The initial planning that goes into attending a festival usually starts by figuring out who are you going to go with. Many festival-goers attend events in large groups. There are countless facebook groups centered around communities attending festivals together. Some music fans may prefer a smaller posse of just 2 or 3. In a recent survey published by DICE, a surprising number of young adults (18 – 24 years old) attend festivals by themselves.
According to those surveyed, 65% attend events solo and a whopping 98% wouldn’t mind going to a festival by themselves. When asked about the experience, 84% agreed that the music sounds even better when enjoying it alone.
Additionally, the survey looked to uncover why so many festival-goers end up attending events by themselves. Generally, rolling solo happens because friends have different tastes in music, friends have other plans, or the decision to attend the event was last minute.
Personally, I remember the first large event I attended by myself – Electric Zoo, 2015. I was hesitant because I felt like it brought me out of my comfort zone more than usual. I’ve always valued sharing the festival and creating memories with my friends and didn’t think I’d have the same opportunity if I didn’t go with anyone. I actually ended up meeting more new people than I would have if I already had my crew with me, and had an incredible festival experience with new friends and new memories!