How to have the perfect festival romance

A festival is capturing the wild part of your heart in a weekend, it’s the chance to let your hair down and just dance. It’s the place where the stars still shine and love still exists, just a few of the reasons why it is the perfect place for a short romance.

Where else do you get to say “I love you” on the first night and not regret it in the morning?

Perfect dates

My festival romance’s first date was at a shisha bar around 1am on the early hours of a Friday morning. As we brought our sleeping bags and pyjamas down to a warm tepee and set up on the beanbags we toked from some fruity flavoured steam neither of us were really interested in. But the aesthetic was nice.

And although it’s not everyone’s ideal date, you have to admit it beats sitting in a dead cinema, or chewing some nasty food. Plus there’s guaranteed good company at a festival.

Day drinking

Day dates can be hard because you have to be sober – damn social conventions. Day drinking at a festival however, is acceptable. Plus you can’t be bored if you’re drunk. So even if the guy you’re hooking up with is not someone you would necessarily date in the ‘real world’, you can’t really give drinking and giggling all day a miss.

Festivals give you superhuman strength

You need someone with stamina, you need someone who can walk around the festival all day and still party all night. You don’t want someone who spends the cold hours of the night sitting on their ass, especially when you can have someone who will throw you on their shoulders.

Foreplay can go on all night

Much to many a bloke’s dismay, it is much easier to put off shagging when it comes to fooling around in a tent, although you can grind and kiss each other as much as you want. Having sex at a festival comes with so many hygiene problems it’s probably best avoided, and that’s something a guy cannot dispute.

More perfect dates

From behind you feel hands touch on your denim shorts, you feel lips press into your neck. The stage lights up and so does your heart. Now I’m not normally a romantic but there’s nothing like a festival boyfriend, it’s all the fun with none of the commitment. It’s a puppy for Christmas. And it’s a joy you should never deprive yourself of.

You can spend the nights holding hands, breathing deeply, and having a heart to heart – whilst going through a completely new experience, with a completely new person. And not be worrying about where it’s going to go afterwards. You won’t be looking for their text and you won’t beg them to come see you. Chances are you don’t live near each other so it’s just left as a nice memory.

Just don’t choose a complete stranger

Festivals are a dangerous place, so I would never advise getting intimate with a stranger. Stick with friends of friends, people on the fringes of your group who you always fancied or just like the look of now, but in other situations wouldn’t dare speak to. But the more you can get to know someone, the more intense your weekend can be. From first kisses, to hand holding and indulging secrets. There’s nothing so sweet as the carefree taste of festival loves.

You don’t have to commit

After the weekend you’re left with a soft smile and a few good memories of hand-holding, shoulder riding, deep chats in the tent and lots and lots of alcohol. But you both know the weekend can only last so long and that there’s not really the chance to get attached and if you’ve chosen the right beau then you won’t have to endure the awkwardness along with a hangover