Let me start off by saying…

A sober festival experience is quite honestly one of the best moments you can have at a music festival. There is something about entering a whole new world full of people that are expressing themselves through art, fashion, and music, without the distractions that comes from outside substances. There are fine details and memories that will come and go all too quickly when under the influence, that you can hold onto so much longer when you’re not under the influence. Here are some tips on how to do it, and how to do it well:

First things first: MUSIC

The truth of the matter is, if you love the music, you wont even remember you’re sober. True love for the music and the natural energy that flows through a crowd, is a completely unmatched euphoria that can only come in those moments. It can be difficult being sober and standing in a sea of people listening to music you don’t like. So, if you don’t feel the music, luckily for you, most festivals these days have extracurricular activities to jump start your sober festival experience.

Festie Bestie

Like I said before, there are thousands of other people at festivals that attend sober and have an amazing time. If your usual crowd dabbles in outside substances, it may be time to talk to your bestie, and see if they are willing to try it with you. If not, you might consider finding another group to tag along with that goes sober as well. Being around familiar faces and friends who aren’t sober, may take away from your sober festival experience. It may also influence you to participate in things you may not want to. Find your person or group and take the ride together, it will help a lot.

Explore

Explore, explore, EXPLORE! Although the vibrations of bass seeping from the ground through your body is a feeling like no other, there is so much around you. There are people of all types around you, so take the time to stop, turn away from the stage and observe. There are thousands of people laughing, talking, dancing, and playing. This is something that personally brings me a lot of joy. This is something that is easily missed when in the midst of all the chaos. Go run around! Go buy something beautiful or absolutely ridiculous. Eat food. Try whatever you want, whenever you want. Lay a blanket down and just breathe in the moment. These moments are far too often missed when intoxicated.

Lastly: Shed the fear of judgement

No one is judging you for choosing to be sober. If someone does, then they don’t belong there. These festivals are a place where people can come and be whomever they want, without judgement. Most people will praise you for taking sobriety on and choosing to have a sober festival experience, despite the influences. So with that being said, your experience is about you and no one else. So, enjoy all of it to the absolute fullest, however that may be.

Let us know here at RaveDoctor about your experiences sober at music festivals and how it changed your perspective on the lifestyle!

Rachael Karaffa

An active influencer in the EDM community with a background in Environmental Science in South Florida. A graduate of Florida Atlantic University and currently employed as a Hydrogeologist/Case Manager in Deerfield Beach. Absolutely loves electronic music and the energy that comes with the ever growing EDM community. Ample experience in  festival lifestyle and looking forward to sharing my experiences and knowledge as we all grow together through the love of music.