First thing's first I'll admit that I had my doubts as I pulled into my parking spot in Chattahoochee Hills and looked at the trek to the nearby campsite. I also had my doubts about going alone but they soon dissipated when my eyes found the TomorrowWorld main stage. TomorrowWorld was no doubt the best weekend I've ever had and here are 7 reasons why it was all worth it!
1. Get Closer to Nature
Every camping festival previously known to me allowed it's guests to camp with their cars but not TomorrowWorld. There is a separate parking area on the grounds where patrons hastily drag their equipment out and begin the journey to Dreamville. The walk was quite lengthy I recommend to anyone planning to go next year to bring a wagon or a cart. Camping without a car seemed like a nightmare at first but in the end I wouldn't have wanted it any other way!
2. International People Everywhere
People from more than a 100 different countries were in attendance at TomorrowWorld and they brought the biggest party of all! Flags I didn't recognize were everywhere being shown off by their owners. There's really no greater experience than to mingle with so many different cultures at one time. My campsite neighbors were South African, Brazilian, Australian, and Ukrainian and I had a blast getting to know them all weekend!
Photo Credit: Rukes.com
3. 3 12-Hour Dance Packed Days
It was nice to wake up and have music playing by 12:30 every day. I will say that Americans were very lazy and preferred to hang out at camp all day while the international folks were inside partying from open to close! Previous festivals I've attended did not have music begin until later in the day which leaves a lot of empty time. There is no empty time at TomorrowWorld!
4. 7 Amazing Stages
With seven different stages set up throughout the grounds, it was impossible to find something you didn't like. Walking up to a stage and hearing something different or something new was a great feeling that one would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. Some of the stages even changed themes every day to further accommodate different musical tastes!
Photo Credit: Rukes.com
5. Ease of Accommodation
Some festivals only have the bare necessities if you've forgotten something. It was refreshing to know that basically anything you could have forgotten could be easily picked up in the retail area inside of Dreamville. The most successful amenity available was rechargeable phone batteries. Normally one would have access to a car charger at ease but here once your phone died you could just exchange your battery pack for another one.
6. Beautiful Weather
Most summertime festivals have sweltering heat that makes people question if it's even worth going. The end of September was a perfect time to have a festival in such a southern city where the temperatures would normally be scorching. It never got above 80 during the day and although it was chilly at night, the cold was not unbearable. I could not have asked for more beautiful weather!
7. 21 & UP
I cannot stress enough how much the age restriction saved the festival. It was such a great feeling knowing that everyone was adults and could handle the festival responsibly. This is the greatest reason TomorrowWorld was worth it hands down. If the festival had been all ages I do not think it would have had the measure of success that it did. It was a relaxing feeling not to see young kids running rampant through the grounds.
If you're considering TomorrowWorld next year:
- Be prepared to spend a lot of money. That's a normal expectation at a festival but since TomorrowWorld is an international festival there is a lot of international currency. The festival requires you to buy tokens for the majority of things you would want to buy. The tokens do not have a great cash equivalency so bring a little extra money than you normally would.
- Prepare to camp! This is one festival you can't miss the camping aspect of. There is nothing but tents for miles and it gives a completely different experience than staying in a hotel.
I was wary about TomorrowWorld in the beginning but I attribute it to one of the best experiences of my life. The ticket is pricy but prepare ahead of time to make the trip most cost effective. Hope to see you there next year! 🙂
