Survive a Warped Tour Concert

Van's Warped Tour is a yearly event that travels from city to city all summer. These are tips to make the all-day event less hectic and get the most out of the experience!

Steps

  1. Get plenty of sleep the night before. You don't want to be tired all day long, you won't enjoy the concerts as much and chances are, you're going to get crabby out in the heat.
  2. Take a shower before you leave! This is very important. The temperature is going to be extremely high, all day. Warped tour is crowded, there's sweaty people everywhere. The best thing you can do is shower. If your hair is long, it'd be a good idea to put it in a ponytail, otherwise it'll stick to your neck, forehead, and back all day. Another good plan, is wear sunblock! You're under direct sunlight all day long, you don't want to look like a lobster.
  3. Wear appropriate clothing. Think about the weather, it's almost always going to be over 90 degrees. It's probably not the best idea to wear pants or a long sleeve shirt. If you're a girl, dresses and skirts aren't a good plan unless you wear shorts underneath, especially if you're going to mosh. Flip flops and sandals, also not a good idea. Even if you don't mosh, crowded shows are going to be packed, people will step on your feet. Earrings, necklaces, or any loose jewelry shouldn't be worn. It could get pulled at or broken.
  4. Get to Warped Tour early! Consider not only the drive, but also if you have to stop for gas. You'll have to wait in line to get into the parking lot, the earlier you're in that line, the closer parking spot you'll get. The parking lot opens around 8. Then you wait in line at the gates, which open at 11. You want to be pretty far up in line to have time to check out where everything is.
  5. When you get in, check out everything. Get a basic idea of where all the stages are, bathrooms, places to get waters, etc. Also, check out the schedule, it should be right near the gates on a big wall of some sort with all the band names and times they'll play. Write down when everyone's playing or buy a printed schedule for a couple dollars near the gate.
  6. Get to your favorite bands early. If they're a bigger band, you'll want to be up closer, so get there a few minutes earlier than they start playing. Realize that you'll have to sacrifice seeing some bands, to see others play. Make sure that when you have spare time, you map out which bands you want to see more than others.
  7. Be careful in mosh pits. If you want to mosh, know what you're doing. If you don't want to, be assertive and get out. Stay near edges and away from the mosh. If you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or crushed, push your way out of the mosh pit.
  8. Be with other people. It's better to go with at least one other person, so you don't have to waste time meeting up with everybody when you're there. It's a good idea to stay with at least one person all day, in case you're feeling sick, get hurt, etc.
  9. Go to all of the booths. Some booths give out free things like stickers, pins, CDs, sunglasses, bracelets, etc. They're always nice and sometimes give you discounts on different things, or give you free items for buying something. Some booths have contests to win free things, and some let you listen to their band so it's a good chance to hear new bands that aren't that big yet.
  10. Meet bands! It's a lot easier than it sounds. Sometimes you can see different members of bands walking around, seeing bands, or at the booths. You can also see them at the front at the gate, normally whenever they're done playing. A couple bands normally do signings, and if they do, you want to be one of the first people in line, so try to get there fast. You can get something signed and a chance to meet them. If they look busy, don't bother them much. Ask for a quick picture or signing. If they're busy, don't try to converse with them way too much, you'll annoy them. If they want to stay and talk, don't ask for them to give you something, don't ask overly personal questions, don't ask for kisses or anything like that. You can give them a gift or ask nicely for a hug. Do not cry or freak out, it's going to freak them out. Act nice and casual, and they'll be nice back.

Tips

  • Bring money! You need to make sure you can buy food, water, whatever else you'll need. Shirts are mostly around $15-45 dollars.
  • If you start to feel dizzy or lightheaded, drink water. You need to stay hydrated all day. Water can be expensive at the venue, so it's important to bring a water bottle of your own and fill it up all day at the water fountains. If you don't have money for water, you can go to the medical tent, and most of the time you can get a bottle of water or two if you say you feel dizzy.
  • Don't wear things (clothes, jewelry, shoes) that you really care about. Just wear stuff that's comfy.
  • You don't want to have to carry all your stuff around all day, so bring a backpack. You won't want a huge bag, just something that will fit the things you need and the free things you're going to get all day.
  • Bring a big empty water bottle. You can't bring one with stuff in it because it could be alcohol or whatever and there's a free water station where you can just ask to fill it up instead of getting a little cup. Don't waste your money!
  • If you're thirsty for something other than water for a change, there's a Monster Energy station and a Red Bull station that give away free energy drinks.

Warnings

  • It is going to be hot. Dress appropriately, have water at all times, stay near friends, have a cell phone.
  • If you go early and have to wait in lines for a while, it'll get boring. Make sure you stick with your group of friends.
  • Try to remember where stages are. The venue can get confusing and some people accidentally point you in the wrong direction, you could miss your favorite band playing because you get lost.
  • BE NICE! If you're rude to people, they will be rude back. It's better to just be nice and meet new people!

Things You'll Need

  • Sunscreen.
  • Bug Spray. If you stay late enough, there will be a ton of mosquitoes, so it's best to be prepared.
  • Money for merch, water, and your ticket if you don't already have it.
  • Water bottles to fill up all day.
  • Pen and paper to write down the schedule when you get there.
  • Cellphone in case you lose your friends, need to meet up with somebody, have an emergency for whatever reason, or to see what time it is.
  • An extra battery for camera and cell phone!
  • A camera. You'll want to take pictures with bands, of bands, or with your friends.
  • Sunglasses. It's going to be extremely bright and the sun will get in your way when you're trying to watch shows.
  • Extra ponytails. So your hair stays out of your way all day.
  • Permanent marker for autographs.
  • A bag! You really don't want to carry all of your stuff around all day and you're going to get free things. If you don't have a secure bag to hold all of your things, you'll probably lose things or they'll get stolen.

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