have been around for years and are nationally recognized brands. Firefly (Dover, DE) and Outside Lands (San Francisco, CA) launched in the aughts and have built a strong following, attracting major pop and rock headliners such as Billy Eilish, Lizzo and Post Malone. Festivals like Shaky Knees in Atlanta and Just Like Heaven in Pasadena sprang up in response to millenials’ desire to relive their college glory days with lineups including Incubus, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Death Cab for Cutie. Then you have festivals showcasing specific music genres–EDM, country, jazz, bluegrass. They are a way to see many of your favorite artists and be exposed to new ones, all for the price of one ticket.
Regardless of the festival, you will be sure to find a multitude of vendors serving everything from craft beer to mixed drinks, as well as a plethora of advertisements hawking Bud Light and White Claw, not to mention the hoards of fans liberally imbibing. So what is a non-drinker supposed to do?
As someone who loves live music and frequented many shows in my drinking days, it was hard to imagine enjoying myself without alcohol. To be honest, the first concert I went to after getting sober sucked. I was self-conscious, uncomfortable and experienced overwhelming FOMO. Determined to not miss out on what had been an important part of my life, I continued going to shows. Since then, I’ve been to over 70 live music events and discovered that I enjoy them even more than before. Read on to find out how you can too!
Bring a sober buddy
If you are in recovery and a member of a group like AA, NA, Recovery Dharma, or Celebrate Recovery, round up a fellow member or two who wants to have a good time. If not, scour your friends, co-workers and associates for someone who shares your music taste and is not enthusiastic about drinking. While festivals are exhilarating and fun, they can also be overwhelming, so it’s helpful to have a like-minded, non-drinking friend with you for support. When I first started going to shows sober, I brought my sister, who lived in a dorm a few blocks away from me on campus at Temple University. While she enjoys the occasional beer or mixed drink, she never drank around me and was more interested in seeing Of Montreal for the 6th time rather than paying $15 for a Long Island iced tea. Having someone like that with me at a show really increased my comfort level and maximized the fun.
To help you connect with other sober festival-goers, more on-site groups like the Wharf Rats, Soberoo at Bonnaroo and 1 Million Strong are popping up at festivals to offer refuge to sober attendees. They offer things like sober camping areas, sober tents and meetings during festivals.
Try a one-day pass
It’s recommended not to plunge into the deep end and attend all four days of Bonnaroo if this is your first time sober at a festival. Most festivals sell day passes and some, including Just Like Heaven, are one-day festivals. By testing it out for one day, you’ll be able to see how you fare and how you feel afterwards, and game-plan for the next festival based on how everything goes. In addition, you won’t feel pressured to attend the entire festival just because you made the financial investment.
Splurge on a VIP ticket
You’ll avoid the worst of the crowds and most of the annoying drunk people, plus there are shorter lines for bathrooms and food. You also will get better access and sight lines to the stage. I started doing VIP in 2010 and I will never go back to General Admission. Yes it costs more, but it truly enhances your experience and reduces the stress of being around large crowds. It’s worth the money!
Dance like nobody is watching
Because they aren’t: 99.9% of attendees are staring at the stage, or filming the performance on their phone, or talking to their friends, or checking the line at the bar. They could care less what you are doing, so feel free to bust a move!
I personally am pretty reserved and not someone who likes to dance under normal circumstances, like weddings (especially not weddings). However, I can get carried away when I am listening to music I love, and dancing at festivals with thousands of other fans is soul-cleansing.
Pre-game…with a meeting
If you are in recovery or taking a break from drinking, try hitting a meeting before the festival. There are so many groups to choose from: AA, NA, Recovery Dharma, SMART Recovery, Celebrate Recovery. While each offers a different program and format, they all are very welcoming and share the same goal: to help their members refrain from drinking and enjoy sobriety.
As a long-time member of a 12-Step program myself, I like to hit a meeting before I head to a festival. If we are staying overnight in a different city, we try to find a nearby meeting in the morning, since the first act at a festival typically doesn’t take the stage until early afternoon. It puts us in a better frame of mind before surrounding ourselves with drunk people for the next 8-10 hours.
Take care of yourself
Between the heat, the crowds and the stimulation, festivals can take a lot out of you. Take care of yourself physically (and emotionally) by staying hydrated and fed. Camping at a festival can be rough for non-drinkers, so I recommend finding a hotel or other comfortable accommodations for the evening. Those warm showers and clean sheets are heaven after tramping around a hot, dusty venue all day.
When I was still drinking, I road-tripped to a jam-band festival in West Virginia with my roommate and her friends. We camped there and it rained all weekend. I missed the one band I came there to see because I was too sloshed, we took turns sleeping in the car because our tents were water-logged, the showers were crowded and mostly didn’t work, and our bodies and car were hopelessly caked with mud. As a binge-drinking 20-year-old that was a bit much. As a sober 37-year old that would be intolerable. So I spend the money for my Microtel Inn room and free breakfast.
Focus on why you are really there–the music!!
Nothing compares to seeing your favorite artist onstage performing the song you have been listening to on repeat for the past year, in front of 30,000 fans on a balmy summer night. The energy from the crowd envelopes you and the bass runs like electricity through your body. It’s a natural high that’s only enhanced by a clear mind. By implementing some of the suggestions above, you won’t have to miss this amazing experience!
Looking for other fun sober things to do while traveling, whether you are a surf enthusiast, foodie or history buff? Check out our destinations page!
The Temperate Traveler 