You’re Doing Festivals Wrong

You got tickets to a music festival? Cool. Let me tell you something nobody’s gonna mention until you’re already there suffering.

The standing. So much standing.

Last summer my girlfriend and I went to Bonnaroo. We were pumped, like super excited. Four days of music, camping, all of it. Day two we’re both walking around like old people. My feet hurt so bad. Her back was killing her. Sunday’s headliner we could barely enjoy cause we were just so tired and sore.

It’s not just music festivals either. Went to a Renaissance faire once, walked around for like eight hours. Food festivals where you’re in line forever. Any outdoor thing that’s all day has this problem.

You’re just on your feet way too long. Your body can’t handle 10-12 hours of standing and walking for multiple days straight, it’s not made for that.

What Happens to Your Body

So festivals, right? The Instagram posts don’t show you this part. You’re walking between stages, food places, bathrooms, merch tents. Miles and miles every day. At Bonnaroo my phone said I walked like 25,000 steps on Saturday. That’s 12 miles or something.

Then you stand through sets. Even if you’re not up front in the pit, you’re still standing for like an hour. Then another band. Then another one.

Plus all the lines. Twenty minutes for food, fifteen for bathrooms, half an hour for beer. It adds up fast.

Your feet hurt first. Then your calves get all tight. Lower back starts hurting from standing with bad posture all day. Day three, some people look completely wrecked.

I’ve literally seen people just sit down in the middle of walkways cause they couldn’t stand anymore. Not great when there’s thousands of people trying to get around.

Where Are You Supposed to Sit?

Okay so you need to sit. Where though?

Ground’s basically the only option. Which is fine except festival grounds are muddy or dusty or just nasty. You’re sitting in dirt, spilled beer, dead grass. Your clothes get gross. And getting up from the ground after twenty minutes when you’re already tired? Sucks.

Some festivals have seating areas but they fill up instantly. You’d have to camp there all day which defeats the point.

Bringing a camping chair seems smart till you actually try carrying it everywhere. Through crowds, between stages, while you’re also carrying your bag and water bottle and maybe a blanket. It’s way too much stuff.

Last year at Outside Lands I watched someone trying to get through a crowd with their folding chair. They just gave up and left it somewhere, never saw them come back for it.

What I Wish I Knew Before

Before my first big festival I wish someone told me that being comfortable actually matters a lot. It’s not like a concert where you stand for two hours then go home. This is days of just being on your feet constantly.

Best thing I bought for festivals was honestly a collapsible stool. I know that sounds boring. Not as exciting as like a cool outfit or fancy Camelbak water backpack. But it actually changed everything.

My friend had one at this beer festival and she was sitting in line while everyone else was standing looking miserable. I was like okay that’s smart.

So I looked online and got a NUMANU one. It folds down super small, 2.5 inches thick, weighs two pounds. I clip it to my backpack with a carabiner and I don’t even notice it’s there till I want to sit. Then I can sit basically anywhere.

Goes from really short up to 18 inches. The XXL model goes even higher, almost 20 inches, and the seat’s wider if you want that. Be sure to check both their shop on Amazon as well as their official site as they have promotions from time to time. Really not too expensive especially compared to what festivals cost anyway. The lifetime warranty too which is good for using it in mud and crowds and whatever.

How It Helps at Festivals

Between sets – that weird twenty minute gap where you’re just waiting around? You can actually sit and rest instead of standing. Way better.

During sets if you’re in the back – if you’re not moshing up front you can sit and still see everything fine. Did this for a two hour Radiohead set in Chicago, sat the whole time, had a great view.

Lines – huge one. Festival food lines are like thirty minutes sometimes. Standing still in line is somehow worse than walking. You can sit, collapse the stool when the line moves, extend it again. Makes it way less annoying.

Campsite – if you’re camping you probably have a chair at your site but this is lighter and easier to bring into the festival than your camp chair. Takes up no room in the tent either.

I keep the standard one, only 2.2 pounds, clips to my backpack. My girlfriend has the XXL cause she likes the wider seat, 11.8 inches. That one’s 3.5 pounds, goes to 19.7 inches.

Renaissance Faires Are Brutal

If you haven’t been to a Ren faire, picture walking on dirt paths and grass for like six to eight hours. Watching shows that just have grass where you sit on the ground. Carrying around turkey legs trying to find somewhere to eat.

Maryland Renaissance Festival is huge. Last time I was there from opening till it closed, nine hours. Without somewhere to sit I would’ve been destroyed.

With the stool I could watch jousting from a comfortable height instead of dirt. Take breaks throughout the day without looking for a log. Eat at a normal height instead of hunched over on the ground.

The adjustable height matters here. Some shows you want to sit low so you don’t block people. Other times you need to be higher to see over everyone. Being able to change it helps a lot.

Other Events Too

State fairs, food festivals, outdoor concerts, craft shows – same problem everywhere. On your feet all day, nowhere to sit.

Brought mine to a food festival in Austin last spring, there for five hours. Lines were crazy long. Having somewhere to sit while waiting made it way better. My friend didn’t bring one and was complaining about her feet after two hours.

Outdoor concerts with lawn seating, you can bring blankets but a stool gives you better view and keeps you off wet ground.

The Specs

Standard’s 2.2 pounds, holds 620 pounds, folds to 2.5 inches. I clip mine to my backpack with a carabiner, forget it’s there till I need it.

XXL’s 3.5 pounds, seat’s 11.8 inches wide, holds 1,000 pounds, goes to 19.7 inches tall. Girlfriend uses this one, likes the wider seat for long festival days.

Both work on any surface – mud, grass, pavement, gravel, whatever. Stable on all of it.

Setup’s instant. Pull open, extend to height you want, lock it. Collapsing’s just as fast. Nothing complicated.

Why Don’t More People Do This

Most people just don’t realize it’s an option I think. Festival packing lists say bring sunscreen, phone charger, water pack. Nobody mentions seating.

Also people think bringing a stool sounds dorky maybe. Too practical or whatever.

But you know what’s dorky? Being so miserable by day two you can’t enjoy the music you paid hundreds of dollars for.

People with portable stools at festivals? They’re having a way better time. More comfortable, more energy, not counting hours till they can sit.

My Advice

Bring a portable stool to your next festival. Just try it once, see if it helps.

If you hate it or never use it, fine. It’s small enough it won’t be in your way. But I bet you’ll use it constantly and wonder how you did festivals before.

Your body’s gonna hurt regardless, that’s just festivals. But you can make it way more manageable with some planning.

Good shoes, stay hydrated, and give yourself somewhere to rest. That’s it.

Festival season should be about music and memories. Not about how much pain you can take. Nothing cool about suffering when there’s an easy fix.

Your future self will be glad you did this.