With BUKU Music + Art Project fast approaching, it’s time to start preparing.
It’s bound to be a great weekend, but even the most seasoned music festival veteran has a mishap every once in awhile. Here is a checklist of festival basics to help make sure your BUKU experience goes as smoothly as possible.
1. Water
This may be the most obvious tip on this list, but it’s also the most important.
Dancing for two days straight can be an exhausting endeavor. It’s extremely important that you stay hydrated.
BUKU allows you to bring one empty Camelbak or water bottle, and there are free water refill stations scattered around the festival grounds. There’s no excuse for dehydration.
2. A full wallet
It may sound irresponsible at first, but I’d recommend you bring a fairly large amount of cash even if you don’t intend on spending it. Music festivals and unexpected expenses go hand-in-hand.
You never know when you’re going to have to cough up some cash for an unexpected taxi ride and you should always be able to buy as much food as you need.
Trying to get cash out of ATMs will be full of hiked-up fees.
3. Phone charger
There are plenty of portable phone chargers on the market perfectly suited for festivals like Buku. Take my word for it – there’s nothing worse than a dead phone at a music festival.
Even if you bring a portable charger, I’d advise you and your friends make some preparations just in case your phone does die. For starters, write down your friends’ numbers so you’ll be able to contact them with someone else’s phone.
I’d also recommend that your group designates a meet-up spot somewhere on the festival grounds where you’ll be able to look for your friends if you get separated.
For extra power conservation, you can put your phone on airplane mode whenever you’re not texting or calling someone.
4. Rain gear
Unfortunately, the forecast for New Orleans in predicting thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday. Buku does have some indoor stages, but if you’re planning on seeing CHVRCHES, Kid Cudi or Future, you may have to brave the rain.
So, make sure you pack something to keep you dry, whether it’s a raincoat or a poncho. Let’s just hope we don’t see a repeat of Voodoo Music + Arts Experience’s Sunday cancellation.
Also, remember your rain boots to avoid your shoes sinking into the mud or getting soaked in puddles.
5. Comfortable shoes
At the end of the weekend, your feet will more than likely be aching. Try to minimize that ache by wearing the most comfortable footwear possible. I’d stay away from anything open-toed – sandals and large crowds don’t mix well.
Other than rain boots, try sneakers or another boot style.
6. Your wristband
There is nothing more disheartening than arriving at the gates of a festival and realizing you left your wristband at home. Now you have to arrange to get a ride home and back again.
It’s possibly the biggest setback of all, especially if you left it in Baton Rouge. Avoid this at all costs, even if that means putting it on a few days early.

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Zoe Geauthreaux

Comfortable footwear, refillable water bottles and a portable phone charger are among the basic essential items needed to smoothly enjoy the BUKU Music + Art Project.