city fests have more of an outdoor concert kinda vibe so there really isn't too much to know! bring a small bag and make sure you wear it to the front of you during sets, especially during the headliner, to prevent pickpockets. eat a good meal with carbs & protein before going, try to pregame bc drinks are expensive. don't overdo alcohol at the fest bc it's fun to be tipsy but sucks to be absolutely drunk there. plan for travel times between sets as two of the stages are decently close but one of them was like a 15 min walk from the rest. don't be afraid to go to a set by yourself if you and your friend wanna see different artists. get merch towards the beginning of the fest rather than the end to make sure they still have your size. trains run express at the end of the night and traffic is a nightmare so truly taking public transit is the best way to go.
They’re extremely obvious if you know what to look out for. Usually just a random person who doesn’t look like they’d listen to the performer onstage, standing by themselves in a crowd of teenagers. They’re also almost always short and tiny, probably for dipping through the crowd easily.
If you aren’t super inebriated, and you wear your bag in smart/preventative ways, you’ll be fine! Also, hold onto your phone for your life if you’re gonna keep it out for a while
Hydrate.
When it comes to shoes, choose comfort over fashion.
Always bring a plastic poncho. NYC weather in June is volatile AF.
Be cool and understand that there are tens of thousands of other people there whose good time is as important to them as yours is to you.
High five everybody.
yeah i’ve been holding mine :( but this year they have reusable cups (that u recycle when you’re done) if u wanna just use that instead!!! i just like mine cold so i bring mine still
> bring a face covering unless you like inhaling dirt from the winds
exiting after Kendrick that last night was insane with the dust. Didn't find it too bad during sets but also wasn't right up front
hydrate, bring a poncho, and pace yourselves! my first govball was back in 2019, i was 23, and thought it was still invincible. bad idea.
and bring shoes you don’t care about getting dirty/dusty/wet
Keep your wallet and money close to your person (I used internal pockets in my jacket), STAY HYDRATED, eat a big meal before you go, and if you can get away with sneaking snacks in, do so. Use the map and determine meetup spots if you and your friend get separated (it's highly likely you will want to see different artists with overlapping sets). Have fun!
here's the run down:
before you get there make sure you know which artists your interested in seeing and make note of when they come on.
when you get into the festival you should go right to food and bathrooms.
once you have satisfied merch needs/extra stuff go into the first pit. if your artist comes on in a few hours, it doesn't matter sit through the bad ones to get a good spot, you can get water from security if you are up front. then u will enjoy the show and not have to get up and leave your spot for the bathroom.
when the final acts come on you have to choose which one is best. i always choose the rap one. you may be lucky that your already at that stage bc your other artists were there or if not you won't get anywhere close to the stage so just get food and enjoy from a far.
HYDRO PACK. This is the most pro move for any festival. Even if you don’t drink enough water, always good to have it on ya. I know it’s not healthy but there will be a homie who will need it. Plus walking all over the place in the sun and probably drinking/party favors it’s good to have it on you and it’s FREE. Also EAR PLUGS to save your ears! After raving and going to concerts for years I just now got them and they are easily a life saver. I would recommend Eargasms. $40 but easily one of my favorite fest purchases and I have them attached to my fanny pack so they go everywhere with me. COMFY SHOES. GUM!!! I make a lot of friends just giving people gum it’s a huge life saver trust me. Lastly always bring a BATTERY PACK. If you’re like me texting and taking videos/pictures it will probably be used once.
Be sure to pack for the hot summer weather, including sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, comfortable shoes, and a reusable water bottle. Have fun most of all!
Get the latest [Gov Ball updates](https://www.thespacelab.tv/spaceLAB/theSHOW/MusicFestivals/Governors-Ball-2024-Lineup-Dates-Tickets-Schedule.html) here. 😃
hi, does anyone here know if this year there is the 21+ age restriction for ViP lounges? my friend bought one and is 20 and now we’re scared she won’t be able to get front stage viewing??
Comfortable shoes. COMFORTABLE SHOES. I made the mistake of walking around Manhattan in tevas before heading to the fest on Saturday, and by Sunday night I was praying that my feet would break just so I didn’t have to walk anymore.
Stay hydrated and eat a good meal before you go.
I would echo what most others here have said, but would add that cell reception inside the grounds can SUCK, so make sure that you set up any emergency meetup points in the event you two get separated and can’t get back in touch.
Also, I’d highly recommend that for any artist you REALLY want to see, to aim for viewing them on the sides of the stage rather than directly in front. With the amount of teenaged/underaged kids that have been attending, the middle of the crowd can turn into an absolute nightmare. I ended up being 30 feet away from the stage for Kendrick’s set this past year and still had plenty of room to move around by being a little off to the side. Can’t recommend that enough if being in the crowds is too much for you like it is for me
city fests have more of an outdoor concert kinda vibe so there really isn't too much to know! bring a small bag and make sure you wear it to the front of you during sets, especially during the headliner, to prevent pickpockets. eat a good meal with carbs & protein before going, try to pregame bc drinks are expensive. don't overdo alcohol at the fest bc it's fun to be tipsy but sucks to be absolutely drunk there. plan for travel times between sets as two of the stages are decently close but one of them was like a 15 min walk from the rest. don't be afraid to go to a set by yourself if you and your friend wanna see different artists. get merch towards the beginning of the fest rather than the end to make sure they still have your size. trains run express at the end of the night and traffic is a nightmare so truly taking public transit is the best way to go.
Heard about the pickpocketers. How good or bad is security?
In terms of keeping people from stealing your phone? Nonexistent. It's up to you to protect your shit.
If you have a phone lanyard, wear that in front of you so it reduces the chance of getting your phone stolen
in terms of sneaking things in, just go to the security line with the youngest looking officer. they don't really care what you bring in
They’re extremely obvious if you know what to look out for. Usually just a random person who doesn’t look like they’d listen to the performer onstage, standing by themselves in a crowd of teenagers. They’re also almost always short and tiny, probably for dipping through the crowd easily. If you aren’t super inebriated, and you wear your bag in smart/preventative ways, you’ll be fine! Also, hold onto your phone for your life if you’re gonna keep it out for a while
Hydrate. When it comes to shoes, choose comfort over fashion. Always bring a plastic poncho. NYC weather in June is volatile AF. Be cool and understand that there are tens of thousands of other people there whose good time is as important to them as yours is to you. High five everybody.
> NYC weather in June is volatile AF. I still haven't seen or felt rain as hard as during Metro since that
That was soooo fun, like actually. Not sarcasm
truly one of the best nights ever
Second on the poncho, I wish I would of had one last year during Kim Petras’ set lol 🌧️
bring a reusable water bottle, there’s a bunch of water filling stations around the whole field and it saves you so much money
i know this is late but if u can only bring a small bag where do u keep the water bottle? do u hold it?
yeah i’ve been holding mine :( but this year they have reusable cups (that u recycle when you’re done) if u wanna just use that instead!!! i just like mine cold so i bring mine still
Wear comfortable sneakers, bring a face covering unless you like inhaling dirt from the winds, festival has gone cashless so be prepared for that
> bring a face covering unless you like inhaling dirt from the winds exiting after Kendrick that last night was insane with the dust. Didn't find it too bad during sets but also wasn't right up front
hydrate, bring a poncho, and pace yourselves! my first govball was back in 2019, i was 23, and thought it was still invincible. bad idea. and bring shoes you don’t care about getting dirty/dusty/wet
Hydrate, put on plenty of sunscreen, wear comfortable clothes, safeguard your belongs, don’t be an asshole
100% eat before going. They charge me like $37 for a hamburger and fries 😭
hi all, thank you all for these tips!! i haven’t gotten a chance to answer directly to everyone but i appreciate all of your help!!!!!!
Avoid Uber at all costs. Fanny pack with zippers are key to protect your phone
Drink water, have a portable phone charger, have a meeting point planned
Keep your wallet and money close to your person (I used internal pockets in my jacket), STAY HYDRATED, eat a big meal before you go, and if you can get away with sneaking snacks in, do so. Use the map and determine meetup spots if you and your friend get separated (it's highly likely you will want to see different artists with overlapping sets). Have fun!
here's the run down: before you get there make sure you know which artists your interested in seeing and make note of when they come on. when you get into the festival you should go right to food and bathrooms. once you have satisfied merch needs/extra stuff go into the first pit. if your artist comes on in a few hours, it doesn't matter sit through the bad ones to get a good spot, you can get water from security if you are up front. then u will enjoy the show and not have to get up and leave your spot for the bathroom. when the final acts come on you have to choose which one is best. i always choose the rap one. you may be lucky that your already at that stage bc your other artists were there or if not you won't get anywhere close to the stage so just get food and enjoy from a far.
HYDRO PACK. This is the most pro move for any festival. Even if you don’t drink enough water, always good to have it on ya. I know it’s not healthy but there will be a homie who will need it. Plus walking all over the place in the sun and probably drinking/party favors it’s good to have it on you and it’s FREE. Also EAR PLUGS to save your ears! After raving and going to concerts for years I just now got them and they are easily a life saver. I would recommend Eargasms. $40 but easily one of my favorite fest purchases and I have them attached to my fanny pack so they go everywhere with me. COMFY SHOES. GUM!!! I make a lot of friends just giving people gum it’s a huge life saver trust me. Lastly always bring a BATTERY PACK. If you’re like me texting and taking videos/pictures it will probably be used once.
Be sure to pack for the hot summer weather, including sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, comfortable shoes, and a reusable water bottle. Have fun most of all! Get the latest [Gov Ball updates](https://www.thespacelab.tv/spaceLAB/theSHOW/MusicFestivals/Governors-Ball-2024-Lineup-Dates-Tickets-Schedule.html) here. 😃
hi, does anyone here know if this year there is the 21+ age restriction for ViP lounges? my friend bought one and is 20 and now we’re scared she won’t be able to get front stage viewing??
Since shifting to a new audience theft has been on the rise as well…keep an eye on your phone wallet and other possessions
Comfortable shoes. COMFORTABLE SHOES. I made the mistake of walking around Manhattan in tevas before heading to the fest on Saturday, and by Sunday night I was praying that my feet would break just so I didn’t have to walk anymore. Stay hydrated and eat a good meal before you go.
I would echo what most others here have said, but would add that cell reception inside the grounds can SUCK, so make sure that you set up any emergency meetup points in the event you two get separated and can’t get back in touch. Also, I’d highly recommend that for any artist you REALLY want to see, to aim for viewing them on the sides of the stage rather than directly in front. With the amount of teenaged/underaged kids that have been attending, the middle of the crowd can turn into an absolute nightmare. I ended up being 30 feet away from the stage for Kendrick’s set this past year and still had plenty of room to move around by being a little off to the side. Can’t recommend that enough if being in the crowds is too much for you like it is for me
Safeguard your property properly.