My Weekends (essay)

My experience from festivals and live events are not the same compared to others. To get a perspective on what others thought of their encounters with festivals, I asked my roommate to describe her experience while attending the Ultra Music Festival. Which is a weekend long event in Miami, Florida at the end of March that mainly features EDM. I asked her if the experience was worth it and if she would go again. She responded, “It was fun for the first couple of hours we got there, but as the day went on the amount of obnoxious drunk people made me uncomfortable. I would go to a festival again just not the Ultra Music Festival. Besides, the grass being covered in alcohol infused vomit, the highlight of the weekend was when the crowd’s mood would change once their favorite musician got on stage. Everyone’s attention was instantly drawn to the stage. The positive feelings were contagious. When I saw someone dancing, I could not help it but to join.” Despite the different experiences we had during our time at festivals, we had the view on how close the crowd felt, almost like family. When it comes to crowds, festivals are full of people who traveled across the country for all the same reasons. Even if a person decides to go alone, it does not matter because they have the opportunity to create incredible bonds with people around them. Being surrounded by people creates a sense of belonging and the world is not as lonely as it may seem at times. Because the crowds consist of thousands of people, it is inevitable to meet a new person. A connection immediately forms between everyone starts when one steps foot on the grass because of the mutual love for the environment of music. People form the most unlikely form of friendships.

An example of this situation happened at the Summer Ends Festival; a young man beside me took off his shirt because of the adrenaline rush and started swinging the shirt around. An older man next to him who looked at him for a bit with confusion. Without hesitation, he ripped his shirt off as well, then began to intensity jump together as the bass dropped. The men remained in sync with each other for the rest of the performance. It makes one wonder why there is hate in the world when everyone is capable of getting along so well. Everyone acts differently in a crowd, which can result in positive experiences or potentially dangerous consequences. Benefits from festivals can last a lifetime. It is a break from reality and allows one to bring out their inner child. It may be fun to ignore responsibilities and obligations but activities like drinking all day without stopping in the heat, causes a potential risk for dehydration.

Every concert and festival I have attended to, there have been people in the crowd needing to be carried out by security because they did not drink water and were on the verge of passing out. During intense situations like a crowd member fainting, they work together make sure the hurt individual has gotten help, so the rest of the night goes as anticipated. Ultimately, a festival’s energy is generated because every person is there to have a good time. They are celebrating live for various reasons. The reason I go among others is to share the same passion for music with thousands of people around me. At the Summer Ends Festival, even during the concluding performances, the crowd’s energy level was same as the opening performances. While we were leaving, cars would be blasting music that was performed during the day.

People who love this environment cannot get enough which causes a permanent impact to keep them wanting more. While the bar has-been set high by legendary festivals of the past, the love for music and energy contributes to a promising future. The popularity level of festivals has remained consistent despite dramatic changes in design and structure. Festivals have continued as an event of high importance throughout generations. For me, the expectation and anticipation for the adrenalin inducing experience forms unity between festival’s crowds. The connection between individuals who attend leaves a lasting impression of belonging which can be experienced from generations to generations. There is no limit for what can come in the next couple of decades considering how far festivals have come. 

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