Festivals do it all, every day, all day

With summer just around the corner, festival season is upon us. While summer is filled with concerts, there is something special about events such as Lollapalooza (Jul. 31- Aug. 3), Country Thunder (July 17-20), and the Windy City Smokeout (July 10-13). In my opinion, if you are between going to a concert or going to a festival, the festival is always the place to be.

To begin, the number of artists you can see in one day at a festival can be 10 times the number you would see at a single concert. Normally, concerts are the same price as a festival ticket, so you are getting substantially more for your money. You also get the opportunity to see lesser-known artists, and might even find your new favorite artist, which you normally would not have. Festival lineups include dozens of artists, so not only can you see some of your favorite headliners, but you can also be exposed to artists you normally would not pay for. 

Festivals also include so much more than just music. Not only is the environment of thousands of people having fun already great energy, but there are also many food stands, merch tables, and opportunities to take a break. While you normally cannot sit down and take an hour break at a concert, at a festival, you can do as much or as little as you want and still get your money’s worth. As someone who has attended Lollapalooza in the past, I’ve been able to take a break for an hour and get some delicious food from one of the many different stands and regroup. This gave me energy to keep going through the day and continue to see more artists.

Finally, festivals are multiple days, which allows for a more flexible schedule. Since most concerts are one to two nights, it is harder to make it. Most festivals are all day for multiple days, so you can stop by some days for just a little amount of time and still have an amazing experience. There are also different options on which days you can attend. For example, you could go all of the days, two of the days, or even just one of the days. This allows you to spend as little or as much time and money as you want to. 

One flaw that festivals have is that each artist has a shorter set. Obviously, if it is your favorite artist, the concert might be more meaningful than a short, hour-long festival set. However, the majority of artists play their biggest hits that everyone knows, so you are sure to hear your favorites, and you can see multiple amazing sets from different artists in just a few hours. 

All in all, if you are looking for music to listen to during the summer, I would recommend going to a festival rather than a concert. Not only will you get more for your money, see more artists, and be able to go for more and longer days, but I can assure you that you will have a great time that you will never forget.

Concerts, an initmate experince

The lights dimmed, and the crowd got loud as Silk Sonic entered the Park MGM stage in Las Vegas. I was mesmerized as I watched Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars take the stage, performing hit songs from their band and solo careers. Their performance quality was amazing, and I enjoyed hearing the music live, but nothing compared to the impact of being surrounded by a crowd of others who came to watch the same event. 

While the idea of going to a festival may initially be more appealing than a concert due to the large number of artists in one location, festivals lack in terms of the intimacy of the performance. The majority of the time, festivals are held outdoors in the summer. This leads to hours of standing shoulder to shoulder with sweaty strangers, hoping someone tall doesn’t stand in front of you and obstruct your view. Also at festivals there is no place for sitting, and if you want a spot close to the stage, you need to be prepared to either show up hours before the headliner appears or elbow your way through the crowd. Even that does not guarantee a good sport. While at concerts, many tickets are general admission, so you are fighting for space with fewer people, and the situation as a whole could be avoided by purchasing a seat. 

Furthermore, festivals can’t compare when it comes to setlists. At concerts, there is a much more in-depth setlist, rather than only the artist’s biggest hits. Concerts play a wide variety of their songs and often cover other artists’ songs too. 

When I went to Lollapalooza this past summer, I was disappointed when the headliners—those with the longest time slot—had to leave out many of their biggest hits. I walked away dissatisfied, waiting to hear more. 

Before a band or artist goes on tour, they have a lot of prep. They plan on what songs they are going to do, as a large part of a concert is their performance quality. They have to be able to get a crowd excited. When they can do this, it makes for a successful concert. This past summer, I went to a Green Day concert at Wrigley Field in Chicago. One of the best parts was when all 40,000 people turned on their flashlights and swayed along, singing to their music. This is a type of feeling that can not be achieved in the same way at a festival. 

Lastly, the opener at concerts is a chance for people to discover new, smaller artists. Discovering artists is a significant reason people prefer festivals; however, that can be done at a concert, too, with opening bands. And with a few fewer bands to focus on, this allows for more time to listen to their music before the concert, so you can be fully prepared to sing along. 

While I can acknowledge there is a lot of good to a festival, the main reason you go to any festival or concert is to listen to the music. The next time you are debating what ticket you should spend your money on, the answer is simple: buy a concert ticket. You’ll walk away satisfied by the performance quality, energy, and the high-quality setlist.