So what makes you a festival veteran?

[Captain Frogarm]

Just to settle a little discussion me and my bro have been having - This years Reading will be my 2nd Reading and my 5th festival overall. I'm 28 and came to the festival scene quite late. My brother is like 40 years old.. (sorry Nick) and he's been going to festivals for years and considers himself a 'veteran'. So in your opinion how many festivals does it take before one acquires veteran status. I think 5 :-) But I'm sure the ones who care will disagree. Thoughts?

[mrtourette]

To be a veteran of a certain festival then I'd say four or five, but to be a festival veteran then maybe ten across three or more different festivals?

[jump]

I'd consider going to a least 2/3 different fests rather than going to the same fest year in year out to make someone a proper veteran.

[ar1]

Contents of my sig make me a vet!

yes I think 5 festivals preferably accross more than one differant one.

BTW I'm only 37 not 40 yet!

[rexclark]

I've been to 11 Leeds, 5 T In The Parks, 5 Rockness', 2 Glastonbury's and 1 Reading. I'd like to think myself to a bit of a veteran (I've been going to fests for 13 years since I was 16) but then again I've got friends on here who go to about six fests a year! So really I would say You'd have to do ten fests overall and have been to at least three different fests.

[Dan R]

I've been to 10 big festivals now since 2008, but I wouldn't say I'm a veteran. While I've been to quite a few I still feel like there's more I can experience at them and I don't really feel like a veteran.

Edited July 18, 2011 by Dan R

[Jackmypie]

I've been going to Glasto since I was 6 am 17 now, think I've been about 8 timesish. I'd call my self a Glasto veteran, but not a festival veteran. I've only been to reading for a day in 07.

[2rare2die]

I've managed 11 Leeds, 9 Downloads, 2 V fests, 1 Ozzfest, 1 Sonisphere and 1 Bloodstock so far, since 2000, so i would call myself a veteran. But i would agree with maybe 10 fests, including at least 3 different ones, before you reach true veteran status.

[rivalschools.price]

i've been to at least 25 festivls but dont know at what stage i started to consider myself a veteran.

[Bisque]

I'd probably consider myself a Reading vet, knowing pretty much every aspect about it punter wise, but being only 23 I wouldn't tell anyone I was.

[jump]

That's 2 posts in a row where I have no idea what you're on about.

Edited July 19, 2011 by jump

[swede]

I think its not only the number of festivals you've been to but also the way you behave. Id expect festival veterans more than anyone to show respect for OP and not act like a total dickhead i.e. fighting/burning stuff/being abusive.

[MEGABOWL]

I think its not only the number of festivals you've been to but also the way you behave. Id expect festival veterans more than anyone to show respect for OP and not act like a total dickhead i.e. fighting/burning stuff/being abusive.

[Benj]

Id say I was a Reading Veteran but not necessarily a Festival vet

As of now

14 Readings

10 Vs

1 Glasto

10 or so 1 day 'Festivals'

[Jackmypie]

That's 2 posts in a row where I have no idea what you're on about.

[JohnsonWHU]

I've been to 2 readings, 1 beach break, 1 V, and around 3 day festivals.

Even if I continue to do around 3 fests a year, I wouldn't consider myself a veteran until I'm at least 25 (I'm only 20). Although I do feel like I know most things about reading after only 2 years.

[rexclark]

I think its not only the number of festivals you've been to but also the way you behave. Id expect festival veterans more than anyone to show respect for OP and not act like a total dickhead i.e. fighting/burning stuff/being abusive.

[ripitup]

I've been to quite a few but still don't feel like a veteran...each one is generally looked forward to with as much as anticipation as the last.

20 Reading

19 All Tomorrows Parties

8 Primavera Sound

8 Glastonbury

2 Phoenix

1 Indietracks

Dozens of one dayers....Field Day, Monsters of Rock, Wireless...even Slough in the early 90s!

[jump]

I didn't feel like a vet untill Soni a week or 2 ago where I had two teenage first time (festival) girls camping with us and I had to constantly explain things to them like why taking 5 bags with you is just plain silly.

[moz4pm]

I'd consider myself a veteran

since 2004

7 leeds fests

2 wireless

1 All tomorrows parties

Optimus Alive Lisbon

2 Sonisphere, Knebworth and Warsaw

Opener, Poland

1 Bingley Music Live

1 Nasty Fest Leeds

1 Leeds Unity Day

17 in total, in 7 years, is pretty damn veteran if you ask me

[purplebridget]

My 1st festival was in 1983...Stonehenge

Penwith '83

started going to Glastonbury in '89 and have been to most since

Reading a couple of times

Beautiful Days 3 times

Chagstock once

a few local ones over the years

Does this make me a veteran?

[grumpyhack]

I don't want to play the 'my dad is bigger than your dad' or 'I've done more festivals than you've had mud on your boots' game (thought it's tempting).

I think you can be a festivals veteren overall when you've got a few under your belt, though you could still be a 'newbie' at a festival you've never been to before.

I consider myself a Glasto veteren. My first festival was the Bath Blues Festival in 1969, followed by the Shepton Mallet Folk & Blues Festival in 1970, which mutated into Glastonbury in 1971. It's like a second home now and I can do the "I remember the year when.... " we had the great (insert appropriate disaster/ flood/scorcher)" or when xxx headlined.

A few years ago I added the Trowbridge Pump to my festival list and, despite my Glasto experience, went there as a Trowbridge newbie. I've done enough Pumps since as a steward to now be a Trowbridge 'vet' - though sadly it's not running this year.

I've also done a few seasons at the Cambridge Rock Festival over recent years. I'm not going there this year but were I to go I'd consider myself a Cambridge vet.

However tomorrow I'm off to Chagstock. It will be my first visit and I'll be a Chagstock newbie. Next month I'm going to the Croissant Neuf Summer Party in Usk. Last year was my first CNSP. This year I'll be stewarding but will still consider myself a relative newbie. Next year should I return I'll be an experienced CN goer but probably not consider myself a 'vet' till the year after.

[danvb]

Im no vet ,but ive been to a few leeds and glastos,wish i had the time and money to go to more,ide love a summer of nothing but non stop festivalling.

Ide like to go and do in one year:

coachella,isle of wight or T,glasto!,hop farm,benacassim,v day visit,leeds,bestival.

So far ive been to,leeds '07,'08,'09,'10. And Glasto: '09,'10,'11

And going to leeds this year.

but wouldnt consider myself a "vet.",especially not compared to how many others have been two and how many different fests they have gone to.

[Sparticus]

I think once it gets to the stage where you can't count the number of festivals you've been to on one hand, you either have a serious problem, or are a veteran!

[Bisque]

I've changed my mind, I am no vet. Here's to many more years of festivaling & avoiding V.