How to enjoy an outdoor music festival with your family!
- Learn how to enjoy outdoor festivals with your family.
- You will learn what to be careful of at outdoor festivals.
In recent years, outdoor music festivals have been held all over Japan and are gaining popularity.
We often hear comments like, "Festivals are events for young people..." or "They're not places to take children," but recently, there has been an increase in family-friendly festivals that children can enjoy.
This time, I'll share some tips and tricks for enjoying outdoor music festivals with your family.
Contents of this article
What exactly is an "outdoor music festival"?
In short, it's a festival where you can enjoy listening to live performances (singing and playing instruments) by artists and bands in an outdoor setting.
It depends on the event, but at large events, dozens of artists perform live from morning till night, taking turns on different stages throughout the venue.
I enjoy moving around to see the artists I want to see.
How can you enjoy an outdoor music festival?
- Watch a live performance of your or your family's favorite artist.
This is probably the main purpose. Just before the event, a "timetable" will be announced on the official website and other platforms.
It shows who will be performing live on which stage at what time.
Move around the venue to match the start time of the live performance by the artist you want to see and enjoy the show.
Live performances are very powerful and the sound is loud, so if you're with small children, you'll need to be mindful of where you watch from.
It might be harder to see, but listening together while holding or giving your child a piggyback ride in a spot away from the stage is another way to enjoy the concert with your child.
- Eat festival food
In addition to the live performances, there are food booths inside the venue where you can buy and eat delicious food (commonly known as "festival food").
There are so many shops, and everything looks delicious, so I always have a hard time deciding what to eat.
They sell not only meals, but also drinks and desserts that are perfect for Instagram photos.
One of the great things about a festival is going back and forth between the live performances and these food booths.
- Go camping
Some festivals offer campsites, allowing you to enjoy camping as well. It's a great way to fully experience an outdoor festival by staying overnight.
Outdoor festivals accessible from the Kanto region include FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL and GO OUT CUMP.
In the Tokai region, Mori, Michi, Ichiba and Nakatsugawa THE SOLAR BUDOKAN are well-known.
Tips for enjoying it with family
• Play in the kids' area and workshops
If children watch live performances all the time, they'll inevitably get tired and bored...
In times like these, head to the kids' area or workshops to play and change your mood.
The contents vary depending on the festival, but the kids' area will have handmade play equipment (swings, ball toss games, etc.)
There are areas where you can get some exercise and have fun with slacklining, which has become popular recently, and a corner where you can freely draw pictures using paints, pens, and other materials.
While there is a fee for the workshops, there are corners where parents and children can make keychains, candles, and other items together, as well as shops where you can get face painting done.
So, if you feel your child is getting bored with the live performance, be sure to use this method.
• Bring a picnic blanket.
Outdoor festivals can be physically demanding. You'll be at the venue for almost the entire day,
Standing for extended periods while watching a live performance or moving around in the kids' corner can definitely lead to fatigue.
That's when a picnic blanket comes in handy.
It's great for eating festival food, when your feet get tired, and especially for those with small children, as they're bound to get sleepy and need a nap.
Let's definitely prepare for it.
A stylish and easy-to-carry picnic blanket is highly recommended. It's perfect not only for outdoor festivals but also for picnics and sports days.
I was looking for a cute picnic blanket for a picnic.The red gingham check pattern goes perfectly with the straw bag and fruit sandwiches, so it was exactly what I envisioned for a stylish and cute picnic. The size is also just right for a family of three.
From Amazon reviews
*Please note that some festivals may prohibit the use of picnic blankets.
Bring your own chair
Standing for long periods can be tiring. Children, in particular, tend to get fussy, so it's a good idea to bring a portable chair if possible.
There's usually space to put a chair away from the stage.
I recommend the Helinox Chair Zero, which is as light as a 500ml plastic bottle, weighing approximately 500g.
It's practical if you're going to use it for camping as well.
Related articles
・Which chair is the best for creating a comfortable camping experience?
That concludes our tips and advice on how to enjoy outdoor music festivals with your family.
