“I’m just too old for the festival.” – Even in my late twenties I heard this sentence more often, even said it myself. Until I jumped over my shadow. And it was one of the best decisions of my life. Festival, I’m coming back to you!
When you’re in your early twenties, camping out in a puddle in the pouring rain and waking up in the sweltering heat the next morning isn’t a big deal. We didn’t care about sunburn, nor did we care about dust, mud and Dixi toilets – ok, they were always disgusting. The main thing is music. The main thing is dancing. The main thing is to party! And today? Today you sit in the pub or just at the kitchen table in a row house with friends and talk about the good old days as if they were a century ago. “It was really a great time back then, but I wouldn’t do it anymore today.” And why not? Because you made the decision to be old—in your mid-30s.
Too old? But what for?
For camping? To dance? have fun? We’re not going to the hurricane with the rollator! “They’re all only in their early 20s. What am I supposed to do there?”. Of course, most of them are only a quarter of a century old. But we are also to blame for our laziness. From an economic point of view, we are at the best age to have the time of our lives. I’m just saying: fixed income instead of a student job!
Glamping is the magic word
The biggest problem first: camping! In the meantime you can equip yourself cheaply, well and comfortably with everything that makes the hard ground of the campsite facts quite passable. But if two nights there actually bring you to the limits of your strength, you can now sleep in hip, ready-made tents at many festivals instead of sleeping pads – with real beds, clean toilets and rest periods. It’s called “silent and green”. Or you can rent a mobile home if your plagued back in your late 30s wants a little more comfort.
Treat yourself: Never smuggle Tetra-Paks again
When we were in our early twenties, we turned every penny twice. It had to be the cheapest of cheap canned beer, or cheap vodka with cheap juice – lukewarm, of course. Those days are over, yeah! In our mid-30s we want and can treat ourselves to something and afford a chilled beer straight from the barrel or a long drink or two at the bar. Yes, 6 euros for a beer is really a lot of money, but what do you do that for? work all year? Festival is no longer an exceptional financial situation, for which we used to save all year round like many others do today for our own homes. A liberating feeling that we should toast to.
Fountain of youth: Finally be a fan girl again
Sure, the audience is mostly much younger than us, but the bands aren’t. Well, at least not all. After all, our heroes from before didn’t climb into the coffin just because 30 was standing on the mat and not when 40 was already waving the fence post. Then why should we do it. Everything just numbers. And at night at the festival, all cats are grey, so you can’t see the wrinkles. So: relax, dance, sing, and be fangirls as long as your legs will carry you.
So that we have something to tell again
And the best for last: Festival is like Las Vegas – What happens at the festival, stays at the festival. So just dance away all self-imposed doubts, break chains and enjoy freedom – live a weekend festival universe, be part of the big picture, don’t stick to the usual rules or conventions. And if you want, you can have your first schnapps for breakfast. If we don’t do that, if we really are too old now, at 70 we’re still only talking about what we experienced at 21. Telling the same stories for 40 years. No one really wants to hear that anymore.