photo by Tyler Fewox
Last year I attended 17 different festivals on behalf of Festival Squad. I spent a lot of my time traveling to various destinations, sitting in lines to get in camping grounds, eating delicious (but not so healthy) food, and dancing while making new friends (because yes, you can do both at the same time). Once I closed out 2016, I decided to be a little more selective on my festival attendance and decided to attend ~5 this year, a significant decrease from my hectic on-the-go schedule from last year.
I decided that I wanted to focus on festivals that I haven’t attended, and focus on festing in attractive places. When I saw the lineup to Bonanza I was sold. Festing in Utah sounds incredible. I have only been to Utah once, and it was so spectacular that while driving on an interstate, I pulled over about 5 times in awe at the mountains and the beauty the land. The lineup sealed the deal for me, and now I type this article with a round trip ticket booked, and I’m ready to rock.
As any good festie would do, I always hop around the festival website to try and get a good idea of what to expect. Here are just a few things that stand out to me as things to know/expect for Bonanza Campout.
1. You Pay With Your Wristband: Cashless Systems
It is honestly amazing to me that we live in 2017 and we are still waiting in long festival food and drink lines, impatiently huffing and puffing while people to pocket their change, or pocket their credit cards. In Europe, almost all festivals have a cashless system. You know that chip inside your festival wristband that scans and says your ticket is valid? That same chip can be preloaded with money. That way anything you want to buy at the fest you can buy quickly. This results in less people losing their credit cards/debit cards, less fraud, and the best part? NO LINE. Bravo, Bonanza for being my first music festival in the United States that has figured this out!
2. Access To Artists
The worst part about paying for VIP at music festivals is the lack of what you get. For an extra $200 or $300, these festivals promise you a shorter security line, and one extra bar on the side of a stage. Bonanza Campout offers two levels of excellent VIP. The Super VIP is currently only $125 more than the 3-day GA, and comes with (drum roll, please)…. access to artist lounges. Talk about a steal for one heck of a festival experience. The ticket also comes with a food voucher for each day and swag. If you were planning to buy some merchandise from the festival, this extra dough to get this ticket is well worth it.
3. Cabins and Bungalow Camping Options
Camping festivals are loved by some, and disliked by others. To those of you who prefer to glamp, cabins & bungalows are available. Well, thats half true. Those awesome cabins quickly sold out, but 4 person Bungalow options are available. Since regular camping is also currently sold out, I suggest moving fast! The good news is that prices are incredibly reasonable when split between the group for a Bungalow (a little over $100/person). Those who choose this route will also get access to showers. Sounds like a big yes to me!
4. 1 and 2 Day Tickets Available
If you’re strapped on cash and you still want to attend this upcoming festival, you can get a one, two, or a three day festival pass (thank you, Bonanza Campout, for literally thinking of everything). The tickets are $70, $130, or $175 respectively. What a good deal for such an amazing lineup, and what appears to be a well organized festival.
5. Our Giveaway for 2 GA Passes
The best part about our Squad? We love to share experiences. And since I am going to this festival, I think you should too. So be sure to join me at Bonanza by entering below, or don’t take your chances on ticket increases and get yours HERE.