Festival Practicalities
The Best Festival Position Is Not Always the Front Row
Choose a festival viewing position around sound, sightlines, crowd comfort and a clear route out rather than assuming the front is always best.
LIVE MUSIC · FESTIVALS · CULTURE
There is more to a good night than the headline act.
Independent notes on festival planning, live music and getting more out of the shows you choose.
Plan your festival day →
Before the next set
All articles →
Live Music
A Festival Setlist Has an Arc, Not Just a Stack of Favourites
Plan a live set around energy, transitions and the time available, then rehearse the gaps between songs as carefully as the songs themselves.
Live Music
A Stage Plot Makes the Soundcheck Conversation Shorter
Prepare a simple stage plot and input list that help a small band explain positions, connections and monitor needs before a gig.
Festival travel
Leave the Festival With a Route, Not a Guess
Plan a festival departure around the exit, transport stop and last usable service, with an alternative that does not depend on a tired last-minute guess.
Festival essentials
Enjoy the Set Without Taking the Ringing Home
Make hearing protection part of your festival plan: suitable earplugs, quieter breaks and distance from speakers help you enjoy the music more deliberately.
Before the Show
A Festival Packing List Should Start with the Venue Rules
Build a lighter festival bag by checking permitted items, weather, water arrangements and the journey home before copying a generic packing list.