The chance to start the countdown until summer is a natural awareness that accompanies almost everyone when entering a new year. With a new year comes new chances to travel with friends and music festivals are events that people are amped-up for until the day the gates open. Anticipation spreads while fans await the new lineups for this year and start wondering if the previous lineup will outshine the one to follow.

So far Coachella has been the first to release their lineup and announced Beyoncè as the first ever woman to headline the Californian art and music festival. Coachella promotes in-car and tent camping on their campsite but also offers travel packages that include passes, hotel accommodations and a shuttle that is on call the entire weekend. There are many Do’s and Dont’s when traveling to a different state for a music festival where overwhelmingly large crowds and safety concerns are a frequent issue. A few Don’t’s to remember when packing to head into the world of Coachella are:

Do not bring your own fan, mister or spray bottle. It will be be hot and hydration is very important, but the festival offers these things inside the gates on site.

It is common to want to stand out in the massive crowds to get a chance to be noticed by a performer, but no signs or poles or pool noodles are allowed.

Do NOT take off your wristband under any circumstance. Wristbands include a tracker device that can be used for emergencies and is also your pass in and out of the festival.

Lollapalooza is a bit more lenient than their friend Coachella on what you can and cannot bring. A few Do’s when attending are:

empty camelbacks, reusable water containers and hydration packs are encouraged to bring and lockers are provided for festival goers to store any personal belongings.

Cameras are allowed along with other things such as selfie sticks, Go-Pro’s and other photography equipment.

Deciding on where you are going to stay is a big part in planning a trip, so most festivals have on site camping where you can purchase a tent for a weekend and never stray too far from the fun. Artists who perform at Coachella sometimes put on ‘secret’ shows late at night and fans who are sleeping in the park get to enjoy the activities without a curfew.

Firefly festival actually provides different packages for staying on-site, called “General tent” and “Carefree camping.” General camping includes camping Thursday through the following Monday, space for a standard car or sports utility vehicle (SUV), access to shower facilities and all access use of ‘The Hub’ which includes cell phone charging stations, ice sales, water refills and more. Aside from the great music and camping experiences, activities to take part in in-between sets and at the end of the day are a big part of the music and arts festival experiences. Bonnaroo has all-day activities for everyone to take part in and is known for the art parades held on site. Yoga classes and other workout groups welcome anyone who wants to join, and Bonnaroo even turns registering to vote into a fun activity to take part in with the many booths and enthusiastic workers who are eager to help you take care of all steps needed to help make your voice heard. Entering your art is even an option when attending the festivals listed above, and all websites offer submission pages with their own requirements. Any of these trips would make the perfect summer memory to talk about the next fall and from then on. When making the decision of which festival to attend be sure to do plenty of research before deciding which one would fit best, and read up on the guidelines and requirements listed on the festival websites to be guaranteed the best chance at the best summer memories.