Adarsh, a 32-year-old data analyst from Mumbai, often attends music festivals. As well as enjoying a gin and tonic while immersed in music, Adarsh ​​has another ritual – he admits to smoking once or twice before a concert, stating that it enhances the experience.

However, a particularly crowded concert in 2022 left him with a terrible concussion, leading to a panic attack. Adarsh ​​was sweating profusely and feeling nauseous while participating alone in these events. “I asked for water from a volunteer and let my body readjust before deciding to go home. I swore I would never attend a rocking concert again,” he says.

The ideal experience is not uncommon, as many concert goers become completely immersed in the live atmosphere of concerts. It is worth noting that feeling unwell at a concert does not always result from the use of recreational drugs or alcohol; Sometimes, it may be a physical reaction to the intense stimuli of a particularly energetic and lively environment.

Recognizing the importance of emotional health in such situations, music festivals are taking steps to ensure attendees have a safe place to come if they need to. Emotional wellness booths are emerging as holistic support centers that not only address mental health needs but also aid in physical well-being.

emotional tlc

Many global music festivals now provide medical services as well as welfare support to enhance the well-being of attendees. Glastonbury Festival in the UK includes ‘sanctuary’ areas staffed with mental health professionals, while Burning Man’s ‘Zendo Project’ provides emotional support for those going through particularly difficult experiences. Tomorrowland has a ‘Comfort Zone’ for mental health support and comprehensive first aid. Coachella provides harm reduction resources and medical tents, while Boom Festival, which takes place in Portugal, prioritizes wellness with its ‘Cosmicare’ service, supporting people in emotional distress.

However, these resources are very limited on festivals in India. Tatva, an international emotional well-being organisation, has been setting up a caring space at the Magnetic Fields Music Festival in Rajasthan for over five years. Sara Chawla, co-founder of Magnetic Fields, emphasizes the importance of this service. The collaboration extends beyond well-being, with the festival’s core security team attending a four-hour sensitivity training workshop, showing a commitment to developing and prioritizing the well-being of attendees each year.

The welfare team plays a vital role as mediator between accidents and incidents involving concert attendees, security and medical assistance. Acting as first responders, Team LBGTQIA+ is equipped with training in sensitization, bystander intervention, and the ability to provide assistance through active listening and guidance. “The wellness area is a great place for patrons to come for conversations, access sex-positive information, learn about consent culture, report any incidents of discrimination or harassment, and find respite during the day or warmth at night,” says Kripi Malaviya. “Serves as a place for.” , the creator in the element center.

The welfare team plays an important role as an intermediary between accidents and incidents. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

first responders

Bacardi NH7 Weekender, the annual music festival in Pune, is also committed to fostering an inclusive environment that prioritizes both the physical and emotional well-being of its attendees. For two consecutive years, the festival has supported anyone who feels overwhelmed or has experienced harassment or bullying, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for all festival goers, particularly in relation to issues related to sexuality. Help booths have been set up to provide assistance.

“This initiative plays an important role in promoting a more holistic concert environment by addressing the emotional well-being of festival goers, particularly attendees who may be more reactive than usual to certain sounds, lights or crowds. Can experience. We wanted to convey to attendees that their mental health is a top priority,” says Ashish Jha, brand manager, Bacardi and Breezer India.

The 14th edition of Bacardi NH7 Weekender, which was held in early December last year, included Mist LGBTQ Foundation (a Pune-based collective founded in 2009) as an inclusive partner. The foundation’s founder, Shyam Konnur, and his team of volunteers were seen waving the Pride flag at the venue, as they were on the ground to reach out to anyone who might need psychological first aid.

In turn, Mist roped in Mindworks Counselling, another Pune-based mental health service, to help provide them psychological support. “Although we did not see a high number of people seeking psychological first aid, we did find some people who chose to seek on-the-spot counseling for a future therapy session. Understanding the unique challenges and experiences associated with these events allows us to be more responsive and effective in providing support during on-the-spot counselling,” says Armeet Narang, a psychologist at Mindworks Counselling, deployed at the allotted booth. Were. Festival. This booth included a separate section behind it specifically for concert-goers who were experiencing panic attacks.

Armit says that a music festival can present various scenarios where individuals may face challenges related to their mental well-being. Overstimulation is a common problem, with the abundance of noise and large numbers of people increasing anxiety. Symptoms such as a fast heartbeat, palpitations and shortness of breath can turn into a full-blown panic attack.

Magnetic Fields volunteers are deployed in the field to report any untoward incident. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

There are also concerns about possible harassment or molestation. Such events can trigger the fight or flight response, leaving individuals unsure how to respond. In these situations it becomes important to have a designated safe place. Armit says alcohol and drug use can significantly affect mood, either raising it, bringing it down, or potentially causing a “bad trip.”

Additionally, the festival setting creates the possibility of attendees being separated from their friends, creating anxiety, especially in areas with poor network connectivity. In such cases, individuals may feel lost and unsure of what steps to take.

one step forward

For the second edition of Lollapalooza India, held in January this year, organizers took a significant step forward by collaborating with experienced partners to address real-time mental and emotional health concerns. The purpose of this collaboration is to create a safe environment for all festival attendees. Trained counselors were on site, providing immediate assistance in a dedicated safe location. The Festival also implemented Quick Response Teams (QRTs) to provide grassroots support for psychological safety and inclusivity, particularly focusing on sexual harassment prevention.

Festival organizers want to ensure that their event is also an emotionally enriching experience. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“Prioritizing inclusivity, the festival took several measures such as sensitizing the crew and staff on gender-related aspects, pronouns and consent. This extended to interacting with attendees during the intervention, facilitating gender-neutral entry and security checkpoints, and providing gender-neutral restrooms at the festival. Efforts also included addressing the rise and fall of distress calls for non-binary/queer people,” says Owen Roncon, business head of live entertainment at BookMyShow.

This proactive approach underpins a growing culture of care and inclusivity within music festivals, striving to ensure that the event is not only physically but also emotionally enriching for everyone involved.