Weather and Camping

Camping check-in begins at 9 a.m. Thursday, so make plans with your festy squad accordingly.  Pack for all weather conditions. It could rain, it could be hot, it could be cold, or it could be dusty! While the weather as of now is looking warm in the daytime and chilly at night, be prepared for anything and everything. Nothing sucks more than getting caught in the rain if you’re unprepared. Click this link if you’re not sure what to wear. I recommend picking up some rain proof tent spray and covering your tent in it to prevent leaks in case of rain.

Don’t forget plenty of cash to buy ice to keep your cooler foods fresh. Make sure to pack your reusable water bottle, which you can fill at many water stations across the grounds. Plus, bring a few towels if you plan to take showers at the event. Shower pods are in the campgrounds. You’ll need shower tokens, which you can purchase at the General Store.

Gifting and Activities

Interested in sharing some gifts with your Okeechobee fam?  Here are some ideas for festival gifts that will put a smile on someone’s face!

Pack your yoga mat and activity-friendly outfits. Okee is known for a variety of fun workshops and events, including yoga sessions, mindfulness, massages, courses in environmentalism, sound healing, and sports like volleyball. Pack a pool float and inflatable pump if you’re interested in chilling in the water. Get ready to experience tons of art! Okee is a music and arts fest, after all. Bring your camera and don’t forget to pack sunglasses and sunscreen for daytime adventures.

Totems

Yes, totems are allowed! But, they must meet the festival’s guidelines. To read about totem guidelines and the prohibited item list, click here.

Medical Services

It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the festival map to learn where medical services are located. Start hydrating and stretching now to prepare your body! Check out this article to learn about preventing muscle soreness at camping fests.

Look out for the Ground Control volunteer team, wearing bright purple shirts, who will be wandering around the event to make sure you’re staying happy and healthy. Look for a purple shirt Ground Control member if you need anything.

Leaving No Trace

Perhaps the most important tip - remember to leave no trace! Pack plenty of trash bags (think you have enough? Bring more) and keep an eye on your campsite and main walking paths. Keep Florida beautiful by picking up after yourself and others.

Have a beautiful time, Okee fam!

Ready to go, but not sure what to wear? Here’s an outfit guide to keep you looking fly all weekend long!

Prepare for warm days and chilly nights. Layers are your friend! It’s always good to come prepared for a variety of weather conditions at camping festivals, so bring options in case you get too hot or cold. I also recommend bringing a pair of rain boots and rain jacket - just in case!

These sleeves add warmth to any rave outfit:

Sexy to Infinity Outfit

Simplify the shopping process and choose from one of these matching sets!

Lost In Space Outfit

Keep yourself warm in the evenings with a cozy yet stylish jacket.

Discotheque Outfit

Psychedelic Plaything Outfit

Boogie Baby Outfit

Truly Trippy Outfit

Never forget a hydration pack or fanny pack to keep your belongings safe while you rage. Comfortable footwear is a must! And don’t forget extra pairs of socks. Sunglasses are key for the daytime. Keep them on at night, too - why not. If you’re choosing to wear a mask at Okee, check out these cute options. Don’t forget to accessorize with some harnesses and body chains.

Okeechobee took place this year from March 5-8 at Sunshine Grove in Okeechobee, Florida. This was a big year for this festival for multiple reasons. First of all, after a wildly successful first few years, Okeechobee had announced that there would be no festival in 2019. Then, last year, Insomniac CEO Pasquale Rosella gave us some great news — not only would the festival be returning in 2020, but Insomniac would also be partnering with the original festival founders to make this the biggest and best Okeechobee yet.

This festival was absolutely amazing in every way imaginable. It was a camping festival, which is always more fun in my opinion. Something unique about this event was the setup. While most camping festivals set it up to have the campsite on one side and the festival on another, this festival had a very different format. The main festival was in the very middle and was surrounded on almost all sides with different campsites. In addition to this unique setup, there were big pieces of the festival that weren’t actually inside the festival grounds at all, but in this area between the campgrounds and festival grounds that became one of our favorite spots to hang out throughout the weekend. One of these amenities was called the Aquachobee Stage. 

The Aquachobee Stage was easily one of the highlights of Okeechobee as a whole. This stage was literally on a beach next to a beautiful lake. As soon as we got to the festival and set up camp, we ran straight to Aquachobee just in time to catch Supertask, Huxley Anne, and Yheti. Watching the sunset here was absolutely breathtaking. On the first full day of the festival, I had a blast running around during a few of the sets and finding friends from different states and introducing them and vibing in the sun on the beach. G-Space and Eazybaked both put on amazing sets and this definitely set the stage for an incredible weekend.

After leaving Aquachobee on Friday we finally ventured into the actual festival to check out the other stages and vendors. This festival really has it all - in addition to a beach stage there were also stages in the forest. The “Be”, “Here”, and “Now” were all big main stages tucked into the woods of the festival grounds that were lit up by gorgeous lights and art installations everywhere you turned.

There was also a stage called “Incendia” which we called the fire stage because it was such an insane setup with so many pyrotechnics as you’re exiting the festival and heading to camp. Last but not least, another favorite was a stage called “Jungle 51”, which felt like an actual jungle and played tribal house music til the sun came up.  On Friday we hopped around and got to see Papadosio, Lotus, Bassnectar, and Kaskade. The highlight was definitely Bassnectar, who played the best set I’d ever seen from him and even lit off a SpaceX rocket during his set!

Saturday we spent more of our time inside the actual festival instead of the beach. The highlights were Sublime With Rome, G Jones, and seeing my first ever Tipper set. We closed the night out by going to the Incendia stage for the first time and experiencing an insane Goopsteppa set.

Sunday was sadly the last day of sets, but I made sure to get up early and see everything possible to make it an incredible last day. I feel like I accomplished that pretty well by seeing Flatbush Zombies, GRiZ, Glass Animals, San Holo, Mumford & Sons, Sayer, and Tiedye Ky, and Maya Jane Coles. Glass Animals ended up being my favorite set from the entire weekend and I was so glad I made the effort to see so many different varieties of music instead of just sticking to the same artists I can see at any EDM festival.

If you ever have the chance to attend Okeechobee, please do it! This festival is amazing in every way, and is so much bigger and better than I even expected. The vibes, the tropical environment, and so much more make this an experience worth having. I can’t wait to come back next year and share this place with even more people.

If you’re anything like me and you’re going to Okeechobee, you’re rattling your brain on what it is you need to pack. Camping festivals are always a mission-and-a-half to plan and pack for, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! I’ll talk about a few of the necessities for this festival and provide you with my full ultimate packing list at the end. Keep reading to see everything you should bring to have an amazing time at this year’s Okeechobee!

I won’t go into too much detail on this one because most of them are no brainers and are included in the full list below, but don’t forget the most important basic items for any festival or camping fest! Sometimes it’s easy to get so excited about packing fun and goofy stuff for a festival that we can forget one or more items that we actually really need. Your phone, ID, money, ticket, outfits for every day, socks and underwear, shoes, comfortable (and warm!) clothes to sleep in, hygiene products like toothbrushes, toothpaste, and shower supplies are all musts. If you wear glasses/contacts or take medications, these are essential as well!

I can’t stress this enough! Make sure to bring bottled water for you and your crew, and hydration backpacks that you can refill inside the festival. Fortunately, this festival offers free filtered water to everyone, so it’s important that you bring something to carry your water in to stay healthy and dancing all day and night long. 

Neon Vibes Hydration Pack

Also very important in making sure you have a safe and fun time at this festival is sunscreen! If you’re like me and from somewhere a little colder like Colorado, this isn’t the first thing that comes to mind in the middle of winter. I’m used to wearing snow boots and a coat in March, so why would I think to pack sunscreen? However, Okeechobee is in a sunny area (the location is even called Sunshine Grove!). The forecast is looking like it’s going to get up to the mid 80’s during the festival as well, so make sure you’re prepared to protect your skin from the hot sun. 

Though you certainly don’t need your phone at a festival, if you are someone who uses it to communicate with your group or take photos and videos, it’s definitely a good idea to have a few of these fully charged in case of a pinch! There are no electrical outlets at the festival, so if you don’t bring a portable charger, you will either have to purchase one or find a way to charge your phone in a car or other device. My group also likes to bring walkie talkies just in case there’s no cell service. This is a great way to communicate without the stress of your messages going through, or outside distractions that take you away from the festival!

Another thing we don’t always think of to bring to festivals but will be great to have at Okeechobee is swimming attire. There is a beach called the Aquachobee Beach where you can go swimming and cool off, and it would be a shame to not be able to participate due to not being prepared! A swimsuit, towel, goggles, and maybe a fun floatie or two will have you ready to splash around and have some good old fun in the sun.

Photo Courtesy of Okeechobee Festival

Now that we’ve talked about a few of the best items to bring to this festival, check out my full Okeechobee packing list below!

• Ticket! (seems like a no-brainer but you never know)
• Water bottle(s)
• Phone
• Phone chargers
• ID
• Cash (bring extra if possible!)
• Debit or credit card
• Fanny pack, hydration backpack, or both
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Ear plugs
• Sunglasses
• Festival clothes for every day you’ll be attending
• Underwear
• Socks
• Bras
• Hat(s)
• Comfortable shoes
• Flip flops or shower/swim shoes
• Swim suit
• Towels
• Sweats and jackets for sleeping/colder nights
• Rain ponchos
• Any medication you take
• First-aid kit with Ibuprofen, bandaids, etc.)
• Vitamins (I always bring a box of vitamin C packets to drink each day of the festival)
• Glasses/contacts if needed
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Floss
• Mouthwash
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Soap
• Razor
• Deodorant
• Lotion/moisturizer
• Hairbrush
• Hairspray
• Bobby pins
• Dry shampoo
• Makeup
• Makeup removing wipes
• Baby wipes
• Glitter, glitter, glitter!!
• Glitter glue
• Kandi and other cute goodies to trade
• Mirror
• Tampons (even if you don’t need them, someone else might!)
• Toilet paper
• Tissues
• Paper towels
• Ziploc bags
• Trash bags
• Tent
• Stakes
• Hammer or mallet
• Rain fly
• Tarp for under the tent
• Air mattresses/pump or some sort of pad to sleep on
• Sleeping bag
• Pillows
• Blankets
• Canopies and tapestries to relax under and personalize your camping space
• Lawn chairs
• Fold-up table
• Speaker (make sure it’s all charged up before your trip!)
• Cooler with water, drinks, and food (ice can be purchased at the festival if needed)
• Granola/protein bars
• Trail mix
• Sandwich supplies
• Camping stove and food if cooking
• Pots, pans, plates, utensils
• Totem or flag to mark your campsite
• Flashlight
• Lantern
• Biodegradable soap

There you go! Hopefully, this list should get you going and get you excited for what’s to come at Okeechobee next week. Obviously you don’t necessarily need to bring everything on this list, and there will probably be items not on here that you want to include as well! Hammocks, flow toys, a journal, face paint, and more creative or outdoorsy things are also awesome things to bring but aren’t things everyone has or needs. The most important thing is to come with an open mindset and with everything you need to have a fun, healthy, and safe week. See you at Okeechobee!

Okeechobee’s venue is a dream out of a fairy tale. They proudly boast an Aquachobee Beach Stage (complete with a lake for swimming), which welcomed us Thursday evening with a full moon party hosted by Thriftworks, Opiuo, and Bassnectar. The best part about Aquachobee Beach Stage? No security - meaning you’re free to bring a cooler full of canned beer or a bag of wine to slap to the beach (as long as you’re of legal drinking age). The Aquachobee Beach Stage is in the heart of the Moonlight Oasis, your go-to for awesome vendors and some of the best festival food out there. There’s always something to explore in the Moonlight Oasis, whether it be the Tea Lounge, or the Jive Joint (a comedy stage featuring ridiculous acts that are amazing to stumble upon at 5 AM). The Grove (the main festival grounds) opened on Friday morning, and for the rest of the weekend we were free to explore the Be, Here, and Now stages as well as the Moonlight Oasis.

On top of the amazing venue, somehow the Okeechobee gods always manage to bless us with perfect weather. This year, a cold front decided to hit Florida the Friday of Okeechobee, leaving us with highs of 80 during the day and lows of 50 at night - perfect weather for partying all day and night.

Okeechobee’s lineup was nothing short of being stacked. Personally, I am a huge EDM nerd and acts like Bassnectar, Zeds Dead, Tipper, Big Gigantic, Gramatik, and Illenium immediately drew me to the festival for my second year. Okeechobee prides itself on being a multi-genre music festival, with acts like Arcade Fire, Halsey, and Travis Scott earning their own headliners spot. Something unique to Okeechobee they bring back every year is a “Powow” where several artists across different genres get together for one special set. This year we were graced by Snoop Dogg, The Roots, Joey Badass, and Dominic Lalli (from Big Gigantic) all on the same stage for a truly magical experience.

Arguably, my favorite thing about Okeechobee is how they keep the party going all night long. The main festival grounds close around 1 or 2am, and for other music festivals that would be the end of it. Nope! Not at Okeechobee. Located just across from the Aquachobee Beach Stage was the Incendia stage, a bass stage that literally spewed fire into the wee hours of the night. If you were lucky, you got to catch the secret set with Illenium and Big Gigantic b2b on Saturday night. If bass wasn't necessarily your thing, you could find serenity in Jungle 51: an all-night stage nested in the woods that only plays techno and house music.

Although I was hesitant to purchase my ticket at first, after all the sound issues they had in previous years and the cost of tickets going up, I’m happy about my decision. The bass could be heard for miles and everything that seemed to go wrong my first year was completely fixed this year. Although the crowd size increased from last year, Okeechobee still made the experience feel incredibly intimate. I didn’t come across one festival goer with bad vibes the whole weekend. If you’re looking for a festival with a great venue, beautiful weather, a wide variety of music genres, and a non-stop party - look no further than Okeechobee Music Festival. We’ll be waiting for you to enter the portal with us next year!