In Honor of Better Together: The 10 Things That Are Actually Better Together at a Show or Festival
Some things in life are simply better together. Peanut butter and jelly. Sunshine and a pool day. Your favorite song and that friend who somehow always knows exactly when the drop is coming. At a festival, the right combination can turn a good day into an unforgettable one. In honor of Better Together, here are 10 festival pairings that just make sense.
1. Hydration Backpack + Water + Gatorade Zero Electrolytes = Elite Hydration With a Side of Style
Your festival backpack is already carrying half your life, so it might as well carry the things that keep you alive and thriving. Water keeps you hydrated. Electrolytes help replenish what you lose dancing in the heat, and your hydration backpack keeps it all looking cute while you do it. Hydration really does have a favorite accessory.
2. Kandi + New Friends = Creativity and Connection
You never know who you are going to meet at a festival. Maybe it is someone wearing the exact same artist jersey, someone who knows your favorite track, or the person standing next to you who suddenly becomes your rave bestie. Add a few kandi bracelets to the mix, and you have the perfect excuse to say hello, trade something meaningful, and leave with a new connection.
3. Sunscreen + Bucket Hat = Stylish and Protected
The sun is not going to care how incredible your outfit is. Protect yourself anyway. Sunscreen keeps your skin happy, while a bucket hat gives you a little extra shade and somehow makes almost every festival outfit better. Fashion and function can absolutely coexist.
4. Earplugs + Eye Mask = Your Day Two Survival Kit
You may think sleep is optional on a festival weekend. Your body strongly disagrees. A good pair of earplugs can help block out the world when it is time to rest, while an eye mask lets your brain know that it is officially bedtime, even if the sun has other plans. Protect your hearing, get some sleep, and give yourself a fighting chance at Day Two.
5. Saying “Excuse Me” + “Thank You” = The Ultimate PLUR Power Move
You are going to move through a lot of people at a festival. You may need to squeeze past someone, find your friends, or get to the bathroom before it becomes an emergency. There is no reason to bulldoze your way through the crowd. A simple “excuse me” and “thank you” can completely change the interaction. It is polite, respectful, and very PLUR of you.
6. Your Best Friend + Your Favorite Artist = Core Memory Material
There is something completely different about hearing your favorite song when the person you love dancing beside you knows every single word, drop, and beat. Years later, you probably will not remember exactly what you ate that day, but you will remember looking over at your best friend when that song came on.
7. Comfortable Shoes + A Good Outfit = The Festival Fashion Sweet Spot
We love the outfit. We support the outfit. We absolutely want to see the outfit. But please, for the love of your feet, make sure you can actually walk in it. Festivals are not the place to discover that your shoes become torture devices after three hours. Find the balance between looking incredible and being able to dance until the sun comes up.
8. Portable Charger + Your Phone = The Friendship Insurance Policy
Your phone is your camera, map, ticket, communication device, and sometimes your only way to find the group after everyone inevitably wanders off. A portable charger means you can keep documenting the memories, texting your friends, and finding your way around without staring at that terrifying 3 percent battery warning.
9. A Good Setlist + Zero Expectations = The Best Surprise
Sometimes the best set of the weekend is not the one you planned for. Give yourself permission to wander. Check out the artist you have never heard of. Walk into a stage because you heard a bassline from across the festival grounds. Some of the best festival memories happen when you stop following the plan and let the music find you.
10. You + The Moment = Everything You Came For
This might be the most important pairing of all. You and the moment. Put the phone down for a song. Look around. Feel the bass in your chest. Watch the lights hit the crowd. Find your friends. Dance with strangers. Take the picture, but then actually experience the thing you were taking the picture of.
Because festivals are better together, but the best part is getting to be there for it all
I found EDM in my early years as a high schooler, with artists like Avicii, Afrojack, Tiësto, Martin Garrix, Krewella, and so many others filling my playlists. In 2017, Voodoo Music Festival became my first festival and live music experience, and honestly, I have not stopped since. Since then, I’ve made my way through 20+ music festivals and at least 43 shows that I’ve actually remembered to count, but the numbers have never been the best part. It’s the people I’ve met, the memories made, the unexpected moments, and that feeling of being surrounded by thousands of people who all came to feel something together. I write because I genuinely love this community and the music that brings us together. My hope with every article, review, and story is to capture even a little bit of that feeling and share it with you. I want you to feel the excitement I feel standing in that crowd, hear the details that made a song stick in my heart, and understand just how much I appreciate the artists, fans, and experiences that make this community so special. There is so much magic in this world of music, and I’m just happy I get to be here for it, listen to it, and put some of that love into words.
