As an active EDM lover, it’s become clear to me that disabling fear is the key, rather than disabling our ability to thrive. Many members within our EDM community have health conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, etc., so we need to pack a little extra sometimes. There could also be community members that haven’t attended a festival yet because of a medical condition. We want to provide as much information as possible about on-site medical care and self preparedness to make you feel at ease about going to that festival.
Progress in Research
It’s important to know what the layout of the festival grounds will look like before attending an event so you have an idea of your accessibility to a hydration center, medical tent, or food stand. As research progresses, noticeable signs of improvement are being made each year to benefit these concerns, including a “Chill Zone” that was implemented in 2021 for EDC Las Vegas. Stations like this provide a cool atmosphere with comfortable lounging to calm the body and reset your energy. It has also been suggested that “at least one large cooling bath, regardless of ground temperature” should be implemented at all festivals.
Commonly Reported Illnesses
The more common critical illnesses being reported at festivals include hyperthermia, hypoglycemia, seizures, ventricular arrhythmias, and anoxia, while reports of asthma-related complications clock in around 3%. With this information, we have a better glimpse of how the environment and our personal activity will impact our wellness while in attendance. Keeping yourself cool, fed, and oxygenated is your priority to thrive! This will mean taking a break from riding rails from time to time, but it’s only so we can recoup and carry on.
Personal Preparation
Being a Type 1 diabetic, I carry my personal necessities in a trusty fanny pack for safekeeping and convenience. Glucose tablets are a huge win for any person to have on them because they come in portable cases and are just enough to get you or a fellow raver through when someone’s blood sugar is low (hypoglycemia) and the food line looks like rush hour. I am also an epileptic with no general triggers, so I take my medication as directed every day in order to avoid surprise mishaps. Camping is also a great option if the back and forth gets to be too much, so you can bring all your essentials for safekeeping and return to your campsite any time you like. (Prescribed medications are allowed).
Improvements on the Rise
We’re now seeing event staff hired for preventative measures to make rounds all across the venue and check on people’s health and safety. These “Crowd Searchers” are a big help in obtaining immediate access to medical care and we love them for it! The convenience of having two or three-day festivals is also great so that we can make our own schedule fit around the event. As an example, if you’re an epileptic triggered by harsh lights, attending festivals during the day is a great option and you still get to experience amazing sights and sounds.
Know Your Show
Festivals are growing not only in size and entertainment but in how we care for our community. If it’s your first time attending, looking up past years’ festival maps is a helpful tool in understanding the amenities provided, since we know that event details generally aren’t made public till the month or week of. But, based on where EDM is going, you can only anticipate that the next year is going to be better. And if that means putting in a wading pool or cooling bath for those warm days, I can only anticipate the best is yet to come.
FEATURED PHOTO BY EDC Las Vegas
