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2019 Festival Hairstyles

When the sun and warmth grace us in the summer months, so do musical festivals! All over the country, there are music festivals featuring artists of many genres. Most music festivals last several days, but as a spectator, you can usually buy tickets for some or all days. No matter how much time you plan to spend there, having festival-ready hair is a way to let loose, have fun and express yourself while you enjoy your favorite music.

Accessorize Your Hair

Festival Hairstyles girl with flower crownFestival Hairstyles braids with glitter on part

At these popular music festivals, it’s all about self-expression and an excuse to dress up outside of the normal day-to-day grind. When deciding on hair accessories, think of glitter, gems and fun accessories like these:

  • Glitter: Glitter is fun to add to any hairstyle, long or short. You can add it to your part, along your hairline, on pieces within a braid or on random strands that are pulled back or left along your face. You can buy glitter gel or make your own by mixing glitter and hair gel then apply with a small paint brush.
  • Hat: Don’t forget that hat you might want after a few days of rocking the same unwashed hair. A large-brimmed sun hat may become your best friend a few days in.
  • Tinsel & More: Hair tinsel is glitzy and fun and goes in like a temporary extension. Tinsel adds sparkle to any look and really stands out. There are also hair feathers that clip in and pair well with tinsel and other fun accessories like jewels and gems. Jewels and gems come in a variety of options like individual pieces that twist into your hair, some that stick on your hair or part, and others that run a full strand and clip in. There are many clip-in or stick-on options to make your festival hair really transform.
  • Head Pieces: Headpieces are bold statement makers which mean they’re great for music festivals. There are some that hang low on your forehead making them more striking or others that sit back on your head to either hold your hair back or just add more glam. Choosing a headpiece over some other options might be a good go-to if you want a quick change without getting super involved with adding lots to your hair. Though most things are temporary, it requires time to bling out your festival look; but, if time isn’t something you have, a statement-making headpiece is just what you need and can be worn with your hair up or down.

Festival Hair Colors

Let’s just say it’s all rainbows and unicorns—really. These are the colors you’ll want to add to your hair to feel festival-ready. Any color that is not a naturally existing hair color will do, really. Maybe you’ve already gone through the process to wear fashion-colored hair on a daily basis. Maybe you really want to feel 100% in while you’re at a music festival so you go through the rather involved color session(s)—the choice is yours.

However, you can achieve fashion color simply and inexpensively with clip-in extensions or hair chalk. The latter options will allow you to step outside of daily life quickly and easily while still having all the fun of hair color change without the permanence. With extensions, you can bring a variety of colors and switch them out if your hairstyle allows it, to keep things fun.

If you are looking for something with semi-permanence and a vibrant splash of color, check out the Pulp Riot Vibrant hair colors newly available at Hair Cuttery.

Festival Hairstyles pastel unicorn hair from hair cutteryFestival Hairstyles galaxy hair color from hair cuttery

 Styles & Braids

Festival hairstyles- girl with space buns

Having your hair pulled back will likely be a style you desire at a music festival. After all, they are outside in the middle of summer which equals hot and sweaty. So plan accordingly. If you feel more comfortable with some hair down, a half-up look will be suitable. Whether all-up or half-up, space buns, and braids are all trendy.

Space buns are typically worn with a center part and sit high atop the crown of your head, on each side. You can get creative with them and how they’re gathered. Are there braids or twists leading toward them from both top (from forehead to bun) and bottom (from nape to bun)? Are they messy buns or smooth, neat buns? Are the buns accessorized? There are lots of ways to style the hair with space buns.

Braids are great for most occasions and are super at keeping hair fashionably pulled back. They’re a great way to add some fun instead of a regular ponytail and can be achieved in any hair texture and a variety of lengths. Options are endless with braids—here are just a few ideas:

  • Small corn rows to ensure hair stays out of your face and tame in the heat
  • A large singular Dutch braid that sweeps down to the side
  • A double French braid and add glitter or gems to the full length of the part
  • A Mohawk section braid that leads to a top knot or messy bun
 Add a braid anywhere and it’ll look great! If you’ve chosen to add color to your hair, braids are a great way to emphasize it. When you braid your hair, there is a weave-like pattern taking place which allows for the colors to really be seen. If you have control over color placement, like from extensions, you can add certain colors to certain strands allowing you to accentuate different colors. See more braids looks on the HC Lookbook and share the pic with your stylist to get that look!

Where to Find the Music

Here are some of the major music festivals that span from east coast to west coast in June, July and August.

  • Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival/ Manchester, TN/ June 13-16/ Headlining: Phish, Childish Gambino, Post Malone, The Lumineers and many more
  • Firefly Music Festival/ Dover, DE/ June 21-23/ Headlining: Panic! at the Disco, Travis Scott, Post Malone and many more
  • Summerfest/ Milwaukee, WI/ June 26-30 & July 2-7/ Headlining: Jason Aldean, Jennifer Lopez, The Killers, Lil Wayne with Snoop Dogg, Zac Brown Band and many more
  • Electric Forest/ Rothbury, MI/ June 27-30/ Headlining: Odesza, Kygo, Bassnectar, Zeds Dead and many more
  • Lollapalooza/ Chicago, IL/ August 1-4/ Headlining: Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino, Twenty One Pilots, The Strokes and many more

Music festivals are a great way to let loose and enjoy summer. You can dress how you’re comfortable and wear your hair accordingly, but, no matter what, remember it will be hot and you’re bound to get sweaty, so bring extra hair ties. Dry shampoo is also a good idea, especially if you’ll be there for many days. Whatever you decide for your hair, be bold!