Hanging Out at Hangout Music Festival

Name something better than 3 days on the beach, listening you to your favorite bands, with your toes in the sand. You can’t? Yeah , I’m not surprised, because Hangout Music Festival takes the cake for being one of the most relaxing places to attend a concert.

This past weekend, I had t was lucky enough to be sent to Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama– courtesy of Her Campus. If you have been following along on my blog for a while, you might have noticed that I absolutely adore spending money on concert tickets. Dancing and singling along while my favorite artist serenades me is one of my favorite activities, and I am so grateful that I have been able to see so many of my favorite performers live. That being said, going to the music festival has always been on my bucket list.

In addition to seeing countless artists person, music festivals have the added element of creating a unique atmosphere for attendees to experiment with fashion, enjoys some amazing (and overprices) foods, and take the day at their own pace. Hangout in particular was the perfect setting to relax while enjoying music. Being steps away from the coast allowed us to dip our toes in the water, take in the views from the top of the Ferris wheel, and lay down under the sun.

FESTIVAL FASHION

First, let’s talk about the outfits. Festival fashion has gotten so unique and fun over the past few years, and I was so excited to create some outfits to remember. The unique challenge was combining festival looks with beach vibes, and ensuring that outfits were sand and sun friendly. I would describe Hangout fashion to be bikinis and glitter and that’s about it. I wanted to stand out, in a good way, so I held off on the glitter for the final day.

Day one, I paired a white, one-piece bathing suit from Aerie with a tan maxi skirt to reach all the indie goddess vibes I was going for for Vampire Weekend’s set. I put my hair up into a braided crown, which not only complimented my outfit, but was an amazing way to stay cool in the heat.

Day two, I went for a more relaxed look. I paired my red bikini from SheIn with denim shorts and a western double buckle belt. It wasn’t my most comfortable of looks, due to the fact that I avoid denim shorts at all costs, but I thought I looked pretty dang good if I do say so myself.

Day three, I skipped out on the bathing suit trend and instead wore a two piece set from SheIn. Although this wasn’t a bikini, it was the perfect look for the beach. It kept me cool, and of course I had to incorporate a yellow outfit at some point during my trip.

THE MUSIC

The lineup this year was perfect for a first time attendee. Not only were a lot of my favorite bands performing, but they had a large variation of performers to please everyone. My favorite sets to watch were The 1975, Walk the Moon, and Khalid. But nothing beat watching Vampire Weekend on the beach under a full moon. I recorded some of my favorite songs from each performer, and you can watch them here.

THE FESTIVAL

Like I said, in addition to music, there are activities to keep you busy in between sets all weekend long. With over 8 stages, there is always someone performing to keep you entertained and to help you discover new artists. The Ferris wheel will take you to the sky so you can see the whole festival in front of you. One of my favorite portions of the weekend was the Smooch-A-Pooch puppy kissing booth. You could even adopt a puppy on sight! Some of the fun things we didn’t get to participate in but were still interested were the roller rink, wedding chapel, and 21+ clubs set up around the grounds. Luckily, we kept ourselves busy with the infinite photo ops and amazing festival food.

I had an amazing time at Hangout and think the concept was so fun for a music festival. I would love to go back in a few years after my body and sanity fully recovers, because being int he heat with so many people really takes it out of you. I’m so thankful we had the opportunity to attend and provide coverage for our Her Campus team and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next!