written by Tori Thomas
Further Fest Music Festival at a glance
Music genre: Folk, EDM, Acoustic
Camping: Sites were set up throughout the festival; some camped by vendors, others by the Dome stage in a mix of tents, RVs, tee pees, and car camping.
Capacity: Small, very small
Crowd type: Ravers / Hippies / Young / Family
Water stations: Yes
For the first-timers
Further Fest is located on a farm 15 minutes from the city of Nashville, so the best airport to fly into is Nashville International Airport and Uber or taxi the rest of the way. There is a small day parking area, but Further Fest is primarily a camping festival. You can’t rent any items, so come prepared with camping supplies or check out hotels offerings just 10-15 minutes away. Ins and outs are permitted.
Stage layout
Further Fest has just two stages; The Dome stage is just what it sounds like, and came in handy once rain rolled in. The Forrest stage was decorated with a mask and geometric shapes. Walking between stages wasn’t bad, until it rained and climbing the hill to get to the dome stage was difficult.
Musical highlights
Going into this festival, I didn’t know any of the artists performing. I checked out different genres, different acts, and just walked back and forth between stages to discover new music. A band that caught my ear was Daphne and the Mystery Machines. The style of singing—a soulful and gospel-esque sound—really grabbed me, and I was an instant fan. I caught a few other set sets throughout the weekend, most noteably Zigadoo Moneyclips…I’m a sucker for trumpets and brass instruments. They were super upbeat and eye catching in their gold metallic pants that made their dance moves extra inspiring.
Things to do
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Kids section for jamming
- Workshops ranging in subjects (dance, movement, bassology)
- Jedi training
- Juggling
- Wire wrapping
- Earthworks workshop
VIP or nah
This festival did not have a VIP option.
Story corner
When I first arrived to the festival, I walked the grounds to get the lay of the land then came across a van with a meditation room and a little drum circle. Everyone was extremely welcoming, and everyone had something to say. I snapped some shots and then got to talking, learning about fellow festie’s different outlooks on life and relationships with the earth. I ended up hiding out in my car during the rainstorm on Saturday, but had a great time exploring the newly soaked and flooded lands of the festival. The acts originally booked on the water logged Dome stage were moved inside the dome, and though there weren’t really enough lights for night acts, I left feeling more connected to and appreciative of this earth. Festivals make me feel good…go figure.