The Best Music Festivals

My past couple summers have completely revolved around festival season and I wouldn't have it any other way. Is it outlandish to say that music festivals have changed my life? I believe they have for the better! Years ago, I never could have imagined myself camping on a farm or swamplands with thousands of people I don't know. The lack of hygiene, phone service and personal space was a bit of a turn off, but I've learned to love all of these aspects! I've met such great friends and had some of the most mind-altering experiences of my life at these events.

I frequently get asked about festivals I've attended so I decided to do mini reviews of some of my favorite larger festivals.

1. Okeechobee Festival in Okeechobee, Florida

This is the best festival I've ever attended- in 2016 I was lucky enough to attend the first Okeechobee Festival with one of my greatest festival buds, Lindsey. The festival takes place in March, so unlike many other festivals I will mention, it is not unbearably hot! The year I went, the weather was great during the day, but got pretty chilly at night (something I was not prepared for). For camping festivals, appropriate clothing for all weather is necessary!

The festival had three main stages and only a couple smaller ones- all of them were super close together so it was easy to attend more than one set if your schedule conflicted. The festival also had a good variety of performers, but was mostly geared toward rap and edm fans.

I have to say one of my favorite things about Okeechobee was that the festival grounds remained open 24 hours a day. My friends and I would always return to camp after the last set and bundle up before coming back out to play.

2. Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, TN

This was my favorite festival until I attended Okeechobee. The first year at Roo is always a magical one- there is nothing like the energy at this festival. Bonnaroo's motto is "Radiate Positivity", and pretty much everyone in attendance does just that. The high fives are constant, the food is great, and there's usually a good mix of music genres on the lineup. A con is how hot and humid it gets in mid-June in Manchester; but Roo makes up for it with the giant, colorful fountain and the Big Ass Waterslide.

3. Austin City Limits in Austin, TX

My favorite non-camping festival. The people in Austin are great and it's one of my top cities in the US. The event takes place for two weekends in early October, but don't be fooled- it's still sweltering out! I stayed in a cute little airbnb about 20 minutes from the festival with some friends instead of staying in a hotel, which is a great way to save some money. The only thing that could make this festival better would be camping!

I've also attended large festivals like Coachella in CA, Lollapalooza in Chicago, Firefly in Delaware, and Gov Ball in NYC. These were all fun, but I can't say they were my favorites.

The next festivals on my list to attend are Electric Forest and Pemberton. If you have a favorite that I didn't mention, please tweet me!

Kailee