Osheaga 2015 was my first, and I’m hooked. Apart from the 3 days of incredible music with a variety to please anyone, you never know what adventure awaits. Last year, I got a selfie with Amy Adams, found myself next to St Vincent in the general public area during Kendrick Lamar (another selfie) and dancing to Weezer with Jay Shepard of Leisure Cruise (yes…selfie #3) and finally Johnny Took of the DMA’s bought me a burger and beers (final selfie).
Osheaga is very well organized which keeps a tight flow of performances, without wasting any time, to squeeze in as much music as you can possibly fit in a day.
Like I mentioned in my previous article (link), there are different ways to experience Osheaga. Some will pick a stage and camp out to have the best view of the bands that will perform. If you are a die-hard fan and don’t have VIP access, that is the way to go. For others, it’s a social event and a blanket on the back hill gives them a good view, albeit far. This allows them to dance with plenty of room and generally enjoy the company of their friends and simply chill out. Some will hang out and dance for 3 days at the Piknic Electronik area. For others, it’s an Olympic event with careful planning to maximize the viewing of the best of the bands performing for any given day.
Like an Olympic athlete, I begin my training early by standing on my tippy toes for hours as I always seem find myself behind the Basketball Team. I practice screaming and pumping my arm in the air. Some days, I alternate and do the slow side to side arm wave that so many bands demand. I attune my Ninja skills of noticing if a body surfer will unexpectedly land on my head from any angle. Those same Ninja skills are used to avoid flames from lighters on the slow jams, and avoiding being brushed by a sweaty no shirt dude unwittingly sharing his beer with all peripheral guests. Probably the most beneficial training is walking with purpose in crowds to make the next performance. To give myself a competitive edge, I also stand in lineups for no other reason than to be ready for the bathroom and water filling stations.
The planning phase is probably the most important. Using a combination of the website schedule and the Osheaga iPhone App and YouTube, you are ready.
For every time slot, I make sure to listen to every band and make my selection. On the APP, you can put a star on the band you chose and find the stage they will perform at. Keep the map open and try to have a plan that allows for time to get from stage to stage.
Based on my experience last year, here are some tips for Osheaga 2016
- Arrive early. You might discover some incredible bands that will be on the main stage in following years, so watch them up close now.
- You will be walking a lot…wear comfortable shoes. I suggest closed toed shoes as the areas around the main stages are small rocks…which got into my open sandals…never again.
- Bring a water bottle. You are allowed one plastic water bottle that you can refill at the various filling stations throughout the site. I suggest you freeze it, as they might ask you to empty it when entering, and if it’s frozen…it’s clearly not booze, plus it keeps your lunch cool.
- Pack a lunch. While the food trucks will have amazing food, if you want to save your hard earned cash, bring a sandwich and small snacks you can have throughout the event. This will allow you to avoid lines as well. Do try some of the food trucks though…you won’t regret it.
- Bring a waterproof poncho (fits easily in a small backpack) in case it rains.
- Bring sunscreen unless you like looking like a Lobster (Rock Lobster?). (no aerosol cans)
- Although there are charging stations on the site, bring a small external battery charger to make sure you capture all the action. NOTE: Because of the sheer volume of people, the cellular network might be overloaded, so trying to send too many pictures via text messaging for example might drain your battery…as it tries and tries to send.
- Bring a small blanket and enjoy the view from the hill in the back if you don’t want to be in the big crowd.
- Wear comfortable clothing, but make sure you have a few layers in case it gets cold at night.
- If you choose to drink…pace yourself! Why pay good money if you don’t remember the show? Drink plenty of water between drinks.
- Pack some Band-Aids for little accidents/blisters and hand sanitizer as well.
Osheaga is a lot to take in, but with some advance preparation and planning, it will surely be an amazing three days.
See you there!
Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and Business coach with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
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