Every year, EDM festivals expand and evolve with the ever-looming ‘bubble’ adopting more and more patrons shelling out for a unique and awe-inspiring experience. With the increased foot traffic, stages, and talent being brought in to appease the masses, a lot of pressure is put on festival organizers to strike a ‘perfect balance’ of safety and fun. Oftentimes when one or the other is neglected, they are met with negativity and media outcry.
Unsure of what I mean? If we can all recall the 2011 Electric Daisy Carnival in Dallas, TX where 24 patrons were hospitalized and one 19 year-old Andrew Graf lost his life to combination of heat and drug abuse. Or perhaps more recently, the loss of an unnamed 25-year old man at Hard Summer festival to ‘cardiac distress’.
The opposite effect happens when safety precautions are put in place. Whenever age restrictions are put in place, patrons grow angry and impatient, as was the case when Electric Zoo initially announced that it would be raising the age minimum to 18+ from its previous ‘all ages’ stance. Similarly when TomorrowWorld announced that it would be a 21+ event, underaged fans of the original were livid on twitter, enraged that many would be either far too young, or just on the cusp of being legal age at the time of the event.
The crux of the matter is, festival organizers can only do so much for its patrons to ensure safety for both the performers and those in attendance, and what it boils down to is this: if patrons want less restrictions, they need to take more responsibility. So as we approach the last few festivals of summer, here are 5 things we can all do to ensure that festival organizers will not have to enforce even more restrictive measures.
1. Hydrate yourself.
Festivals like Electric Zoo always have water refill stations. If free water refills are available, use them.
2. Help your people.
If someone in your group looks like they need medical attention, get them medical attention. If you know what kind of “behavior” they were getting into, you are at a minimum responsible for getting them to safety. If that means you miss some of your favorite set, suck it up: dealing with EMTs now is better than a coroner later.
3. Help other people.
If you are down shit creek without a paddle, you’d want someone to help you. Even if its as simple as letting someone have a sip of your water or just letting them get out from in front of you, just do it. If someone looks like they need medical attention, get them to security or onsite EMTs ASAP. It might not be your fault that their friends are jerks, but it will be your fault if you indifferently let them suffer.
4. Be responsible.
Know your limits, and stay within safe moderation. If you’ve never had tequila, maybe don’t make this your first experience. The more out of control you are, the more of a liability you are to your friends and event staff. Don’t be that guy.
5. Be respectful of others.
If you are a 6’3″ gigantic person, maybe let the shorter person behind you stand in front. If someone is getting claustrophobic in front of you, give them some space if you can. Don’t shove, don’t steal, be help out others, and just be a decent human being. If someone doesn’t want to dance with you, leave them alone. If you see a girl (or boy) being taken advantage of, ask if they are okay with what’s happening.
Essentially, just be a decent person. If you can give the staff and organizers a much-needed break from having to corral out of control patrons and cringe as drunk attendee stagger out, we will all be in for a much more enjoyable event.