Summer is music festival season, not just throughout the United States, but all over the world.
From the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia to Outside Lands in San Francisco, these events showcase diverse musical genres, curating an incredible lineup of bands and DJs over a few days. Fans can experience their favorite performers and be introduced to new artists while spending time under the sun and stars with thousands of like-minded people.
As fun as these festivals are, however, they can be extremely expensive. Entrance alone can cost hundreds of dollars for each attendance day, and that’s just the beginning of the associated costs. According to a 2025 SoFi report, spending $2,000 for one weekend is not unusual.
Can you do it for cheaper and get an equally good, if not better, experience? Absolutely. Here’s how.
1. Get Tickets the Right Way
If you missed out on the first round of tickets and the price on the secondary market is prohibitive, you may be tempted to get them in other ways.
Be careful, though. If you get them from a scammer, you’ll not only be out of cash, but you’ll miss the festival. Be suspicious of strangely low prices and requests for wire transfer payments.
“Never buy tickets from a scalper,” says Lindsay Stevens, who handles public relations for the Riverbeat festival in Memphis, Tennessee. “Get them from a verified third-party vendor like Ticketmaster or someone you trust. Facebook friend groups for last-minute tickets can be good too, because you’re connected with people you know.”
Still can’t afford the elevated price? Tune into a radio station that is promoting the event with contests. “IHeartRadio is great,” Stephens says. “Promoters use it as a promo tool to get people excited about the event. We do a fixed dollar amount for the number of tickets we’re giving away through the station. It’s good advertising.”
[Related:How to Get Cheap Sports Tickets and Concert Tickets]
2. Pay With Credit, Then Delete With Cash
Paying with a credit card is good for convenience and consumer protection, but pay off the balance before interest is added. Charging $2,000 to a card with a 25% APR and then spreading the bill out until next year’s festival begins will cost you an additional $281 in fees.
The best practice is to charge the festival expenses to a rewards card, then pay the bill before interest is applied. If you have a cash back card offering 2% back, you’ll earn $40 after charging $2,000.
Or, this may be the time to open a new credit card with a big sign-up bonus. For example, if the ticket price is $500, a Wells Fargo Active Cash® card can be attractive since it will give you $200 after spending that amount, which brings the net ticket price down to $300.
3. Be Judicious With Payment Plans
It may be tempting to opt in to a payment plan for your ticket to avoid racking up a huge credit card bill. But that can be ill-advised.
Coachella is one of the largest music festivals. Billboard Magazine reported that 60% of Coachella 2025 attendees used payment plans to purchase tickets, which started at $599. These plans, known as Buy Now, Pay Later, allow you to pay in a few installments rather than up front, usually for a flat fee (in this case, $41) instead of interest.
“I know a lot of people who are paying in installments, and I think that’s a good option,” says Corona Smith, a recent UCLA graduate and regular festival attendee who lives in San Francisco. “But I like to just get the tickets way ahead of time, and make it work by not going out to dinner, hanging with friends or going out for drinks for a few weeks.”
Only use these plans when you are confident that you can afford the series of payments. In other words, make sure you can pay on time. If you don’t, a late fee will be added. Let it go too long and a delinquency will be reported to your credit file, which will negatively affect your credit scores.
If the payment is too high, it can impact the amount of money you have for regular bills, causing you to turn to credit cards to make up the difference. Break a $600 ticket into four even installments and you’re looking at $150 each month. If your budget is already thin, this could be tough to manage.
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4. Take Advantage of a Credit Card’s Concierge Service
If you wait too long to get your music festival tickets, you may need to go through a third-party seller, which ups the price according to market demand. The lowest priced four-day ticket to Lollapalooza 2025 is $415 on the event’s website, but currently starts at $517 on SeatGeek.
One way around this problem is to utilize your credit card’s concierge service, if you have an account that provides this perk. For example, American Express Concierge will help qualifying cardholders secure tickets as soon as they go on sale and will charge them directly to their card with no additional processing fee.
5. Make Money and Get In for Free
Music festivals rely on outside vendors to provide a wide range of services, including food and beverages, as well as merchandise. If you can’t afford to buy a ticket, consider this your opportunity to not only get into the festival for free, but even to make some extra money. If it’s a multi-day event and you’re not interested in certain acts, find out if there are employment opportunities during that time frame.
“Oftentimes vendors are hiring for the day,” says Christine Collins, a music festival industry veteran. “Sell merchandise or concessions and get free food, free tickets and sometimes free perks.”
According to Collins, you may also score free entry by signing up to be a crowd informant while still wearing your stylish festival clothes. Security professionals can’t be everywhere, so they often rely on volunteers to walk around and notify them about suspicious activity while acting casual.
6. Get a Behind-the-Scenes Experience Without the VIP Cost
Going backstage to see your favorite entertainers up close and personal can be a thrill, but it’s usually reserved for people paying extra for the privilege.
You may not need to shell out the money for backstage access, however. According to Collins, you may be able to become what’s known as a runner.
“You’re a gopher for the greater good,” she says. “You’re tasked out to retrieve items for talent and their teams, sometimes the venue. You can also apply to be an alternate, which means you’re attending but get called to duty, but only if needed,” she says. Check the event’s webpage for jobs.
7. Create a Look for Less
Festivals are fashion-foward events.
You can stand out in the crowd with cool outfits without overpaying, says Lana Ashby Rowder, stylist and founder of fashion tech platform LookingGLASS, who is also a music festival enthusiast. She says anyone can be a festival fashionista for almost no money. Here are her tips:
— Shop your closet and check to see what you can assemble in creative ways.
— Go thrift shopping — other people’s wild cast-offs can be your new look.
— Modify what you have: Cut jeans into shorts, bedazzle clothes or clip in feathers.
“There are no rules,” Rowder says. “Have fun, show your personality. You can do that with a T-shirt that says something unique to you.”
If you do want to buy new, don’t waste your money on things like expensive footwear.
“People take them out for the first time and their feet are bloody or they’re ruined,” Rowder says. “Wear your trusty sneakers. A lot of people are jumping around and stepping on toes. Definitely don’t wear open toes shoes, as you’ll be going in porta potties.”
Also avoid wearing anything super expensive that can be ruined or knocked off, like a nice hat.
Sharing clothes can also help you save. Smith gets together with her friends before the festival and swap clothes they already own, assembling it all into a group look.
[Related:Use These Expert Thrifting Tips to Find the Best Buys]
8. Prepare for the Elements
Jamie Roberts, founder of For the Win Media in New York City, has been going to music festivals for more than 30 years and warns against under-preparing. If you don’t bring certain things, you may have to pay a premium for them once you’re inside.
“Bring a handheld fan, with misting if it’s in August, so you don’t die of heat stroke and don’t have to keep buying water,” Roberts says. “Wear or bring layers so you don’t need to buy merch to be warm. People forget the day-to-night temperature change.”
Also, pack a small tube of sunscreen and a tiny first-aid kit so you don’t have to seek out the medical tent for small scrapes or blisters.
9. Pregame and Pack Snacks
If you enter the event site hungry or thirsty, your bank account may suffer.
“Inside the festival is a huge money suck,” says Smith, who suggests eating and drinking before you go in. “If you can bring food in to the festival, definitely do that. You will literally spend $20 for fries.”
Check the bag policy before you go. For example, at Bonnaroo, held in Manchester, Tennessee, bags must be smaller than 12″ x 6″ x 12″ and clear. Consider those dimensions and see how many protein bars and packets of nuts you can stuff in.
Clear water bottles may be allowed in, but chances are you’ll drink most within the first couple of hours. Hang onto the vessel and refill it at the free hydration station.
10. Score the Swag
Festival merchandise is cool, but oftentimes pricey. For example, a hoodie advertising Chicago’s 2025 Summer Smash retails for $100.
Victoria Vesce, a West Palm Beach, Florida-based content creator, just went to her first festival, Stagecoach, and suggests looking for branded promotional gear instead.
“There are tons of free giveaways, parties and brand activations,” Vesce says.
“You can accessorize your whole look once you’re there. I picked up skincare, hats and drinks at sponsor booths, and a bunch of people scored pieces to complete their outfits. Definitely reach out to brands ahead of time to get invites to extra parties and pop-ups. Send a DM to the brand,” she adds.
And if you absolutely must buy the festival’s official gear when you’re there, consider waiting until the very end, when vendors may be selling merchandise at a deep discount.
11. Secure Budget-Friendly Accommodations
“Check the festival’s website for local hotel and retail partners,” Stevens says. “They may offer special deals on packages.”
Not everybody can afford a hotel room, however, so you should check out camping options, which are usually available. Smith says that that’s what she does, explaining that even local Airbnbs can be expensive due to high demand.
Depending on the festival, you can score very low cost tent sites. For example, the tent/car camping pass for the Country Summer Music Festival in Santa Rosa, California, is $165 and can accommodate up to five guests. Split among your group it’s just $33 per person.
Only you know what you can handle, though. If camping is uncomfortable or people are partying until the sun goes down, you may not enjoy the next day because you’re so exhausted. If sleep is a necessity, plan your budget for an Airbnb or a hotel.
With the right approach, you can go to the music festival of your dreams without overspending. By following even a few of these tips, you can keep costs to a minimum while maximizing your joy. If it’s as much fun as you hoped, start saving for next year’s event. By socking away $167 every month, you’ll have enough for a $2,000 blowout experience.
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11 Ways to Save Money at Music Festivals originally appeared on usnews.com
