Here is the Ultimate Osheaga Checklist on what to bring and wear for the wildly popular Osheaga music festival!
Every summer Osheaga always brings a long weekend of mystery, excitement and insane weather conditions: from sunny and hot to windy and raining.
You can’t control weather but you can control what to bring to Osheaga!
This checklist is based on things I brought to Osheaga over the years, as well as things I should have packed – many lessons were learned at Osheaga 2017 where I was both hot and soaking wet all weekend!
^Me at Osheaga in 2017 dancing to Lorde in the rain
Osheaga Checklist: What To Wear & Bring
What To Wear At Osheaga:
- Neon Shirts and Shorts
- Tank Tops
- Band shirts
- Floral shirts
- Dresses
- Unbuttoned shirts
- Long sleeve hoodie or sweater for the cooler evening
- Comfortable shoes (bring bags to cover shoes in case of rain)
- LED Light Up Shoes (my fave for the evening shows)
Accessories for Osheaga:
- Sun Glasses
- Glass Cleaner Cloth – useful for dirty/wet glasses
- Ear Plugs – Sensitive ears or if you plan to be right in front of speakers
- Flower Crown
- Bandana’s of all colours
- Snapbacks
- Headband
- Fanny Pack
- String bag
- Neon wristbands & shirts
- Bracelets
- Necklaces
Safety Precautions at Osheaga:
- Poncho or Small Umbrella
- Portable Phone Charger (no one wants a dead phone)
- Phone Charger (available plugs are only available in VIP area)
- Finger lights (helpful when the group splits or one person goes to the bathroom in the evening and can’t find group in crowd – finger light is easy to spot in the dark)
- Sunscreen – I got seriously burnt the first day (see photo of red face compared to green guac)
- Kleenex (useful for toilet paper if porta potties are out)
- Lip balm with SPF (dry lips are the worst when you’re trying to sing to your favourite song)
- 2 small plastic bags to go over each shoe in case it’s muddy/raining and you don’t want to ruin your shoes (no one is going to look at your feet in crowds anyways)
^ Me still dancing in the rain after Justice played VS me realizing how sunburnt I got from no sunscreen^
Food To Bring To Osheaga:
Food & Drinks can be pricey if you’re going the full weekend and attending every day, so here are some packaged snacks you can bring to save money, or if you feel like you’re going to faint and the lines are too long. I experienced low sugar levels at one point and super thankful a friend packed an energy bar with chocolate!
- Almonds
- Protein Bars
- Energy Bars
- Gum
- Chocolate
- Empty Water Bottle (to fill up with water – It’s important to stay hydrated!)
Other Essentials To Bring For Osheaga:
- Deodorant – no one wants to be around a stinky, sweaty Betty with the good hair
- Face wipes – refreshing when you’re in the sun all day
- Phone Case – just in case you’re sloppy or someone else nearby gets sloppy and knocks your phone into a crowd of people jumping around.
I know this might seem like a lot of things, but keep in mind you’re going to be outside all day, and probably out all night, so bringing a backpack or large fanny pack with the majority of these things can save you in many ways, especially during a torrential downpour.
READ MORE: Osheaga 2018 Lineup – Dua Lipa, Odesza and more!
Did I miss anything? Let me know what you bring to Osheaga or to music festivals in general!
(Constantly updating list so don’t forget to save or Pin this list!)
Ryan Thomas Woods is the voice behind Out With Ryan. He’s an LGBTQ+ Activist & Travel writer for this website and many other publications. He was recently voted 2018’s Travel Influencer of Year in Canada and dedicated the award to all LGBTQ+ travelers making the world a better & safer space for our community, as he strives to do on his website & social platforms.
glow bracelets are always fun for the night time :):)
I love glow bracelets too! And when you’ve misplaced your friends in the crowd after going to the bathroom, they are super useful for pinpointing friends in the evening!