Music festival season kicks off this month at Coachella in the California desert, with many more to come across the globe before the end of the summer. Cruising around to see your favorite bands at a giant party of 80,000 sounds like a lot of fun. Bad weather, port-o-johns and neck-craning, not so much. The good news is there are extraordinary VIP options available to make the whole experience a lot more comfortable and stylish, so you can have all of the fun and none of the hassle. Here are the ones we’re hoping to hit up in 2014.
Coachella Safari Tents
Headliners: Outkast, Muse, Arcade Fire
Location: Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA
Dates: April 11-13, 18-20
Price: $6,500 for two
Coachella is the see-and-be-seen American music festival. Los Angeles-area celebs and notables pack its storied VIP area in droves, sporting the finest eyewear and Vogue-worthy fashions. You can enjoy all that glamour with none of the usual festival discomfort with a luxury accommodations package that includes on-site camping in safari-style tents that are furnished, air-conditioned and wired for electricity. Ticket price includes shuttle to all stages and access to all VIP areas.
Bonnaroo Roll Like a Rock Star
Headliners: Elton John, Kanye West, Jack White
Location: Manchester, TN
Dates: June 12-15
Price: $32,000 for eight
Booking: http://www.bonnaroo.com/on-site-accommodations#roll-like-a-rockstar
Ever wondered what it’s like to headline a monster music festival? Bonnaroo’s top-tier accommodations package bears a striking resemblance to that elusive experience. Your eight-person entourage stays backstage in your own tour bus—much like the one Kanye West and crew will inhabit—complete with stocked bar and showers. Enjoy access to multiple on-site VIP areas, three catered gourmet meals a day and a 24-hour on-call concierge to whisk you around in a golf cart and coddle you throughout the weekend.
Glastonbury Yurts and Tipis
Headliners: Arcade Fire, Dolly Parton, Lana Del Rey, Blondie
Location: Worthy Farm, Pilton, England
Dates: June 25-29
Price: £1,500 plus £200 per guest and VAT
Booking: http://www.landnsky.co.uk/index.php?p=camping&s=custom04
Glastonbury is, by all accounts, the mother of all music festival, but it is also notorious for creature discomforts caused by crowds, camping, wet weather and logistical headaches. You can bypass all of those buzz kills by booking fully furnished yurt or tipi accommodations complete with toilets, showers, luxury futons and linens. Hosts will personally escort you around traffic jams and provide brollies and ponchos so you can get to your preferred sets on time and in party-ready condition.
Tomorrowland Mansion
Headliners: Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, Steve Aoki, Derrick Carter
Location: Boom, Belgium
Dates: July 18-20, 25-27
Price: price for twelve upon request
Booking: http://www.tomorrowland.com/en/dreamville/mansion
You don’t often hear the words “mansion” and “music festival” in the same context, but European dance gathering Tomrrowland combines the two disparate concepts in a comfort-filled upscale experience. Guests stay in a modern country house within walking distance to festival attractions. After the action, you can wind down in luxury digs complete with plenty of soothing extras, like stocked fridge and espresso machine, plus unexpected add-ons like a Jacuzzi and butler service.
Lollapalooza Platinum Pass
Headliners: Eminem, Outkast, Kings of Leon
Location: Grant Park, Chicago, IL
Dates: August 1-3
Price: $3600 each
Booking Info:
http://www.cidentertainment.com/events/lollapalooza-2014/platinum-pass/
It may have its origins in the grungiest depths of the ‘90s, but now you can take in Lollapalooza’s rock and hip-hop heavy lineup with plenty of creature comforts. The festival’s Platinum Pass affords you open bar and catered meals, plus air-conditioned hospitality areas, real restrooms and elevated viewing platforms for all four main stages. Concierge hosts escort you through your experience via private golf cart and send you on your way with a merch-packed gift bag.
The Osheaga Experience and Travel Package
Headliners: Skrillex, Arctic Monkeys, Lorde
Location: Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montréal, Canada
Dates: August 1-3
Price: $3,039 for two
Booking: http://www.cidentertainment.com/events/osheaga-music-and-arts-festival-2014/
For the weather alone, Montréal is a lovely place to experience live music in the dead of summer. With the Osheaga Experience and Travel Package, you can enjoy a hassle-free weekend at one of North America’s best fests, with all of your needs taken care of. The package includes three nights at the Montreal Marriott Chateau for two plus three days of VIP festival passes, a catered dinner and merchandise gift bag. Private entry, onsite golf cart transport, and restricted viewing areas set your experience apart from the rest.