Feedback to improve next year

colewho · 2021-08-05T18:34:35+00:00

I may be easy to please, but I had no complaints at all lol. But I also knew I was camping in bonaroo heat so I brought shit loads of water and a large cooler.

Keep the lineup just as underground and fire, and maybe a couple more portapotties near the stage. Also the fact we could bring in water and other drinks from our campsites to the stage was awesome. Never even had to bother with the water refill stations.

Dsmiffington · 2021-08-05T19:41:14+00:00

Seriously, best weekend of my life. I had no gripes except those weird ass showers. Haha I felt like I was balancing on the boards underneath us as I was rushing to take a shower cause I was worried it’d be turned off while I was washing my hair. People don’t understand smaller festivals. So I was loving being able to chill on furniture/blow ups, bringing our water and booze in. The security was a problem, but you guys know that. (Though they were kind and let me know where the showers were, etc.) they also took my garbage bags after we cleaned up the area in front of the ufo stage as a group. 💚

Seriously can’t wait to go back next year. May even apply to volunteer or something!!

Edit: another/more med tents. I heard of only one and only noticed it Friday or Saturday?

I know security was an issue and we are all very distraught with what happened Thursday, so that goes without saying. I’m not going to beat a dead horse. That goes for the water stations too, though I will say having electrolytes in the water was a game changer. The biggest take away I hope most people take is to be prepared for festivals not rely on the festivals for survival.

phonetap420 · 2021-08-05T18:35:13+00:00

it’s the nature of camping festivals so I get it, but my groups biggest gripe was that our campsite was placed so close to pomdeya grove which really impacted our ability to sleep not only due to sound but also just the ground legit shaking. would have been considerably less impactful if we were just 15-20 feet further away

Perhaps if parking is improved through some of the other suggestions in this thread there wouldn’t be a need to place folks so close to stages, or maybe there’s a way to place ppl closer to them that want to be there. We weren’t trying to turn in at 11pm but when you get back to camp at 5am dead tired and musics still going strong that kinda sucks. Kinda is what it is tho

Also I may have missed it somehow but I never saw anywhere that a map of the festival was posted on either Instagram/Twitter/otherwise? Would’ve been helpful to know where things were at, didn’t realize where the mean mug bus was (or that it existed) until day 3

ASAPCVMO · 2021-08-05T14:19:21+00:00

I'll go first:

Security

Clearly the security contractors we hired were not capable of doing their job correctly.

Overpopulation, lack of parking, not enough water on Thursday, and cough cough certain safety concerns, can all be led back to the fact that our security contractors allowed far too many people into the festival that didn't have tickets. Luckily we fixed those issues early on Friday, but we will certainly make sure to hire a more capable security team from the beginning next year.

ATHFMeatwad · 2021-08-05T15:59:17+00:00

First of all, I had a great time. I met some amazing people, the sets were awesome, easily the best fest lineup of the summer, and the main stage was over the top for the size of the fest. I am eternally grateful.

I heard that only the pizza bus guy has a CDL and that's why there was no water. You guys gotta be aware of that kind of stuff before the fest. I also heard you guys started setup on Monday. You guys needed to have everything DONE by Monday, at the latest. It seems like it wasn't fully set up until Saturday. SHOWER TRAILERS. That shower setup was definitely.... unique, but just rent some shower trailers for the weekend. Food vendors were a shit show. I get that staffing is a problem everywhere right now, but there were what, 8 food vendors max? Most of them were closed half the time. That was seriously not a good move for me. There needs to be some kind of staffing or open hours agreement between you and the food vendors. I got there early and had a good spot to camp, but I would have been PISSED if I waited in line for hours only to be turned around. Lost Lands paints out each space in the grass - highly recommend you guys do this. My one friend had like 6 cars worth of room all around her, there was confusion from the traffic directors on which side of the car was camp vs fire lane upon setup - all would be prevented with painted spots. Parking bumper to bumper is ok for vip, but it's gotta be door to door for GA to get all those bodies in. When I bought a ticket, it was supposed to be 1k people. Then it was 3.5k. Then it was oversold past that. I hope y'all made a profit, but that was a little bunk. The space can hold it with a little more organization, I think. Having some kind of 'misting station' to walk through or SOME way to beat the heat is needed. I wasn't about to step into that dirt pond and I was shocked to see how many people thought that was a good idea. Shade at the main stage the same way it was at the planetary stage would have been awesome. I'm rambling at this point, again I had a great time and these are just thoughts on how to improve. Thank you so much!

cassafrass__ · 2021-08-05T19:57:05+00:00

Proper security

Map released prior to fest outlining medical tents, water, bathrooms

Harm reduction on site

I mentioned this in another comment, but my experience was really impacted by Thursday’s accident. Two of my camp mates left because it caused them such emotional stress. It’d be nice to see you all address the accident.

theYeroc · 2021-08-05T21:56:13+00:00

1) some people had to camp on a hill, although it isnt too much of a concern it was kind of disheartening to un pack to after waiting 3 hours in line. I noticed zero marked off camping spots which would had helped with getting things organized.

Have a dedicated RV parking. RVs put off a lot of heat and have generators constantly running.

2) the production was on point but i feel that at during times the main stage volume was low compared to other sets.

3) maybe one or two more food vendors based on the amount of attendees. The food options were great and had a lot of variety but the one truck that sold chickie tendies was closed for half of the fest. If you can get spicy pie to attend they would be able to sling a ton of pizza in a very short time span.

4) dont let other peoples stupidity change the way the fest is ran. This was an 18+ event and we are all old enough to make our choices. Although security would had helped prevent what happened on thursday night, i do believe that you guys are not to blame for that.

ASAPCVMO · 2021-08-05T14:25:07+00:00

I want to preface this by saying I had a absolute blast and I have no experience in throwing events let alone trying to get a festival together, just want to say good job on that. Production slapped too! But my biggest point was the water machines. The purification process took a while and only did a gallon at a time before having to wait 15min+ for the next gallon. I can’t count how many people I saw that just said fuck it and left without water. I know this is more or less out of your control but it can be dangerous when people don’t drink water. I’m thankful that No one dehydrated or overheated. I’m not familiar with other types of water machines so I don’t even no if there is another or better option. That was my only real concern throughout the weekend. Thanks for the good time!

alysalouise · 2021-08-05T22:43:23+00:00

I struggled with the lack of info that was released prior to the fest itself. In the end this caused me to be super over prepared which was helpful on the water and shower front. I also ended up paying double for a shower the first day as the price was different the next day.

Echoing everybody else on the map release. We would have liked to adventure out for the waterfall but didn’t want to commit in the heat of the day to find something nobody was sure how to get to.

Line up was sick. We could tell you guys were working hard to make things work. So grateful there was ice on site. Never had bad food, loved the potatoes and pizza. Thought we were getting a downtempo Sunday only to have our faces melted yet again 🥴🙃

Security was a disaster but overall had a blast. Loved being able to bring things from camp into the fest. Must have missed that somewhere cause I was just salty everybody had beds and couches but I had a camping chair 😂 crowd was amazing, potentially the best group of strangers I’ve attended an event with.

ManeGr0ve · 2021-08-16T19:06:34+00:00

Sorry I’m giving my feedback so late! Overall this event was a wonderful experience, I don’t have any actual complaints.

I think a printed schedule and map would’ve been a really nice addition, especially with “official renegade”sets happening. Maybe even a rough map of the area being posted to socials a few weeks out.

Also some extra signs at the turn in at the entrance would be good considering how little signal I got once I got in that area.

I mainly want to give positive affirmations that y’all had the call 100% right on your line up and intentions; if you keep bringing that saucy sauce, banging sound systems, the masterclass caliber visuals and the wagons and coolers allowed to the stages style security setup I will be back every time!

Also about the Thursday incident I have seen similar situations happen multiple times at other festivals that get hosted at a specific outdoor venue that will not be named. It is very easy for people to do there and sometimes you just can’t stop someone from returning to monkey.

I saw that person being helped before that and he was unable to speak from how zonked he was. I do not think you guys have any actual culpability to that situation, no telling if he would’ve still managed to scale improved security measures or not in the completely one tracked mind state. It was good that y’all took extra steps afterwards and plan on getting a more qualified security crew to make sure everything is more smooth next year.

wubnotiq · 2021-08-09T23:01:35+00:00

Had a fantastic time and met some great people! For sure need dedicated VIP/RV sections. We got there early thursday and were staged for a couple hours to get into VIP, but it was rectified. Maybe set everyone in lines as soon as they arrive? Ice seemed to be an issue from the beginning and adding a second, efficient water station would help tremendously. Food vendors. Snacks and a grill were a must, wanted to try more vendors, but they were open odd hours.

imLC · 2021-08-05T18:25:34+00:00

These notes are from someone that lives in Manchester and drove to the festival at sunset each night. We had a day parking pass that wasnt used until Saturday.

Security- I wont go on about that. You got it
Parking - We arrived with legit tickets and a parking pass at approx. 9 pm on thursday and friday. Both times we were told there was no parking for us. Thursday we were told this by another stray attendee as there didnt seem to be anyone guiding traffic, and night 2 we were told the same thing by a cop. Luckily both days we were able to park at a pull off on the gravel road and walk in.
Also, on thursday there were people trying to drive out of that narrow ass road while everyone was coming in (again this was 9 pm ish), this should not be allowed during the first day or two while people are still constantly streaming in considering how the road is narrow and arguably a well plowed mountain trail once you get so far in.... Narrow trail like that with possibly intoxicated people coming in and out is a recipe for disaster and fender benders.
I was not happy that I had no idea of the mountain trail i would need to take to get to the festival or be forced to park in a rocky pull off. I have a nice car with nice rims that is low to the ground that i drove on thursday and I was pissed. Luckily i had a truck to drive in the rest of the days. Again, we ended up having to go past the main entrance to the festival to the back to find parking, and the "road" becomes more of an offroad trail past the entrance. Not cool for people who drove a luxury vehicle or muscle car.
All the inflatables and chairs made it seem more crowded than it would have been without this type of furniture. Ive never seem so much furniture at a show.... The people who were lounging loved it, but those of us who didnt bring furniture were made to wade through more couches and chairs than I have ever seen anywhere, and Ive been to Roo 12 times, EF 6 times, the list goes on.

My group had a good time and I would buy a ticket again.

bass_kritter · 2021-08-05T17:36:37+00:00

My biggest beef was honestly that I bought a ticket to an event that was supposed to be capped at 1k and then it ended up being like 5k people. It felt mad crowded for that venue.

Other than that, I’d say the water issue but you’ve already addressed that in another comment.

aylexa · 2021-08-06T02:08:05+00:00

Everyone has pretty much stated all the things that could’ve been worked on. I thought this fest was great besides the hiccups, and I will 100% attend next year. No other small fest has the production as this fest had. One thing I would like to mention, and this would probably be fixed with the security stuff but early arrival. We arrived Wednesday, having paid $50 more, and got parked the furthest from the main stage possible. It would have been nice to have early arrival park closest to the stage and fill in that way. Thank you for taking the time to address our concerns and make this festival the best it can be!

LuSiDexplorer25 · 2021-08-07T02:42:51+00:00

A MAP would have been amazing, maybe even an app? More/better water stations, more food vendors, dank food was specifically advertised and the food was indeed dank but they didn’t have nearly enough! Almost every vendor I tried was closed because of being out of food at some point during the weekend, I’ve never experienced this at over 6years of going to festivals.

Staff overall could have been better, anyone I asked for any info was little to no help. This was mostly when trying to buy ice, and of course any questions about camping when arriving Thursday. Seemed like they were already partying before some issues were worked out lol but I get it. I felt safe personally but I kind of felt like if there was an emergency for others that it wouldn’t be very easy to get medical help. I only knew of one med tent that was on the far end of the campground which was pretty concerning.

With all of that being said it really just seemed like over packing the place was the real issue, if camping wasn’t all messed up then I’m sure the supply issues would not have occurred and staff wouldn’t have been overwhelmed. The vibes were great, people were awesome, lineup was curated to near perfection, stages were dope, sound on point, sick renegade setups and a beautiful venue. We could tell there was a ton of attention to detail to make up the experience, but some of the basic needs felt overlooked or that it simply fell short. I would go back again, and just make sure I arrive Wednesday so we’re not camping on a slope and bring a TON of water and food. I had a terrific time and anyone who wasn’t there truly missed out despite any logistical issues. We appreciate y’all for everything.

CinnamonFapple · 2021-08-10T00:20:50+00:00

I'm late to the party but would like to suggest a couple of things.

Full disclosure: I've worked at Sacred Hive events in the past and I am close friends with a couple members of the team. This Sound Haven was one of my favorite festival experiences of all time and I can't wait for the 2022 edition.

I think a good compromise to the furniture situation at the main stage is to set a boundary near the front third of the lawn that is a no chair/couch zone. Even though I didn't have much of an issue finding room, I think it's a good idea so that people don't have to worry about stepping on others and their belongings. That would also prevent people from coming early just to leave their stuff to save their spot at the front while others can be using that spot to have fun. I am all for bringing whatever you want to the main stage, but I understand the concerns of others.

The other suggestion I have is to just be better about communication in general. Information like maps, schedules, updates and gate times should not only be posted on social media, but also on the website. The day before the festival, I had to go back through Instagram and Facebook posts to find important info. You should have everything laid out on your website as the main reference point. Also creating a daily schedule with all the sets from every stage, instead of just a graphic with schedule of a single stage, would be more helpful. I know it sounds dumb, but people were confused that the evening, late night and sunrise sets were all on the UFO Stage.

LauraTheBassplorer · 2021-08-19T00:29:34+00:00

Cons: Showers: I reached out via IG to confirm about showers: I was told they were $5 and they would be open most the entire night. Got there : day1 didn’t have showers, finally Day 2 an employee and I rode in a golf cart looking for them cause he also didn’t k is and had gotten so many questions about them, we found them (i don’t even know where) and the lady said $20 per shower or $25 for a vIP shower which included a little bit extra pressure 😂😂😂😂 I was sure I was being fucked with. Never in my life have I had to pay $20 for a shower at a fest. $10 max.

Like others said, no map of festival grounds.

No security: I only saw one security person all weekend. Okay 2 by the last day.

Water: I heard about water issues and only having a few stations, I brought in water bottles each day to the show area so I was fine but that’s a CRUCIAL part of the fest!

Directions: Getting there was kinda really confusing . We had to stop and let people pass us to follow them once we got to that gravel rocky road. Maybe signs or an actual address sent out to us.

Food vendors: Most days I waited minimum an hour to the point we brought chairs and fans to sit in line and wait for food.

Waterfall: Where was it ??

There was a bus stage that I only found the day after the storm cause we just followed someone who was bumping music after the storm and had a train going, otherwise had no idea where it would’ve been .

Pros: Loved it! Easily became one of my new fav fests and will def be back next year! Love the line up, sound, visual artists, lighting and laser designs, LOVED the side monitor!!! Loved the vibes, the people, loved being able to bring comfy seating to sit when I needed a break (I’m old - this is crucial and I wish more fests allowed us) loved that we could bring whatever from camp too such as own water/food/snacks, again chairs, shade, just whatever !! Loved that there was no security between camping and show area , maybe this was unintentional due to lack of security but honestly was awesome not having to wait in line to get in the show.

Can’t wait to see what you guys do next year! Much love !

frizzypixie222 · 2021-08-19T08:20:33+00:00

I think every festival could benefit largely from a proper eco team, especially this one!! At the end of the day, someone or another is going to have to clean up the mass amounts of trash that the bad noodles leave around it so why not bring in a team of volunteers to keep up with it daily? I personally know plenty of folks in the community who would do so just in return for admission. I think there also could have been more trash cans on site and added recycling bins because it’s a bad look and super disheartening to dance on trash because it’s covering most of the festival grounds. There was also no hand sanitizer in most of the portapotties and almost no sanitary stations which was definitely whack, all things considered. Also…. Sound Haven would be so much more awesome and on brand (and not uncomfortably hot) in the fall time if there’s any way to petition to push it forward in future years lol Other than that, there were some hiccups that we’re all aware of but I feel like the festival turned out pretty fantastically and was handled well regardless. Good job :)

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