Adarsh, a 32-year-old information analyst from Mumbai, ceaselessly attends music festivals. Alongside his enjoyment of a gin and tonic whereas immersed in music, Adarsh has one other ritual — he admits to smoking a joint or two earlier than a live performance, citing the excitement it provides to the expertise.

Nevertheless, a very crowded music pageant in 2022 left him with a horrible buzz, exacerbating a panic assault. Attending these occasions solo, Adarsh discovered himself sweating profusely and feeling nauseous. “I requested a volunteer for water and allowed my physique to readjust earlier than deciding to go residence. I vowed by no means to attend a live performance stoned,” he says. 

Adarsh’s expertise isn’t unusual, as quite a few concert-goers are likely to immerse themselves absolutely within the vibrant ambiance of music festivals. It’s value noting that feeling unsettled at a live performance doesn’t at all times originate from using leisure medicine or alcohol; generally, it may be a bodily response to the extraordinary stimuli of a very energetic and vigorous setting.

Recognising the significance of emotional well being in such conditions, music festivals are taking steps to make sure attendees have a secure house to show to when wanted. Emotional welfare cubicles are rising as holistic assist centres, addressing not solely psychological well being wants but in addition aiding with bodily well-being.

Live performance goers at Bacardi NH7 Weekender, in Pune
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Emotional TLC

Many world music festivals now supply welfare assist alongside medical providers to reinforce attendee well-being. Glastonbury Competition within the UK options ‘Sanctuary’ areas with psychological well being professionals, whereas Burning Man’s ‘Zendo Undertaking’ supplies emotional assist, particularly for these navigating troublesome experiences. Tomorrowland has a ‘Consolation Zone’ for psychological well being help and complete first assist. Coachella presents hurt discount sources and medical tents, whereas Growth Competition, which is held in Portugal, prioritises wellness with its ‘Kosmicare’ service, supporting these in emotional misery.

In India, nevertheless, these sources at festivals are few and much between. Tatva, a global emotional well-being organisation, has been establishing a caring house on the Magnetic Fields music pageant in Rajasthan for over 5 years now. Sarah Chawla, the co-founder of Magnetic Fields, emphasises the significance of this service. The collaboration has prolonged past welfare, with the pageant’s core safety workforce collaborating in a four-hour sensitivity coaching workshop, exhibiting a dedication to evolving and prioritising the well-being of attendees every year.

The welfare workforce performs an important function as a mediator between accidents and incidents involving attendees, safety, and medical assist on the music pageant. Serving as the primary responders, the workforce is provided with LBGTQIA+ sensitisation, coaching in bystander intervention, and the power to offer assist by means of energetic listening and steering. “The welfare space serves as an area for patrons to drop in for conversations, entry sex-positive info, study consent tradition, report any incidents of discrimination or harassment, and discover respite throughout the day or heat at evening,” says Kripi Malviya, creator at Tatva Centre.

The welfare workforce performs an important function as a mediator between accidents and incidents
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First responders

Bacardi NH7 Weekender, the annual music pageant in Pune, can also be dedicated to fostering an inclusive setting that prioritises each the bodily and emotional well-being of its attendees. For 2 consecutive years, the pageant has arrange assist cubicles to help anybody feeling overwhelmed or experiencing harassment or bullying, notably relating to points associated to sexuality, making certain a secure and supportive ambiance for all festival-goers.

“This initiative performs a pivotal function in fostering a extra holistic live performance setting by addressing the emotional well-being of festival-goers, particularly attendees who might expertise higher-than-normal reactivity to sure sounds, lights, or crowds. We needed to convey to attendees that their psychological well being is a high precedence,” says Ashish Jha, model supervisor of Bacardi and Breezer India. 

The 14th version of Bacardi NH7 Weekender, which was held in early December final yr, onboarded Mist LGBTQ Basis (a Pune-based collective based in 2009) as an inclusivity accomplice. The founding father of the muse, Shyam Konnur, and his workforce of volunteers have been seen waving the Satisfaction flag on the venue, manning the grounds to succeed in out to anybody who would possibly want psychological first assist.

In flip, Mist onboarded one other Pune-based psychological well being service, Mindworks Counselling, to assist them administer psychological assist. “Whereas we didn’t see a excessive variety of individuals looking for psychological first assist, we did encounter a couple of who opted for on-the-spot consultations for a future remedy session. Understanding the distinctive challenges and experiences related to these occasions permits us to be extra responsive and efficient in providing assist throughout on-the-spot consultations,” says Armeet Narang, a psychologist at Mindworks Counselling, who was stationed on the designated sales space allotted by the pageant. This sales space included a separate part behind it, particularly for concert-goers experiencing a panic assault. 

Armeet says {that a} music pageant can current numerous situations the place people might encounter challenges associated to their psychological well-being. Overstimulation is a standard problem, with the abundance of noise and the sheer variety of individuals contributing to heightened anxiousness. Signs corresponding to a racing heartbeat, palpitations, and breathlessness can escalate right into a full-blown panic assault.

Volunteers at Magnetic Fields man the bottom to report any untoward incidents
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There’s additionally the priority of potential harassment or molestation. Such incidents can set off the combat or flight response, leaving people unsure about the best way to react. Having a chosen secure house turns into essential in these conditions. Armeet provides that the consumption of alcohol and medicines can considerably affect temper, both amplifying it, bringing it down, or doubtlessly resulting in a “unhealthy journey.”

Furthermore, the pageant setting introduces the potential for attendees getting separated from their mates, inflicting anxiousness, particularly in areas with poor community connectivity. In such cases, people might discover themselves feeling misplaced and uncertain about what steps to take.

A step ahead

For the second version of Lollapalooza India, held in January this yr, organisers took a big step by collaborating with skilled companions to deal with real-time psychological and emotional well being issues. This collaboration aimed to create a safe setting for all pageant attendees. Educated counsellors have been current on-site, providing speedy help at a devoted secure house. The pageant additionally applied Fast Response Groups (QRTs) to offer on-ground assist for psychological security and inclusivity, notably focussing on sexual assault prevention.

Competition organisers need to be certain that their occasion is an emotionally enriching expertise too
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“Prioritising inclusivity, the pageant took numerous measures corresponding to sensitising the crew and employees on gender-related elements, pronouns, and consent. This prolonged to interactions with attendees throughout interventions, facilitating gender-neutral entry and safety checkpoints, and offering gender-neutral washrooms on the pageant. The efforts additionally included addressing misery calls and escalations for non-binary/queer folx,” says Owen Roncon, chief of enterprise – Dwell Leisure at BookMyShow.

This proactive strategy underscores the evolving tradition of care and inclusivity inside music festivals, striving to make sure that the occasion isn’t solely bodily but in addition emotionally enriching for everybody concerned.