Practical guides

Guides: getting ready for festivals and nights out

What to wear, what to pack, how to protect your ears, what the law says: the questions people ask before they go, with sourced answers linked to the calendar.

Practical · 4 min readFestival outfit: what to wear to a techno festival or a raveYou are not dressing for a photo, you are dressing for ten hours on your feet. Style comes second, and there is more room for it than you think.Health · 3 min readEarplugs at festivals and gigs: why they matter and which to chooseDamaged hearing does not heal. Well-chosen earplugs, on the other hand, take almost nothing away from the music.Practical · 3 min readFestival packing list: what to bring, and how to campWhatever you forget can't be bought on site, or only at three times the price. One list, ticked off the night before, and the rest of the weekend is for the music.Culture · 3 min readRave, free party, festival: what is the difference?The same word covers a club night, a festival of tens of thousands and an unauthorised party in a field. Here is what sets them apart.Destinations · 2 min readSki festivals: electronic music in the mountains this seasonSkiing in the morning, a mountain-top stage in the afternoon, a club in the village at night. The format has its regulars, and its pitfalls.Destinations · 2 min readBerghain: dress code, the queue and how to get inNo written dress code, no guest list, no explanation if you are turned away. What is known, what people say, and what is out of your hands.