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Going Solo to a Festival or Show: A Safety Guide

Facts checked against the sources below on .

Quick answer: Tell someone your plan, find the medical tent and exits on arrival, make a friend or two, and book your ride and bed before you go. Staff are there to help, so use them. Rules vary by event, so verify on the official page. Details below are as of Oct 2026.

Going alone is a real option. Plenty of people do it and love it. You move at your own pace and see who you want. You also have no built-in backup, so you set it up yourself. Follow these steps.

Step 1: Tell someone your plan before you leave

Send a trusted person the event name, where you're staying, how you're getting there and when you expect to be home. This is plain advice, not a rule. Add a time to check in. If you miss it, they know to ring you.

Step 2: Learn the official safety setup first

Read the event's own safety and medical page before you go. Here's what a big festival can look like. EDC Las Vegas says free medical care is available at first aid tents around the grounds, and you can also flag down a patrolling health and safety officer [1]. Its roaming Ground Control team wears purple shirts, fanny packs and light sabers. The page says to approach them if you "want assistance or simply need a friend" [1].

That second part matters if you're solo. You can walk up to staff just to talk.

Insomniac also says you won't get in trouble for seeking medical help for yourself or a friend [1]. Don't sit on a bad feeling. Go.

Step 3: Scout the exits, water and first aid when you arrive

Fraser Health, a Canadian health authority, says to find the exits on arrival so you know how to leave quickly [2]. Do the walk first, before the music starts. Note where the first aid tent is. Note the water stations. At EDC they're marked with water-droplet symbols on the map [1].

Check the rules at the gate too. Insomniac's general guidelines list no re-entry per day, so you can't pop out and back in [3].

Step 4: Make a friend or two

Fraser Health says making friends at the event matters even more if you're attending by yourself [2]. Easy ways:

  • Chat in the water line or the merch line.
  • Say hi to the people near you at a set you both clearly love.
  • Walk up to staff who are open to chatting, like Ground Control [1].

Once you've got a new friend, treat them as your buddy for the night. Swap numbers and check in with each other every so often. Agree on a meeting spot [2].

You don't have to stay glued to strangers. Plans change. Just never go off alone with someone you've known for five minutes.

Step 5: Set a phone and meetup plan

  • Charge up. Fraser Health says to keep your phone charged so you can stay in touch [2]. Bring a small power bank.
  • Pick a fixed meetup spot. Don't rely only on your phone, since the battery could die or the network could overload [2]. Insomniac's beginner guide (from 2015) says not to meet at the big moving Daisy landmark because it changes locations all night. It suggests a fixed place and time instead [4].
  • Share your location with your trusted person using your phone's built-in sharing feature, and turn it off after you're home.
  • Screenshot your ticket, map and ride info in case you lose signal.

Step 6: Watch your drinks and your limits

Set a personal limit and drink slowly. Fraser Health suggests alternating alcohol with water, keeping to no more than two drinks in three hours, never accepting drinks from strangers, and never leaving your drink unattended [2]. Insomniac adds that alcohol is not a beverage to cool off or rehydrate with [1].

When you're solo, nobody else is watching your back. Keep your head clear enough to make good calls.

Step 7: Handle heat, water and your ears

Carry a refillable bottle and drink steadily. The CDC says to refill it throughout the day and watch your pee color, where light yellow or clear usually means you're fine [5]. Warning signs of overheating include cramps, heavy sweating, dizziness, headache, weakness and nausea [5].

Heat stroke is an emergency. Per NIOSH, call 911, stay with the person, and move them somewhere cool [6]. If you feel off, don't tough it out alone. Tell staff.

Bring earplugs. DanceSafe says to stay at least 10 feet from speakers and to treat ringing in your ears as a warning sign [7].

Step 8: Book your bed and your ride before you go

Lodging. Book early. Insomniac's beginner guide notes that after-parties may leave you without a place to sleep, and says to book in advance [4]. If you camp, EDC says Camp EDC has medical and security personnel 24 hours a day. It also says sleeping in cars or vans is discouraged because of heat-related health risks [8]. Check the camping rules for your own event.

Getting home. Know your plan before the first set. The CDC says to make plans so you don't have to drive if you'll be drinking or using drugs [9].

Know how pickup works at your venue. At Red Rocks, taxis and Uber/Lyft pick up at the Jurassic Lot just inside Entrance 2. Free shuttles after shows are limited, and the venue suggests walking down Red Rocks Park Road because shuttle delays are likely [10]. A night-before look at the venue's "getting here" page saves you a long wait.

Plan for the weather too. Red Rocks says shows run in all Colorado weather, including full sun, strong winds and even severe rain or snow [11].

Step 9: Check in, then leave on your terms

Text your trusted person at the time you agreed. Leave when you're tired, not when you're wrecked. Drop a "home safe" message when you're in.

If something feels wrong, leave and find staff. You don't owe anyone an explanation.

Short checklist

  1. Plan shared with one trusted person
  2. Medical tent, exits and water found
  3. Phone charged, power bank packed
  4. Fixed meetup spot picked
  5. Earplugs in
  6. Ride and bed booked
  7. Check-in time set

One last thing

We built Drop for the days you want to go and your friends are busy. It is the app we built to find shows near you. Go see the set you want to see.

Sources

Accessed 2026-10-18.

  1. EDC Las Vegas / Insomniac, "Health & Wellness." https://lasvegas.edc.com/guide/health-wellness/
  2. Fraser Health Authority (BC, Canada), "10 safety tips for summer festivals and events." https://www.fraserhealth.ca/health-topics-a-to-z/summer-health/10-tips-for-summer-event-safety
  3. Insomniac, "General Festival Guidelines." https://www.insomniac.com/general-festival-guidelines/
  4. Insomniac, "The Beginner's Guide to EDC Las Vegas" (article dated June 10, 2015, so logistics may be outdated). https://www.insomniac.com/magazine/the-beginners-guide-to-edc-las-vegas/
  5. CDC, "About Heat and Health." https://www.cdc.gov/heat-health/about/index.html
  6. CDC / NIOSH, "Heat-related Illnesses." https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/heat-stress/about/illnesses.html
  7. DanceSafe, "Hearing Protection." https://dancesafe.org/hearing-protection/
  8. EDC Las Vegas, "FAQ" (2027 edition). https://lasvegas.edc.com/faq/
  9. CDC, "Impaired Driving" (Jan. 28, 2026). https://www.cdc.gov/impaired-driving/about/index.html
  10. Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre (City and County of Denver), "Getting Here." https://www.redrocksonline.com/plan-your-visit/getting-here/
  11. Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, "FAQ." https://www.redrocksonline.com/plan-your-visit/faq/