Squamish Music Festival Survival Guide

Squamish Music Festival Survival Guide

There is no contesting that this year’s Squamish Music Festival will be bigger and more epic than ever before! The star-studded lineup is set to bring in around 30,000 festival goers which will temporarily double the population of our small town. This Survival Guide is a meant for locals and visitors who want to make the most of the summer’s best music party, whether you plan to join or not!

The Squamish Music Festival Goers Survival Guide

Part 1: Party Tools & Techniques

Supplies: Once you enter festival grounds, the cost of food and supplies, so you are going to want to stock up before you go in. Check out Valhalla Pure for camping supplies that you may have forgotten to pack. For healthy meal options, On The Farm Country Market has snacks and cooking supplies, all locally-sourced. For more options check out our Local Favourite businesses for places to stock up on your party supplies.

Where To Stay: With all of the local Squamish Hotels booking up early, your best bet for festival accommodation will be the onsite camping.To make a last minute reservation click here or check out our more detailed Squamish Music Festival Accomodation Guide .

Where to Shop: For those wanting to update their wardrobe with the latest festival fashion be sure to check out Mountain Threads. The store has a great selection of women’s and men’s clothing that will help you survive the festival feeling and looking your best!

How to Survive the Pre-Party Boredom: With gates not opening until 1:00 pm every day, festival goers will be need to survive having the mornings to themselves. Adventures, activities and exploring are always a great way to work off the previous night’s over-indulgence and to hit reset for another night of dancing and music. Squamish has tons to offer for those who want to explore and adventure before the shows starts – Hint the Whistle Punk Mini Golf Course is within walking distance of the festival camping grounds. For more ideas check out our guide to Squamish summer activities from sea to sky, and be sure to book ahead as these are sure to sell out.

How to Beat the Heat:  With warm weather forecast for the Squamish Festival, it is important to know how to beat the heat. In addition to drinking lots of water and wearing sunscreen, we advise glacier river swims, and alpine to cool down. For more fun ways to beat the heat be sure to read our guide on how to beat the heat in Squamish.

Part 2: Recovery Tools & Techniques

Where to Fuel Up: In order to party and dance all weekend long be sure to stop by the breakfast buffet available at the Howe Sound Inn and Pepe & Gringos. These restaurants have figured out how to serve the larger crowds faster with delicious breakfast options. Fergies Cafe offers a delicious breakfast while you lounge and recover from the festivities in their scenic grounds. For late risers – The Ruddy Duck has the largest selection of poutines in the Sea to Sky region (Poutine is a popular Canadian dish of chips covered in gravy and cheese curds, rumored to help cure hangovers). Check out our other local favourite restaurants for more ideas.

How to Recover and Reset:  No one ever said you have to rough it at a festival, so why not treat yourself to a spa day. This is a great way to rest and recover in the relaxing air conditioned surroundings, while you get pampered and prepared to look your best. Treat yourself to a spa recovery and book you and your friends in for a morning at Local Favourite Concrete Blonde. If you want to treat your body with a little love, call Squamish Integrated Health and book a massage.-These guys fill up fast, so book now!

Where to Seek Medical Attention: The festival will have medical stations and attendants set up at various locations throughout the grounds. This will be the best location for you to address any minor issues like heat stroke, stitches or dehydration. For any serious emergencies it is always best to call 911.

Survival Guide for the Non Festivals Goers, Visitors and Locals

Where to Escape the Crowds: It is totally possible to escape the crowds, you just need to be on the opposite schedule of the festival goers. Once the music starts (gates open at 1pm) most people will be in the festival grounds singing along to all the great headliners. This will leave the mountain biking and hiking trails just for you and the other like-minded peoples looking to get-away from the crowds by escaping to nature.

How to Avoid Traffic – Most of us moved to Squamish to escape the traffic and crowds. During the festival weekend there will definitely be traffic back ups and congestion on the roads. The best way to avoid traffic is to ride your bike and to plan your trips accordingly to avoid the busiest times. Avoid driving from Vancouver to Squamish Thursday evening if possible, as this is when 75% of the festival traffic will be arriving.

Places of Peace and Tranquility  – Be sure to stop by the Squamish Public Library for a cool place to chill out with their A/C and a good read. Most places outside of the festival are quiet on the weekend of the Squamish Festival. We recommend taking a hike, bike or run up to the mountain tops, rent a boat to enjoy the ocean, all Squamish adventure activities are great during the festival as the crowds are busy dancing the day away!

The Squamish Valley Music Festival is growing to become the best music party of the summer in North America. The number of people will definitely put a stress on the infrastructure of our town. Our advice here is if you can’t beat them join them, you never know how much fun you may have at the Squamish Valley Music Festival until you walk through those gates with an open mind and your dancing shoes on.