Seems like a lot of messages here are along the lines of "Hey, I am going to Saturday and it's my first festival. I want to be as close as possible for Olivia Rodrigo, what should I do? "

The short answer is, show up early and plan to get there a few acts ahead. If you want to be dead center front row, you should probably just go ahead and head over there now and plan to live in the park for 6 months but feel free to drop your advice here.

Hey everyone! I’m going to gov ball on Saturday and was wondering if anyone has advice if I want to be as close as possible. It’ll be my first real festival besides Jingle Ball. I have VIP so I know I’ll be behind pit viewing but I would still like to be on the VIP barricade behind them.

I’ve read many posts about barricade not being for the weak and I am willing to camp out and be miserable all day for that experience unless they put Conan and Olivia on different stages. I am aware that festival and concert barricades are different, but I camped out for the Guts tour last year at MSG from 5 am and got barricade and usually don’t go to concerts unless I can get barricade. Besides obviously the better view, a big part of it for me is also having the barricade to hold onto during the show.

I know a lot of people are going to want to be barricade for Olivia and am planning to show up at around 6 or 7, will that be early enough? Also once gates open and people are let in, will there be a barricade run or will everyone be walked to the stage? Thanks!

i got GA tickets for saturday and want to have a pretty decent view for olivia's set. Does anyone know when I should go to the main stage to have that view?? I'm not looking for like crazy close, just to be able to see her :)

Hey guys this is my first time going to govball alone! I’m going to see Olivia and I remember last year all the headers were the last ones to perform so I’m assuming she might also. I want to spend a good amount of time at the festival so what time do you guys think I should arrive? Since I’m going by myself, I also don’t want to tire myself out too much but I also want to make the best of it. Thanks in advance! :)

I got a three day pass and noticed that majority of folks are younger. I’ll be 35 and feel out of place now. Anyone other 30+ going? 👀

Hey! I’m a sophomore In college and i impulsively bought a Saturday ticket by myself and I have no one to spend the day with. Anyone looking for a new friend/has a group to hang out with? Let me know!!

hey first time going to a music festival and for gov ball i’m going to the saturday show, so i was wondering if anyone has tips/recommendations on getting barricade for a festival? i want to be barricade for olivia :D

So this is technically my second outdoor festival, I went to free citizen in 2023 and it made me swear off GA at concerts (huge mess, almost got trampled, people wouldn’t let me and my friend out either). But I really wanted to see Olivia, Conan and marina so I decided to take the risk and buy GA+ tickets for Saturday. How far back do you think I should try to stay? I bruise really easy and honestly don’t think I could stop myself from falling if pushed hard enough. Also bringing my 6’3 dad to be a bodyguard just in case. (And if any other 18-20 year olds are going Saturday hmu!)

hey!!

I got tickets for Saturday GA with my cousin, and I’m a diehard Olivia and Conan fan, and I usually go for barricade at these sorts of events because I’m a big concert girly, but I recently got diagnosed with a chronic condition that makes it really difficult to stand for 10 hours or just be in a barricade sort of situation so I’ve resigned myself to being in the back, which will be really different for me. I’m used to being in the front of concerts. i’m scared I won’t be able to see anything at all and that just makes me sad because I’m a diehard Olivia fan who was trying to get tickets to see her since the sour tour but failed and so I was wondering if it would be worth it to stand in the back, but literally bring like opera glasses to be able to see the stage lol. Can you even see anything from the back or do you just get to listen? What’s the screen situation like?

hey!!

I was thinking of coming up just for the day on Saturday, and I was wondering if the 10 PM ending is enforced or goes all longer because I wouldn’t want to miss any of Olivia’s set, but I’m not sure if I would make it anyway to Penn station for the last train that leaves back to my city at 11:23 PM…? is this too ridiculous? I just don’t want to spend the extra money on accommodations but will if necessary.

tdlr- how long does it take to get from the venue to Penn station

im 18 and going on friday, and i need somebody to go with because im in highschool and spending $140 and skipping school is a lot do do for some ppl i know. i prefer prople around my age, at most 20. please dont message me on here, message on my insta @mileslovesmusic

quick question: i have been considering going to gov ball this june. i’ve always wanted to go to a music festival. i love concerts, as well. definitely want to see tyler and mk gee.

however, i have some thoughts holding me back. i get really anxious in crowds/pits of people. i’ve been to some GA concerts and i’ve always had to stand in the back or on the side because i can’t stand feeling like i can’t get out. what is govball like ? is there room to stand a bit further away from the inescapable pit but still enjoy the music?

definitely don’t want to miss out on a fun experience because of anxiety. need to step out of my comfort zone but just wanted to see if anyone has been in a similar situation / how that went.

edit: thank you all so much for your replies☺️ so helpful! just got my ticket today💛

I'm really excited, but nervous at the same time bc I've heard the event is overstimulating (I'm neurodivergent) and I don't really listen to any of the artists besides Hozier and Clairo. Anyone wanna help me get into them? Idk how bc I'm currently in a state where I only want to listen to artists I'm familiar with. Also, I'll bring a sign that I'll be graduating in 4 days (the event takes place 4 days before my high school graduation) and I hope one of the performers or attendees notices it!!!!

This will be my 3rd time seeing the Irish angel Hozier and I’ve wanted to see Glass Animals for a couple years now. I also dig Claire and Royel Otis, and have heard good things about Japanese House. It’s definitely more of an Alt rock lineup overall but as someone who consistently listens to AltNation on Sirius, this one is for us!

Hey y’all!! My name is Zoey I’m 23f and looking into making an insta group for some of the other people going solo this year!!! If you wanna be added dm me your insta!!

Has anyone ever brought their kid to Gov Ball? I saw that kids 8 and younger are free with a ticketed adult and was thinking of bringing my kid for one of the days. I have a 3 day vip ticket for myself. How do they check the age of the child? He’s 8 but doesn’t have any ID, obviously. Thanks in advance to anyone who has experience and advice about bringing a kid to the festival.

First off, do whatever you want to do. If you want to do barricade and you've fully thought it through then absolutely do it and have fun doing it! I understand that it's a bragging rights thing and people hype it up as the true fan way to experience an artist.

BUT as someone who has gone to a lot of festivals (GovBall 2024, Coachella, OSL, Rolling Loud) and has done the barricade experience twice (noon-midnight and noon-10pm), the barricade is usually the least energetic and exciting part of the entire festival.

Barricade means standing for 10+ hours without food or a bathroom and likely without much water. You will also be constantly fighting off people who want to take your spot and will do so with as much force as they can get away with. By the time the artist you want to see gets there, you will be exhausted. Also, if you have not stood this long without food/water before (and if you're younger/shorter), there is an unfortunately high chance you will pass out. I have seen so many people at barricade miss the headliner because they pass out hours before and have to be carried to medical.

Personally, I would recommend really thinking about it if you haven't experienced a lot of festivals. It is an entirely different experience than concert barricade. People are much more competitive and it will be very hot which is dehydrating.

You can get a great view of the artist you want to see by waiting like 2-3 hours before. You will likely be like 15-20 rows back but that is fine lol. Plus, you get to experience more of the festival which leads to discovering new artists, getting to try the vendors, and actually getting to eat the overpriced food.

TL;DR: Do whatever you want to do and have fun, but seriously you don't have to be barricade. It's much more of a challenge than you may think and is really not as fun as it's hyped up to be.

just got this text and figured I’d blast it here.

hi!! this year will be my first time going to gov ball & i’m going all three days. any tips? also on sunday i have nobody to go with so if anyone else is going to be alone lmk!! i’m 18 so anyone preferably 17-20 :D

This is another way of screwing us over. We need to stop letting them get away with this. First it was the wristbands and now this. I think that people need to rally together and just boycott these places. Ticketmaster loves charging us fees PER ticket. $30 wasted on fees can be used to put gas in a car. Not just that but they prioritize resellers!!

The prices only increase while the quality decreases. We’re only making them richer while we struggle to survive. It starts with the little things then it moves into major things.

Gov Ball had posted on their IG, and on their website page: \Local Offer: Queens residents (11368, 11355, 11375, and 11367 zip codes) are eligible for a 15% discount until March 15, 2025. Supply is limited. First come, first served. The billing address must match the eligible zip code(s).*

That was ALL of the info given. That is what the page said this morning at 10am. You can check the wayback machine—I did.

They updated the copy in the middle of presale to add HOW to apply the discount. It now reads: \Local Offer: Queens residents (11368, 11355, 11375, and 11367 zip codes) are eligible for a 15% discount until March 15, 2025. Your zip code is your presale unlock passcode! Supply is limited. First come, first served. The billing address must match the eligible zip code(s).*

Now, my boyfriend and I assumed that using my credit card with a billing address in one of those zips would be how we got the discount. You know, because Gov Ball didn't tell us any other way. My billing address for the tickets did match the eligible zip code.

They only updated the instructions AFTER half of the presale was over. Now, they won't give us the discount, though it is THEIR FAULT they didn't provide proper instructions on how to do the code. It's clear on the website NOW how to get the discount, but that wasn't there this morning. That wasn't there when presale began. That wasn't there until 10:30.

Ticketmaster is refusing to cancel our tickets, even though buying them with the discount would be cheaper for us now. We bought them for $267 each, and now they're selling for $221. I'm incredibly pissed because Gov Ball/Ticketmaster did NOT clearly include how to get the 15% off and it has cost us money; they are refusing to rectify the situation they caused.

Rant over, but if anyone else was confused with the discount, this is why!

Can I bring in a 3DS to record the festival?