aaamusic | On 13, Apr 2021

Festivals are all about letting your hair down and have an amazing time. When you attend a festival, you expect to park some inhibitions at the gate all in the name of embracing this unique blend of arts, culture, and freedom. Festivals are amazing for creating amazing moments and memories that last a lifetime. However, those memories can quickly become horrible if crowd etiquette is not up to standard. 

While festivals may appear places where etiquette stops at the door, that’s just not the case. In truth, every type of organized event needs a set of rules to function properly. For example casino etiquette dictates rules you must obey to play at a live casino, while at a festival it may not be about “rules” but rather ensuring everybody has the best time possible. 

Anybody who has been to festivals knows there is always someone who makes life difficult for everybody else. This could come from being too noisy (yes, even at a festival), selfish, or just plain obnoxious. Don’t be that person and instead learn the basics of festival etiquette by reading our guide below. 

Don’t become someone who spoils the party for everyone else by following our festival etiquette tips below:

Know Your Surroundings

Festivals are hot cauldrons of thronging people all rustling for space within relatively small confines. You’re going to be sharing space with a lot of people, there’s just no getting away from that fact. Whether you’re on the dancefloor or waiting in line for our next drink, being aware of those around you is common etiquette. 

By understanding your surroundings and being courteous to around you, a better time can be had by all. Not least because the limited space you’re all sharing will seem more open. If you see someone struggling for space in a crowd, try to help. Equally, if you see someone trying to make their way through a crowd, try to make way for them. 

Clean Up After Yourself

Most people like to run a tidy ship at home, while littering on the street is both illegally and morally incorrect… which is why most people don’t! However, sometimes the breezy nature of festivals gets the best of people and they think they can litter because “hey, someone will pick it up”. After-all, festivals are temporary, and organizers must ensure the site is clean and tidy once the event is over. 

There are some things you can do to ensure you help to keep the festival site clean. One of the golden rules is “pack in and pack out” which basically means you take out what your take in. Yes, this includes any trash you cannot properly dispose of at the site. Of course, the best advice is to simply throw out your trash properly and don’t litter it on the ground.

Don’t Get Too Touchy

Festivals are emotional and you can make lasting friendships and even romantic relationships with people you meet. However, despite the air of freedom and happiness, you can’t just go putting your hand wherever you want. Understanding when someone is OK with physical contact or not is too complicated, so take the safe option and keep your hands to yourself.It’s a question of respect and treating each other how you yourself expect to be treated. Of course, there my be some situations in an open festival crowd where you can get touchy feely, but try to read the situation properly.