It’s hard to describe the vibes of a music festival — the chill vibes, the heat, people lounging and dancing, the sick beats… It’s a feeling that you can’t really describe, but it’s all unique. With all those high emotions high there are always going to be some moments that are just terrible. Read on and take a look at these festival moments we’ll never forget.
Puke-chella
Probably, nowadays, the Coachella (the yearly music and art festival) has become one of the best known festivals in the world (or maybe even the best, if we’re to be honest). It’s open to anyone, but has recently gained popularity among young Millennial and Gen Z women who want to show off their strut.
This girl had clearly partying so hard that she couldn’t keep it down. I mean, Darling, it’s supposed to be about the arts and not how many drinks you can chug.
Just Keep Swiming
Glastonbury festival, for those not immersed in the fest scene from across the pond, is a five-day performing arts festival with many major international headliners over the years — like David Bowie, Coldplay, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and many many more. 2005 was an especially memorable year.
The camping grounds were hit with a massive amount of rain in a very short period of time, flooding both the tents and stages. Luckily, the event coordinators did a great job and no one was majorly hurt, but everyone did spend the week treading water.
Bedhead
Anyone who’s spent a day in any kind of festival will freely admit that it’s freaking exhausting. After walking around for miles and dancing for hours, fest-goers will drop anywhere just to get some shut-eye.
This guy seemed to have found the world’s smallest tent to rest his eyes for a few minutes. With this mini contraption keeping rain or sun from his head, he’s sure to catch some Z’s.
T-Rex Rock
A major part of festival culture in recent years has been fashion. Everyone wants to rock an outfit that’s gonna draw the eye and rack in as many Instagram likes as possible. This Jurassic ensemble was sure to get some major attention.
But, it seems our dino forgot to take into account the hazards of partying too hard in a full-body outfit — no convenient exit strategy. There are really only two takeaways here… always choose comfort first, and know where the nearest T-Rex-sized bathroom is.
Pro Gamer
Festivals are not just about who’s the best dressed or who took the best Insta-pic — they’re about being a part of a massive crowd of people, all feeling connected through the power of music. So, why would this dude choose to separate himself from that experience?
Look, to each their own. Still, not only is a concert kind of a weird place to play on your phone (no matter how addicted you are) — but it’s also pretty disrespectful to the band, who are probably giving their all for you on stage. Show some respect, sonny!
Fyre Fail
One of the most shocking flops in festival history is, without a doubt, the by-now-infamous Fyre Festival. With the help of paid influencers, the festival was marketed as an exclusive VIP experience on a private island in the Bahamas.
All that the super-important celebrities and social media stars found when they made their way there was a complete and utter mess. The luxurious accommodations they were promised ended up being a half-built tent city, with the other half in shambles.
Deep Dark Secret
We won’t lie, we too have partied a bit too hard at a festival once upon a time. After a full day of running around, dancing, eating, and drinking (possibly one too many drinks), we’ve just collapsed from exhaustion.
While this happy camper might look like he’s sleeping in the worst position you could possibly be in, we bet that to him, it feels like the fluffiest bed in the world. Rest up, fest friend — you’ve earned it!
Minefield
Glastonbury isn’t the only shindig to be plagued by temperamental weather — many European festivals get bombarded with unpredictable amounts of rainfall. But, neither a light drizzle nor a heavy downpour will stop these revelers from having a great time.
This Olympic swimmer has dived headlong into the muck to enjoy the show. But, while it’s not great seeing a guy have to wade his way through all that water, it’s so much worse seeing all the trash the festivalgoers had left behind.
Full Weight of the Law
Festivals are known to be pretty chill places, most of the time, as everyone is there to have fun and wind down. In this hippie atmosphere, meditative movement has always been a fan favorite, and AcroYoga is a natural progression of that.
Look, we’re glad the ground security guys are having fun too, but they should be doing more protecting and less flying. The woman who’s acting as a base there seriously has our respect, though!
Waiting for the Other Shoe
As every veteran festivalgoer knows, good shoes are probably your best friend during those long days on your feet. They have to be sturdy enough to work as some good insulation against the rough ground, while still being comfy enough to stand in all day.
This guy probably thought that a good-old pair would do the trick, but clearly, they just weren’t up to the task and left him sole-less. Spending the rest of the weekend practically barefoot is definitely a fail in our book.
Beauty Sleep
Festival days have this unique quality of being both extremely full of things to do, but also being over in a flash, and they leave you more exhausted than you ever thought possible. It’s why it’s so common to see people practically passed out, sleeping in any odd place they can find.
It’s hard to know what happened to this dozing dancer — maybe he got cold and figured all this trash would keep him warm, or his friends thought it would be hilarious, or just everyone was too tired to notice a guy sleeping by the garbage. Either way, we hope his dreams weren’t trashy, at least.
Potty Mouth
To be honest, porta-potties are always a fail. While they might be a practical solution for something as temporary as a festival ground, they’re small, they lack ventilation, and they’re used by thousands — making them an unhygienic nightmare.
So, we totally support this person’s choice of protective gear in the face of these biohazards. Truthfully, we can’t believe we didn’t think of it first! Bet her friends are thinking the same thing and are hoping to borrow it.
Fyre Fail: Going Up in Flames
Fyre Fest failed in more than just the accommodations. The attitude toward the guests was generally atrocious — all these influencers and celebs were promised a once-in-a-lifetime VIP experience, filled with luxurious perks and goodies.
Instead, they got all their luggage thrown and dropped off of a container in the middle of the night in pitch-black darkness. While full valet service was promised to the fashionable guests, what they got was as far from that expectation as possible.
Just Hanging
Most people choose to come to festivals with friends — make a weekend hangout out of the occasion and make a fun shared memory. This means it’s pranking primetime for those friends who are forever young at heart.
Clearly, this guy chose his adventure buddies poorly this time around, as they’ve somehow managed to ducktape him firmly to a tree. And from his expression, looks like they’ve all gone to enjoy the shows and left him stranded. It’s gonna be a real struggle getting out of this pickle.
Slime Time
Anyone who’s ever been at any kind of concert knows that you’re gonna sweat buckets, and end the night super dirty. But, there’s an expectation that most of that ickiness and grime is going to be your own yuck.
These music lovers definitely didn’t expect to be sprayed with some unknown toxic-waste-like substance that should’ve stayed in the Nickelodeon studios. We don’t want to know what that gross slime is coming out of.
Bubble Boy
In 2014, Akon headlined the Peace One Day festival in the Congo. But, apparently, he was worried about contracting a disease. So, he decided to perform the majority of his show from the safety of a large plastic bubble.
Only, it seemed like he forgot to take into account the fact that a giant ball isn’t the most stable thing to stand in — he spent quite a bit of time flailing about on his back. Not exactly the most dignified show.
The Show Must Go On
For many smaller bands, performing at major festivals is not always easy — especially if they’re competing in their timeslot with a major headlining act. They can absolutely find themselves performing to an audience of zero. Putting all that effort into your music and then lacking listeners can really suck.
But, when it comes down to it, any band that truly respects their craft would play in front of any crowd, no matter how big or small. So, mad respect for these true musicians who knew that even an audience of one is still worth their time.
Ring Around the Rosie
We already know that festivalgoers create a ton of trash — while many festivals claim that recycling and garbage reduction is a high priority, when it comes down to it, trash cans and recycling bins are usually few and far between at these events.
This sleeper’s friends decided to do something positive with all the leftover cups on the ground, and play a prank on their friend. Picking out just the red cups must’ve taken ages. We appreciate that commitment to the joke, we just hope they cleaned up after themselves.
Twinsies
With everyone trying to have a good time, officers are necessary in order to keep the peace, but they can be a major buzzkill for those partying with slightly less conventional means. It looks like this trooper, though, has gotten in the spirit of things.
This cop seems to be having a horse-sized amount of fun horsing around on his mighty steed. Plus, that mask also acts as some great sun protection. As sweet as this, we think we’d still rather party away from this display.
Mud Bath
Muck is just an occupational hazard in festivals — with weather patterns being completely unpredictable months in advance when coordinators begin planning a festival, it’s impossible to know if the festival will be showered in sunshine or rain.
Plus, don’t forget that all major festivals take place outdoors where soil is in abundance. Put water and earth together, and you’ve got guaranteed slush puddles all over your pretty festival. These two seem to have embraced this party pooper and sunk fully into the dirty experience.
Fyre Fail: Someone’s Getting Fired!
Back to the Fyre Fest Saga — and this time, let’s talk about food. Most festivals bring in all sorts of food booths, with food trucks being a particular favorite in recent years, but the actual dishes are usually easy street food that can be had on the go. In other words, some fun, some basic.
But, Fyre Festival promised its guests a gourmet luxury chef experience. It was supposed to be the foodie experience of a lifetime. Unfortunately, the reality didn’t come on a silver platter. Instead, they got a styrofoam disaster. Yuck!
Guilty Pleasure
Festivals are full of people with similar interests, at least when it comes to their music taste. It means they’re a great place to find love, even if it’s only for a few days (or hours). And, once you make that special connection, who would blame you for sharing that love with the whole world?
But, PDA (Public Display of Affection) really isn’t as cute as most enamored couples believe it is. We don’t all need to see your beloved hickey or know what you’ve been up to moments before. So, remember kids, keep your lovemaking to yourselves.
Location, Location, Location
Camping 101 — always scour the land for a good place to pitch a tent. The ideal spot includes the windows facing west so you don’t get woken by the rising sun, close proximity to public toilets but not close enough to smell them, and a nice clear area around for a bit of privacy.
We pity the fool who chose this truly trashy location as the perfect spot to rest their head between shows. We’re not sure even 20 showers and laundry cycles would be enough to wash out this stink, but that’s what you get for not paying attention.
Back of the Line
So far, we’ve had one or two complaints toward festival organizers. Nothing major really, but this one might be a biggie — why are there never enough sinks?! We don’t often realize it in our day-to-day lives, but sinks are seriously important (and underrated)!
We use them to wash ourselves and our stuff, to drink from, or to cool down on a hot day. All of these are seriously important necessities for a festival! And so, the line to the few sinks that are provided is always longer than any of us want to wait.
Hulk, Splash!
Camo clothes should only ever be worn during tactical stealth maneuvers by army people. There’s really no reason to ever encounter the strange pattern in our daily lives — besides, if we did, it would scare us terribly because we wouldn’t see it coming (hehe, get it?).
So, sludge-monster-camo-man, surprising people by jumping out of your hiding place with your gross personal hygiene is just not cool. That girl certainly didn’t appreciate that icky surprise. Now, (please, we beg you) hit the showers, soldier!
TIMBER!
For those not used to it, camping can feel like a daunting task. Add to that the stress of setting up camp mid-festival, and you’ve got all the right ingredients to turn what should be a fun time into a harrowing experience.
This not-so-happy camper clearly forgot their handy-dandy scouts’ guide, and so, pitched their tent all wrong. A rookie mistake clearly. Hopefully, nobody was trapped inside by this avalanched tarp, and the importance of structural integrity was finally learned.
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
Like we’ve said, festivals are no strangers to the occasional summer rain or shallow flood. But, this sudden lake is on a whole other level — sea level, that is. It’s a real shame that all these festivalgoers aren’t going to have a dry bed tonight.
But, at least some of them are clearly making the best of a sucky situation. These two boating buddies have found a way to keep the chill vibes by flowing with the current and hydrating themselves with some cool beverages. Cheers!
Fyre Fail: Soggy Saga
So, obviously, Fyre Fest did not live up to anyone’s expectations. Just take a look at what was advertised as a specially prepared chef experience. We did a better job of making a school lunch like this when we were 10!
In the end, Fyre Fest was considered such a hoax that the organizer ended up doing jail time. After years of claiming innocence, in a recent interview from jail, he finally admitted that he knowingly lied to get the money for the festival. We’re so glad liars never prosper!
