The 13th to 15th of July saw Melt Festival 2018 at Ferropolis, a festival island/open-air museum near Dessau. Having been around since 1997, the venue of Melt has moved to Ferropolis in 1999 and has stayed there ever since.
Melt Festival 2018
The past weekend was so, so rad. Crazy, fun, and hot, all packed into one whole weekend camping get-away. I wouldn’t say it provided a nice atmosphere to relax and recharge, although I think most would associate camping with a time of retreat, however in this case, camping was just… The beginning to an awesome three nights of dancing and drinking. Oh, of course, and how could ever forget, getting glitter all over our faces! Also, if you’re looking just to read the key takeaways of this whole experience, scroll straight to the bottom!
Melt Festival is mainly an electronic music festival, but also includes other genres such as techno and indie rock.
The main highlight of the festival for me was Alma, Florence and the Machine, and Mura Masa. They were all so amazing and the party vibes were so real with the whole crowd cheering and moving along to the beats of the music.
Of course, the party only starts at night, so in the day, we spent our time trying to recuperate as much as we could in our tents, and then, when we finally felt we had sufficient energy to get out (and when we could no longer suffer under the sweltering heat trapped in our tents), we headed down to the lake where the water was cool, and was of course, overpopulated.
It was also nice to see that there were so many stores and different advocates at the Melt, such as second-hand clothing shops, places selling groceries, and even a medical company that was giving out free earplugs to promote the importance of protecting your eardrums. There was also a sock company that was giving out free glitter makeovers! Really rad.
I think another really cool aspect about festivals is also how people are so friendly to one another. We talked to quite a few people along the way and it was really wonderful to see how people from different parts of the world could all come together because of their love for similar music.
My overall takeaways
1. Drink lots of water!
And by lots, I mean LOTS. The weather in summer is crazily hot with temperatures going up to 33 degrees (Celsius), and not to mention all that alcohol is going to make you so dehydrated as well.
2. You don’t actually need a sleeping bag
Like I said, your tent is going to be an over once the sun rises, and at night, chances are you’ll be so full of alcohol that you’re going to feel so warm. But of course do bring a jacket or two because the temperature does drop at night! The one night I didn’t drink, I was still shaking in my tent, despite wearing a pullover AND a windbreaker. But the party only starts at night, and lasts till morning so, if you party all night, forget that sleeping bag.
3. Bring toilet paper
Toilet paper rarely appears in portable toilets… You’ve been warned! (Trust me, you’re going to need it for sure)
4. Alcohol is allowed in the camp site
Three cheers (and more) to this! Drinks in the festival site is pretty expensive, so pre-drinking is definitely a good idea before you dance your night away. Just make sure to dispose of the glass bottles carefully. Also another good thing to do would be to bring a 1.5L PET bottle so that you would always have water on hand!
5. Bring a portable charger
This. If anything, this is the most important – to stay contactable! There are some charging points you could use, but they are rare and few, and would definitely be difficult to get a free one since every other person would be charging their device at some point in time. They do also rent portable chargers on site, but it’s definitely much more convenient to have your own because you could also have it while you’re traveling to and from the festival!
In conclusion?
In short, if given the chance, I would definitely go for another music festival! It’s a really cool experience, and if you do love music, party vibes and meeting new people – its the place for you.