Life Lessons 101: Your ultimate survival guide to indoor festival season!

Q-BASE and Sunset Festival are right behind us, which means one thing – it’s time for indoor event season! With the kick-off this weekend at Supremacy, for the next six months it’s all about the 9 till’ 7 in the morning lifestyle!

I’m not going to lie, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with indoor festival season. After becoming used to partying under the beautiful sunlight, it was a bit of an adjustment to keep myself awake until 9AM when I’d arrive back home from an overnight event. Unlike getting into bed at a reasonable hour after a day-time festival, during the winter months your body is pushed to all new limits and it’s in order to survive October – March it’s important to keep yourself in tip-top shape. With that being said, I’ve made a ton of rookie errors along the way, but that’s helped me master the art of surviving these marathon parties and today I’m going to share some of my favourite survival tips to help you get through the indoor season!

1. Don’t get too drunk early in the night
At both Qlimax 2014 I was so damn excited to get partying that I started smashing the drinks quite early on. By the time 2AM rolled around I was annoyed as hell and just wanted to sit down and eat food for the remainder of the night. You may be in anticipation for the entire day but I urge you, don’t get too drunk early on otherwise you’ll be battling through one hell of a hangover when you need energy the most. I won’t sugar-coat this in any way; many ravers may combat this problem by racking up enough speed to invigorate an entire village, but for those non-druggies it’s important to space out your alcoholic beverages otherwise you WILL be that sloppy cunt falling asleep in the middle of the crowd.

2. ALWAYS organise a way to get home
Here’s a fun little rookie error story: At XXlerator Carnaval in February 2014, Sara and I looked online at how much a taxi would be from Venray (aka middle of butt-fuck nowhere) to Tilburg and to our surprise it was around 100 euro. Prior to the party we decided that we’d leave at 4AM and take a taxi home but once we left the venue and approached a taxi he informed us that riding with him would be 200 euro. We then decided to attempt to hitch a ride (which did not work by the way) so we had to wait until 7AM until we could get the train home. Unlike countries with colossal cities packed with venues, the Dutchies have a tendency to put on parties in the middle of fucking nowhere and for those who don’t drive or are travellers this can be a huge pain in the ass. ALWAYS have a plan B because 99% of the time you’ll need it.

On the other hand, after Euphoria last year we had a small commute from Tilburg back to Breda, however in our highly intoxicated state it never occured to us that we had to go back home. Once 5AM rolled around we were left no other option but an overpriced taxi, which we almost got kicked out of because I kept yelling at the cab driver.

3. Find a place to stay near the venue
As a follow-up to the previous point, finding a place to stay near the venue can be quite helpful. For travellers this is probably the best option; you can find plenty of places on Airbnb which saves money and the trouble of organising a way home. For Dutchies, if you have any friends or family who live near the venue I recommend that you plan to stay there because crawling home at 7AM really isn’t that fun.

4. After-partying may seem like a good idea, but…

It’s not. It’s really not. After arriving home at 9AM, the last thing you should be thinking of is partying. Personally, after staying awake all night, the last thing I want to do is continue partying; not only does this completely throw your body clock out, but it also cuts into your week. But sure, go for it, but come Wednesday and you still feel like shit, don’t say that I didn’t warn you! Indoor season is a marathon, not a sprint, so it’s important to put your health first and know when to call it a night.

5. Take care of yourself and those around you
Indoor events can be extremely intense and hard on your body, especially for those who take concoctions of drugs to stay awake and buzzing. Don’t go too hard and don’t attend events with the sole aim to be the most munted person in the venue; it’s not attractive. If you’re taking the risk to take drugs then at least know what you’re taking and go slow; it’s not a munt competition – it’s a music festival. As a tight-knit community, it’s so important to look out for others around you, so if you see someone who’s on struggle street or has appeared to have had a little too much, offer assistance and don’t hesitate to get paramedics – they are there to save lives and won’t get you in trouble if you’ve eaten a pill.

**No more pingas for you buddy…**

6. Drink plenty of fluids
Although you’re not dancing underneath the blazing sun and becoming thirsty due to the summer heat, you are still likely to become dehydrated at an indoor event too. Make sure you drink water or better yet, juice. It’s extremely important to keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the night to avoid becoming lethargic and it’s recommended to also eat something during the night. The best thing about indoor events is that you can always spot the real turnt cunts by how many ice blocks they’ve consumed during the night. Remember, if you see someone in need of water, don’t be stingy; sharing is caring.

7. Dress appropriately
Although it’s -5 outside, there’s no need to wear your warmest clothes inside the venue as it’s usually so warm that there’s sweat dripping from the roof. It’s definitely okay to wear shorts and a singlet, however it’s advised to rug up before and after the event. For the trip home, I like to bring a tracksuit, make-up wipes and comfortable shoes – this goes a long way and makes your journey home a hell of a lot more comfortable!

8. Double check your bag
There are always a couple of unorganised people who are organising their shit at the last minute and happen the most important item, their ticket. The first thing you should do is print you ticket and put it straight in your bag before getting your other belongings ready. What I like to do is make a mental list that morning of everything I need and grab things when I think of them before I forget.

Items to remember:
– Ticket
– Spare clothes
– Money
– ID card
– Make-up wipes
– Food or a drink for the way
– Voice recorder (for drunk journalism purposes)
– Flask (for sneaky cunts like me)
– Phone
– Portable charger and cable

**These guys know the go!**

There’s our survival tips for indoor festival season, but did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below! There’s plenty of amazing events coming up over the next few months, we wish all partygoers an enjoyable and safe season!