We’re in the midst of summer, which also means we’re in the midst of festival season. Although a variety of festivals have already taken place in May and June, from Cannes to Glastonbury, but there are still a bevy that have yet to arrive. In years past, festival-goers were forced to rely on crumbled-up print-outs and vague signs to determine where to go and what to do, but with the age of the Smartphone and the multitude of available applications, one can become extremely prepared for the festival’s events. If you’re already dishing out hundreds of dollars to attend a festival, it would be wise to ramp up your experience with these helpful summer festival apps:
Festival Ready
Victorinox are most known for being the provider of the Swiss Army Knife, but their Festival Ready app is just as sleek and multi-useful. Festival Ready should serve as a template for future festival apps. Much like the Swiss Army Knife, this app offers a wide arsenal of useful options, from live weather reports to 3D navigation of a festival’s grounds. It also helps you find friends who also have the app, in case you get separated during the fun mayhem. Camping tips and nearby food options are often available, putting literally everything you need for festival prep at the palm of your hand.
GPS Tracking Pro
Victorinox’s Festival Ready is a very nice and usable app, but its reach is minimal at this point. It has yet to truly take off. As a result, festival-goers are likely better off using GPS Tracking Pro as an app to re-locate friends after getting lost at a festival’s lofty grounds. This is the most popular tracking app, and is often employed by families worried about their children’s safety. You probably don’t need to show as much discretion with grown friends at festivals, but it’s always nice to know their general vicinity – and if they’re close enough to check out that band, or grab a beer.
Festival Finder
There are plenty of apps once you’re at the festival, but finding a festival to attend is another story. With Stefan Heinze’s simple yet useful app, prospective festival-goers can search festivals by location, band, music genre, and date, in addition to having the option of adding a festival to your calendar, Google Maps, and posting about it on Facebook and Twitter. For a social-savvy festival finder app, this simple one works.
Battery Doctor
Although many festivals offer phone charging stations, it’s often a nuisance to make the trek to the respective tent, and wait in line just so you can charge your phone. Believe it or not, it’s entirely possible to get through a few days at a festival without having to ever charge your phone. With apps like Battery Doctor, users can see which other apps are taking up the most battery usage, in addition to viewing tips on battery conservation. It’s a useful, free app that can improve your phone’s lifespan in a heartbeat.
Yahoo! Weather
Although most default weather apps on phones are good enough, Yahoo’s weather app has been acclaimed for its sleek design and informative approach, offering information like humidity, sunrise/sunset times, and hour-by-hour analysis that default weather apps often miss. As far as weather apps appropriate for festivals go, it would be wise to try out this useful weather app from Yahoo.
Lyft
Looking for an alternative to public transit? Many at festivals are, especially considering how crowded buses and vehicles can get. Lyft is a new service that acts sort of like a crowd-sourced taxi, where fellow users can pick you up depending on your location. It may sound unsafe, but Lyft forces drivers to go through an extensive background screening process, with vehicle inspections as well. Users are weary of required Facebook link-ups, but Lyft is certainly heading in the right direction of cheaper alternative to cabs, a welcome sight for festival-goers.
Instagram
You’re at the festival, a bunch of wonderful bands are playing, and the atmosphere is lively. Why not capture the moment with Instagram, which in addition to enhanced camera settings now offers video. Many of your friends likely already have Instagram installed, so put it on your phone now and share your festival experience with them.
Best Summer Festival Smartphone Apps
We’re in the midst of summer, which also means we’re in the midst of festival season. Although a variety of festivals have already taken place in May and June, from Cannes to Glastonbury, but there are still a bevy that have yet to arrive. In years past, festival-goers were forced to rely on crumbled-up print-outs and vague signs to determine where to go and what to do, but with the age of the Smartphone and the multitude of available applications, one can become extremely prepared for the festival’s events. If you’re already dishing out hundreds of dollars to attend a festival, it would be wise to ramp up your experience with these helpful summer festival apps:
Festival Ready
Victorinox are most known for being the provider of the Swiss Army Knife, but their Festival Ready app is just as sleek and multi-useful. Festival Ready should serve as a template for future festival apps. Much like the Swiss Army Knife, this app offers a wide arsenal of useful options, from live weather reports to 3D navigation of a festival’s grounds. It also helps you find friends who also have the app, in case you get separated during the fun mayhem. Camping tips and nearby food options are often available, putting literally everything you need for festival prep at the palm of your hand.
GPS Tracking Pro
Victorinox’s Festival Ready is a very nice and usable app, but its reach is minimal at this point. It has yet to truly take off. As a result, festival-goers are likely better off using GPS Tracking Pro as an app to re-locate friends after getting lost at a festival’s lofty grounds. This is the most popular tracking app, and is often employed by families worried about their children’s safety. You probably don’t need to show as much discretion with grown friends at festivals, but it’s always nice to know their general vicinity – and if they’re close enough to check out that band, or grab a beer.
Festival Finder
There are plenty of apps once you’re at the festival, but finding a festival to attend is another story. With Stefan Heinze’s simple yet useful app, prospective festival-goers can search festivals by location, band, music genre, and date, in addition to having the option of adding a festival to your calendar, Google Maps, and posting about it on Facebook and Twitter. For a social-savvy festival finder app, this simple one works.
Battery Doctor
Although many festivals offer phone charging stations, it’s often a nuisance to make the trek to the respective tent, and wait in line just so you can charge your phone. Believe it or not, it’s entirely possible to get through a few days at a festival without having to ever charge your phone. With apps like Battery Doctor, users can see which other apps are taking up the most battery usage, in addition to viewing tips on battery conservation. It’s a useful, free app that can improve your phone’s lifespan in a heartbeat.
Yahoo! Weather
Although most default weather apps on phones are good enough, Yahoo’s weather app has been acclaimed for its sleek design and informative approach, offering information like humidity, sunrise/sunset times, and hour-by-hour analysis that default weather apps often miss. As far as weather apps appropriate for festivals go, it would be wise to try out this useful weather app from Yahoo.
Lyft
Looking for an alternative to public transit? Many at festivals are, especially considering how crowded buses and vehicles can get. Lyft is a new service that acts sort of like a crowd-sourced taxi, where fellow users can pick you up depending on your location. It may sound unsafe, but Lyft forces drivers to go through an extensive background screening process, with vehicle inspections as well. Users are weary of required Facebook link-ups, but Lyft is certainly heading in the right direction of cheaper alternative to cabs, a welcome sight for festival-goers.
Instagram
You’re at the festival, a bunch of wonderful bands are playing, and the atmosphere is lively. Why not capture the moment with Instagram, which in addition to enhanced camera settings now offers video. Many of your friends likely already have Instagram installed, so put it on your phone now and share your festival experience with them.
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