As the leaves fall and the winter chill begins to bite, the sunny warmth of festival season seems like a long time ago. But there are plenty of things festival fans and intrepid explorers can do over winter to keep their outdoor arm-thrusting impulses at bay until next summer.
1. Research festivals and destinations for next summer
Festivals don’t book themselves: you do! With thousands of festival experiences across the globe at your fingertips, it’s worth spending some time researching the market to figure out which destination you’re going to scratch off that map next.
The most important things to consider, at the research stage, are: price, travel, line-up, accommodation. Take the time to read festival reviews and other people’s experiences from the previous year. You can find these on festival Facebook pages and forums.
Don’t forget to check out very our growing list of music and cultural festival listings, businesses and leisure listings, as well as our international travel guides right here on Festival Insider.
2. Go see some of your favourite bands on tour
What do bands do after festival season? Go on autumn and winter arena tours!
Having built a new fan base over the festival season, bands of all sizes often hit the road to capitalise on satisfying a baying audience that is hungry for more of their new find.
Take a look at our ticket listings for a look at who’s touring, where and when.
3. Save money for a future booking
For the most part, festivals are an investment. Until all of them catch up and begin instalment plans, you’re going to need to expect to drop several hundred insert-your-currency-here on getting to your next gig.
Get ahead of the game by starting a savings plan for 2020. Most festival goers book a festival around March-May, once the line ups start firming up and finalising.
Modern banking apps like Monzo, Starling, Revolut, N26 and the like, can help you set aside a pot of money to keep track of your savings and round up any spare change you’ve got from your current spending to put towards your festival ticket goal. Many of them can also save you some cash when it finally comes to purchasing your ticket thanks to their unbeatable foreign currency fees and exchange rates.
4. Start canvassing your mates
Photo by Giorgio Paradisi from Pexels
Similar to saving for a festival is investing in your intentions with your mates early. Let them know which festival(s) you are eyeing up for 2020 and plant that seed ASAP. Giving them some notice before Christmas and New Year is essential so that they can also start to think about keeping some money aside before it all goes on other festive extravagances.
If you have no idea about which festival you want to go to – or would rather wait to confirm the line-up – there’s nothing to stop you browsing the market today and considering some of the more macro options: where haven’t I been before? What is the weather like? How much will it cost? What is the language? How do I get there? And so on. Check out our festival listings for answers to common FAQs and travel information.
Again, banking apps might be able to help you jointly save in a group.
5. Discover new bands for the following year
The dark evenings and frosty morning commutes provide ample opportunity for you to discover some new music in advance of the 2020 festival season.
Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, Pandora, MixCloud and 8Tracks are all great platforms for discovering new musical talent. Just start with a curated playlist on something vaguely familiar, hit the play button and before you know it you’ll be lost in a labyrinth of bands both familiar and distinctly new to your inquisitive ears.
If you’re looking for somewhere to start, check out our ultimate Spotify European music festival playlist (2018).
BONUS: kit yourself out with some festival essentials (at Christmas)
With short sleeves and exposed knees on hiatus until next year, Autumn and Winter offer a chance to don some longer and warmer attire, such as Christmas jumpers, scarves and hats; all of which now come with a musical twist – if you know where to look.
From Metallica to Muse, most of the world’s biggest touring bands have their own shops where you can buy some seasonal gear, however garish this might be!
Don’t forget that Black Friday takes place on 29 November this year and – alongside the New Year sales – represents one of the best times to pick up a bargain bit of band merch or tech. The usual deals can easily feature camping, clothes and tech, but also flights and hotels, especially into the new year. Take a look at our festival travel and accommodation pages for more.
