Choose your way home before you arrive
The last performance may be the part you remember, but the journey afterward deserves its own plan. Before leaving home, decide how you expect to get back: public transport, a booked ride, a pickup, cycling, walking or driving. Check the venue’s published exit guidance and the transport information available for your particular event. Routes, pickup areas and service hours can vary, so avoid relying on what worked at a different festival.
Think through the full journey, not just its first leg. If you will take a train or bus, how will you reach the stop, and how will you get from your final stop to your door? If someone is collecting you, agree on a location they can reach without entering a restricted or congested area. Save the address of your accommodation or destination somewhere you can access without an internet connection.
Make a plan that still works when things change
Festival exits can take longer than expected. Crowds may move slowly, a performance may run later than you anticipated, or your preferred ride may not be available when you need it. Identify a second reasonable way home and set aside enough money for it. If your plan depends on a final scheduled service, check its timetable in advance and decide what you will do if you miss it.
Keep the essentials easy to reach: your ticket or travel pass, payment method, keys and a charged phone. A small power bank can help, but it is not a substitute for knowing your route. Save important details, such as a pickup address and a companion’s number, offline or on paper. Before entering the site, note where its official exits and information points are; they may be easier to find then than in a departing crowd.
Agree on the group plan while everyone is together
If you are attending with friends, decide whether you are leaving together and what each person should do if the group becomes separated. Pick a specific, permitted meeting point outside the busiest flow of people, plus a time to check in. “By the entrance” may be too vague when there are several gates. Choose a landmark that everyone can identify without blocking an exit or access route.
Share your intended route with someone you trust, especially if you will travel alone for part of it. You do not need to post your location publicly to keep someone informed. A simple message when you depart and another when you arrive can be enough. If a friend seems unwell, disoriented or unable to travel safely, stay with them and seek help from event staff or emergency services as appropriate rather than assuming they will be fine on their own.
Travel with your surroundings in mind
For a pickup or booked ride, use the event’s designated area if one is provided. Confirm identifying details in the booking before getting into a vehicle, and avoid entering a car just because its driver calls out your name. If you are walking or cycling, favor a route you can navigate confidently; consider lighting, crossings and how busy the surrounding streets may be. Do not take an unfamiliar shortcut merely to save a few minutes.
If you are driving, decide beforehand who will be fit to drive. Anyone who has been drinking or using substances that may impair judgment should not take the wheel. Fatigue matters, too: a long day on your feet can make the drive home harder. Where practical, arrange a sober driver, use another form of transport or plan a place to rest before continuing.
Give yourself time to leave well
The safest exit is not necessarily the fastest one. Consider whether leaving a little before the final rush or waiting in an appropriate, staffed area afterward would make your route easier. Follow staff directions and keep entrances, exits and emergency access clear. If weather turns uncomfortable or you feel unsafe, ask venue staff for guidance rather than heading off toward an uncertain route.
Before you go, do a quick check: destination, route, backup, meeting point and phone battery. Then tell the people who need to know that you are on your way. A few decisions made before the music starts can spare you from making every decision at once when you are tired and the crowd is moving.
