Ultimate guide to Boom Festival

❔What is the Boom Festival?

Basically, it's a festival officially dedicated to psychedelic cultures, but which has broadened in its approach, and aims to be an immersive experience around art, culture, music, dance, ecology, and well-being in general.

Although the festival retains an undeniable "psytrance" influence, it would be unfair to reduce it to that, given the variety of world music at Boom.

The Principles page of the official website speaks for itself!

I went there in July 2018, with my friend Valentin, founder of the premium organic matcha tea brand Kumiko Matcha, the same Valentin with whom I'd done Mongolia and the Vercors.

Then I went back in 2023, still with Valentin, and with a few more friends, and I'm also going back in 2025.

📸 My Instagram account: https: //www.instagram.com/benoitwo/

🌿 An ecological festival

Boom festival has received a lot of awards for its ecological actions, they are really pioneers in the way to minimize as much as possible the environmental impact as a festival.

They have put in place many initiatives: new water treatment system, use of compost from dry toilets, reforestation, composting of food waste, etc.

I just invite you to read the dedicated Boom web page.

That said, bringing 40,000 people from all over the world to a festival represents a huge carbon footprint, I'm well aware. As usual, it's a journey to be made with full awareness and knowledge of the facts.

🧘 Why is everyone talking about Boom as a transformative experience?

It's an important point, and really, it's up to you.

Some (but they're rare) are there just to drink, take (very) hard drugs and dance the night away.

Others come to discover a whole new culture. Or still others fully appreciate "festival culture".

Everyone comes for what they want. But it's true that for someone who's open-minded, curious and positive, it's a whole new universe that opens up to you.

Le Boom offers a setting rarely seen elsewhere, in terms of cultural offerings, music, artistic direction and ambience.

Given that you're virtually cut off from the world for a week, with absolutely no constraints, and immersed in a colorful environment, it's very conducive to many discoveries about many things: yourself, your relationship to partying, music, dance, art, other people, etc. Discoveries that lead to new experiences. Discoveries that lead to new reflections and other epiphanies, and therefore to very likely transformations.

But don't forget this implicit rule among the most experienced festival-goers, which makes me smile: "never make important decisions in the 30 days following your festival" !

🔥A tough festival

What's special about this festival is that it takes place for a week in July, every two years, next to a lake in Portugal, in a hot, arid region.

So it's a "rough" festival in terms of conditions: you'll spend a week in intense heat and dust. And of course, there are only dry toilets!

Hygiene will be basic, and given that water consumption must be rationed, the Boom's recommendation is to wash "only when necessary".

So, to get the most out of this experience, you need to prepare your gear and, of course, your mindset. That's what we'll be looking at in this guide.

🎒 🛌 ⛺ The "big three

When hiking, we call the three items that are often the heaviest the "big three":

• carrying: your backpack
• sleeping: your sleeping bag
• shelter : your tent

So let's see how it goes at the Boom Festival!

The sleeping bag 🛏️

So we're going to kick some open doors wide open: take a sleeping bag to the Boom.

I say this because I came across someone who hadn't taken one, thinking that sleeping with clothes in the tent would suffice.

Well no, the nights can be chilly, and it's totally illusory to go without a sleeping bag for a week at the Boom.

If there's really only one item to take, it's this one!

You don't need a mountaineering sleeping bag - any Decathlon sleeping bag with a comfort temperature of 15°c will do! Snugpak's Jungle Bag, sold at Terrang for 75€, is also worth considering, as it can be transformed into a blanket.

A little tip: choose a sleeping bag with synthetic insulation rather than down and goose feathers, as it's cheaper and much easier to wash after a week at the festival.

If you're coming totally unprepared, it' s usually possible to buy a Decathlon sleeping bag at the Boom's little mini-market.

The backpack 🎒

In 2018, I took a Goruck backpack, the 34-liter GR2 model.

And you quickly fall in love with its rustic yet ultra-strong, tank-like construction, thanks to its indestructible USA-made YKK zippers or its 1000-denier Cordura (a far-from-revolutionary, but very tried-and-tested material).

Please note, I insist: this is not a bag for multi-day hiking, nor even a hiking backpack. Too heavy, too rustic.

On the other hand, it's perfect for backpacking in environments where you need an unobtrusive, reliable and sturdy backpack.

Faced with festival-goers with huge, flashy hiking bags, I like my 34-liter Goruck.

I'd also advise you not to take a suitcase: the Boom's terrain, made up of dirt and small slopes, is totally unsuitable for suitcase wheels. As a result, it's the realm of backpacks and other "expedition duffels" from North Face, Patagonia or Décathlon.

5 years later, for the 2023 edition, with my backpack collection considerably enlarged, I took my A3 from Hill People Gear, in addition to the duffel bag from Granite Gear.

But honestly, finding a good duffel bag really isn't complicated, Carryology's dedicated section is your friend if you want a more niche brand or Savotta's Keika range. And of course, Decathlon, which equips the majority of Boomers.

And more than ever, take "pouchs" (pockets in French) to organize your stuff, instead of putting everything loose in your bag. It was during Boom 2018 that my passion for pouchs was born. You'll find some great ones at Muji, for example.

I recommend two possibilities:

1. a 35-liter backpack or less for the trip + a large duffel bag (in checked luggage if you're flying) with all your camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, etc.)
2. or a big rucksack to carry everything, in which case you'll need at least a 60-liter bag, and it will have to be checked-in if you're flying.

In either case, any hiking backpack will do, even a simple Quechua!

Which tent should I take? ⛺

No need to take your ultralight Dyneema tent, it's quite the opposite: take something sturdy and inexpensive, no matter how heavy it is, because you won't have to carry it very far.

There are two thirds of the festival in Quechua tents, including the Fresh&Black range, a tent that claims to be "fresh and dark". Despite Decathlon's promises, don't expect miracles on this front, because from 10-11am, it'll be too hot in your tent to sleep, even in a Fresh&Black.

Even if there are two of you, take a three-person tent if you have the luxury of choice, as it will be much easier to store your belongings.

🧳 The "carry" problem at the Boom Festival...

During the day, you often have a bit of gear to carry, but having a backpack is too much of a hassle because it's :

• too big for what you have to carry,
• difficult to dance with, as it makes your back sweat,
• impractical for crossing crowds, etc.

So it's only logical that festival-goers wear all their gear around their waists, as they might call them "waist bags" or "utility belts". Other professions have the same problem of carrying a multitude of objects around the waist: manual jobs, with tools, but also policemen, paramedics, the military or superheroes (yes, think of Batman). And festival-goers are involved too!

More precisely, they wear specialized gear: "festival belts". In 2018, I saw them in all possible sizes, and all materials: fabric, synthetic, but also leather, and sometimes, very beautifully worked.

Etsy is full of festival belts, but I can't say the designs are very exciting...

And all in all, seeing so many festival belts kept me intellectually busy during Boom 2018, wondering what I'd do if I had to come back to the next festival.

But let's be honest, if you want to keep it simple and efficient, any fanny pack will do. No need to complicate life, unless you're a gear enthusiast like me.

Having said that, I want to do a rather exhaustive guide, so let's have a look at the solutions available to you for carrying your "Boom Gear"...

The fanny pack

This is the most obvious and easiest solution, and is available at absolutely every price and in every material. From Décathlon to the most cutting-edge American brands, it's up to you to decide according to your desires and your budget.

As far as I'm concerned, here are a few models I like, with X Factor :

• Code of Bell, with its adjustable volume
• Lite AF in highly technical fabrics
• the lightweight Versa from Hyperlite Mountain Gear
• the ZPacks equivalent
• a European equivalent, the Bonfus brand version
• the more hype version from Snow Peak
• and a version with a Cobra buckle, from Defy
• completely psychedelic designs (perfectly suited to the Boom!) by High Tail Design
• solid versions ready to take on the toughest environments, from Hill People Gear or Kifaru

For the 2023 edition, I used Kifaru's Rogan:

It's an absolutely indestructible fanny pack, very roomy (almost too roomy), and lets you compartmentalize your stuff just right. I'm very happy with it, and it can even be used as an improvised pillow. And for a touch of personality, I added a titanium pearl to one of the zipper pulls!

The sling bag

This is a very compact type of shoulder bag. Code of Bell is another well-known brand, but Aer offers a more reasonably priced sling bag.

And if not, Carryology is full of buying suggestions.

Personally, I reused a very small Dyneema bag I had in Mongolia, from a brand that no longer exists: SDR Traveller. I put my hearing protection, my passport, the paper Boom program and a pack of tissues in it.

Orbit Gear offers a really niceone too, with a futuristic aesthetic that I really like.

Please note: the boundary between a sling bag and a fanny pack is sometimes porous, as a sling bag can sometimes be worn around the waist (like a fanny pack) and a fanny pack can be worn across the shoulder like a sling bag, if you can keep up!

Valentin and the Vinjatek method

Valentin had chosen to follow the Vinjatek method, a digital nomad with a passion for adventurer's gear (but who has stopped publishing).

In his Asian peregrinations, Vinjatek developed a kind of large belt, customizing it with a DSPTCH pouch, and calling it the "EDC Mobility Pack". He details everything in a tutorial, which is admittedly quite nebulous, but Valentin managed to pull it off.

The Quechua 10-liter backpack

Obviously, this little 3.50€ backpack was very common at the festival, and it's the one I had in 2018. Its 10 liters were not too much.

You shouldn't expect great comfort, but it's a (very) economical solution that does the trick perfectly if you're on an ultra-limited budget and don't have a fanny pack. On the other hand, it's obviously impractical for dancing, and you'll be sweating your back off.

Boom Festival essentials

This is a non-exhaustive list, which could be described as "EDC Boom", in reference to EveryDay Carry", an acronym popular with fans of bags and gear, which designates items you should always have with you.

So here are the things you need to have on you:

• a watch : since nobody uses their phone, it's hard to keep track of the time. As for me, I had a sturdy little Casio (yes, get a waterproof watch). You wouldn't believe the number of people who asked me for the time every day. Even if the Boom is a festival where you don't have to worry about time, it's still important to have a minimum of time references, especially if you have to meet people in 2 hours somewhere.
• sunscreen: Boom is a festival where the sun beats down, and it would be a shame to spoil it with a painful sunburn. So you'll need to apply sunscreen regularly, and always carry some with you.
• a water bottle: in such hot weather, you'll be drinking all the time (fortunately, there are plenty of water points where you can fill your bottle). I had the Camelbak Chute Mag, and I'm very happy with it. But any water bottle will do. If you don't have a backpack, the challenge will be to carry it as easily as you do. Read the paragraph on water below to find out more!
• a small bottle of hydro-alcoholic gel, very useful, especially when the big bottle for each toilet no longer works.
• the Boom Festival paper program- you won't believe how many times you consult this document.
• your papers : passport and, if necessary, a medical form summarizing who you are and your current treatments.
• special concert hearing protection (they cost nothing but are ESSENTIAL, as the sound is very, very loud).
• earplugs if you want to nap undisturbed.
• a microfiber towel for swimming in the lake. If you choose a very small one, it will be easier to carry around during the day.
• your bathing suit if you don't want to swim naked.
• sunglasses, otherwise you'll get stoned eyes.
• a packet of tissues, because with all the dust you can quickly get a nose infection.
• cash + credit card
• a small inflatable pillow for your long naps IN ADDITION to your pillow in your tent. I had the Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight, a small, ultra-compact inflatable pillow, and I'm really proud of this "hack", as it allows you to recover comfortably and easily. The big plus: it inflates in two or three exhalations!
• No need to take snacks with you, because 1) it can melt and 2) finding food at the Boom is very simple.
• a roll of ultra-compact toilet paper, like the one sold on the Fédération Française de Randonnée website
• cap or hat
• a very small flashlight (150-200 lumens is enough), which comes in handy at night, and saves your phone battery. Tip: choose a flashlight with a clip so you can attach it to your hat, like a mini headlamp.
• Among the obligatory items to bring along according to the Boom team (this is no joke), there are also condoms, it's up to you...

📅 A week at the Boom Festival

The food

Here you have two choices:

• either you're self-sufficient : you have your own dishes and pasta cookers, and you wash everything in the sinks provided. This requires a lot of organization and equipment. I don't recommend it.
• or you buy your food on the spot, day by day, in "street food" mode. This is the option Valentin and I chose, because we didn't want to bother with bringing dishes and a stove and cooking.

On site, there's a kind of mini-supermarket selling only organic and/or local produce. As far as prices are concerned, beware, they are those of an organic supermarket rather than a Lidl.

As for me, every morning I'd get a box of blueberries, a coconut water and a cereal bar, for around 7€.

When it comes to food, there are a ton of options, the majority of which are vegetarian and organic. And at any time of day, even at 4 or 5am.

It's clear that if you want to eat sausage and meat, this is not the right festival to go to!

As for prices, a dish is usually between 5 and 10€. Valentin and I would often go for an organic, veggie pizza at 7.5€ each (note: these are 2018 prices).

So to get an idea of the budget, allow around 30€ per day for food and you'll be fine.

Overall, I found the food to be good (again this is the only festival I've been to, so I have no points of comparison) and it was always a pleasure to eat.

Note that my friends and I didn't drink anything except water from the fountains and coconut water in the morning, so 0€ alcohol budget. I should point this out to you, though, because the bill can quickly mount up if you take beer after beer and vodka after vodka shot at the Boom's bars...

Carrying your water

As I said, there are drinking fountains all over Boom, but this is a hot, dry region of Portugal, so water is a precious resource.

It is drawn from a drinking water network designed for the 10,000 inhabitants of the area, except that in Boom, 40,000 more people arrive all at once. The strain on the drinking water network is enormous, and even if water consumption per Boomer tends to decrease over the years, it still remains high (20 liters per person per day according to Boom figures).

That's why the showers aren't open all the time, and why the jet of water only lasts a few seconds after you turn on the tap.

In fact, the Boom's official rule is to take a shower "only if you really need it".

Fortunately, the lake is there to refresh you if need be! But washing with soap is absolutely forbidden, as 40,000 people soaping up in a lake completely destroys its ecosystem, even if the soap is biodegradable.

As for drinking water, take a good flask and you'll be fine. My advice is still to use a Nalgene, whose wide mouth makes it easy to fill OR a "folding" gourd that's easy to store when empty.

The problem isn't so much the bottle itself, but rather the way you carry it. Some people hang their bottle on their belt via a carabiner, but I use my Vanquest bottle holder and hang it on my belt.

The subject of money 💸

A quick but important point!

At Boom, there's now a "cashless" system where you wear a bracelet with an RFID chip. To pay, all you have to do is hold your bracelet up to a special terminal at the on-site merchants. It's a convenient, reliable payment system that doesn't require the use of credit cards (difficult with a telephone network that's totally undersized for the event), and doesn't require you to manage your change.

You can top up your account from kiosks or from the Boom app if you're lucky enough to have a bit of a network. This system has only improved over the years and is now well established.

Take some cash with you (200€) in case the shopkeeper doesn't accept cash (which can still happen).

What to wear? 👕

Ah yes, as a great clothing enthusiast, I had to talk about it!

First of all,it never rains at Boom, so there's no need for rain gear.

As for constraints, you'll be lying on the ground, so there's a risk of holes and rubbing.

I love our merino T-shirts, but I'm going to be radical: although it's a practical wool because it's odor-free, at 35°C it's really hot. There's a risk of damaging it.

So my reco is: take a pack of 5 inexpensive cotton and/or linen T-shirts, and roll up young. If you optimize the folding, it won't take up that much space.

You'll sweat the day away, and believe me, you'll appreciate having a clean T-shirt every morning.

This may be the rare time I'm going to recommend first-price stuff here, but as you'll be napping sometimes on the floor, and there's still a bit of vegetation at the Boom, chances are your best tee-shirt will end up with a hole in it after a week.

I also recommend invisible socks. If they're thin, 5 pairs (one per day) won't really take up any space. But what a joy to have "fresh" socks every morning!

As for shoes, I had an old pair of Nike Lunar Flyknit, very airy, they were perfect.

There's the option of flip-flops and sandals, but as Boom is a dusty festival, your feet will get dirty very quickly (and I hate that). It's up to you!

Pants/shorts: take something that's safe and comfortable in hot weather.

Hiking pants with cotton and nylon blends make sense, you just have to strike the right balance between fabric fineness (so you don't get too hot) and durability.

And I'd like to mention an important item: the mid layer.

As soon as the sun goes down, temperatures drop fast. From a 30-35°c day, you can end up with a 15°c night.

The thermal amplitude is consequent, and I can only advise you to take the time to return to your tent at around 8:30 p.m. to put on a warm and light mid layer. The 20-minute walk to your tent is well worth it, and I guarantee you'll be much more comfortable for the rest of the night.

Most of the Boomers had hoodies, I had our good old Polartec Power Stretch jacket. It was absolutely PERFECT: Power Stretch is not only very comfortable, but also just the right amount of warmth.

Unfortunately, we don't really have it in stock any more, so I'd recommend Houdini, Tilak or even Arc'Teryx for a piece in this material.

Now, I've talked about clothes from a practical angle, but feel free to have a little more fun if you're brave enough to bring along a costume, an ornament or some other more exotic garment.

Please note, however, that the Boom Festival doesn't want any signs of community belonging, so no soccer shirts or tee shirts with the flag of any country!

I also remember reading about Indian headdresses being used as a disguise. Boom considers it cultural appropriation and advises against wearing it.

So to sum up, my ideal list of clothes for Boom :

• an airy pair of sneakers for all-day wear
• flip-flops for the shower and perhaps other times of the day
• pants that are stretchy and heat-resistant
• one or more shorts/bermudas
• a swimsuit
• upper-body clothing that won't make you cry if it gets punctured

Open shoes or closed shoes? 👟 vs 🩴

Both, my captain!

On a more serious note, I reserve flip-flops for shower time and strongly advise against them the rest of the time, as I've written, and closed shoes for the day for the following reasons:

• hygiene: having your feet in the air for a week in such a dusty environment isn't great, and you'll quickly get your sleeping bag and the inside of the tent dirty, both of which aren't easy to wash.
• safety reasons: walking around an outdoor festival in flip-flops for a week, you're statistically far more likely to get a splinter or a small cut than in closed-toe shoes.
• safety reasons (bis): if someone accidentally knocks you down on the dance floor, or if you miss a step, or if you step in a pothole on a path, it's much easier to regain your balance in closed-toe shoes than in flip-flops (and less dangerous for your feet). And believe me, sprains can happen at the Boom!

As for closed shoes, choose ventilated mesh shoes suitable for hot weather, such as those found in running shoes, trail shoes or even certain minimalist pairs.

Last but not least, take shoes that are easy to take off and put on again, for swimming or attending group classes. Salomon shoes, with their "Speed lace" system, are very practical.

Sleeping at the Boom Festival 😴

A week-long festival is a really tiring experience, and the question of rest is crucial.

And on the first night when it's a merry mess with a trance music concert blasting from portable speakers, there's plenty to panic about, thinking "but is it going to be a week like this?! "

But there's so much letting go at Boom about schedules that ultimately, by listening to your body, going to sleep when you feel like it and napping when your heart tells you to, you won't get tired.

Still, there are a few tips to keep in mind when it comes to sleeping at the Boom Festival:

• almost everyone sleeps in a tent, and as for where to pitch your tent, it's a bit chaotic, but that's part of the atmosphere. Imagine a vast field of randomly placed tents, with no path to follow. So you have to be careful not to trip over a wire!
• be careful not to pitch your tent too far from the stage, so you don't have to walk 40 minutes to have fun.
• if you manage to pitch your tent under a tree for shade, it's the ultimate luxury!
• if you're really in a hurry, you can usually buy Decathlon tents at the small supermarket.
• In terms of sleeping bags, given that it's no less than 15°c at its coldest at night, you can take a very light, space-saving sleeping bag - that's the advantage!
• a Manta Sleep-type mask is an invaluable accessory
• stock up on earplugs

Earplugs + an eye mask + a daytime nap should keep you in decent shape for the whole festival.

For me, in 2018, after just a few days at the festival, the unthinkable happened: the beats of electro music began to lull me to sleep... and to wake me up. It was no longer a bother at all, quite the contrary. Body and mind get used to it!

In 2023, after the second night of the festival, I was already sleeping without earplugs. You just have to let go and trust your body to recover at its own pace (and take a nap the next day).

Charging your phone at the Boom 📱

In the end, this is the most difficult resource to have at the Boom: electricity. The Boom strongly encourages you to completely disconnect from your phone.

Charging your phone is therefore very complicated, whereas I like to have it with me to take a few photos (and I wish I'd taken more in 2018) or simply recharge by listening to music you like on an offline playlist after 3 hours of trance music.

There are a few hubs with electronic outlets, but they're always busy, so don't expect to be charging your phone every day.

You can try solar panels, but they're cumbersome to transport.

In the end, nothing beats a good old-fashioned 20,000 mAh external battery, and you'll be fine for a week. By way of comparison, an iPhone 16 battery is between 3500 and 4500 mAh, depending on the model.

So you'll have several recharges ahead of you, even more if you use your phone sparingly.

Phone coverage is sometimes capricious at the Boom. In short, it's a week of complete disconnection!

Note from David who edits this article I'll spare you the technical details, which I don't fully understand myself, but bear in mind thata 20,000mAh battery won't be able to give your phone 20,000 but less, more like 12 or 14,000mAh. So with a phone that has 4,000mAh of battery, a 20,000 will charge it 3 times rather than 5. If you really want to last 7 days with 7 full charges on your phone, you'll probably need 2 full 20,000mAh batteries.

😶 Subjects you don't dare ask me about

Nudity at the Boom Festival

This was a subject I didn't really know what to expect. To put it simply, nudity is officially encouraged, but never forced.

In concrete terms, if you want to swim naked, it's completely okay. If you don't want to, that's completely okay too. And those who go nude are okay with the fact that some don't. And those who don't want to go nude are okay with the fact that some don't want to go nude. And those who don't want to get naked are okay with those who do.

There are no separate areas where nudes are set apart, it's really up to each person to do as they like, as they feel.

I'm talking about swimming, but it's not uncommon to come across people sunbathing in the nude, and I've even seen some people dancing in the nude too. Others walk naked too.

Clearly, if the sight of naked bodies, male or female, whatever your age or build, makes you uncomfortable, this is clearly not the festival I'd recommend, unless you're keen to overcome that apprehension.

Toilets at Boom Festival

It's a subject that might make you smile, but at Boom, everything is special!

First and foremost, it's absolutely forbidden to relieve yourself anywhere but in the toilets.

As it happens, Boom has invented a unique dry toilet, whose organic waste is then reused as fertilizer. Except that for the chemical process to work properly, you have to throw absolutely nothing into the toilet except paper.

Boom has even published a video on the subject:

And as incredible as it may seem, there's a staff that regularly goes into the toilets to clean them - I couldn't believe my eyes.

Having had to deal with very rudimentary toilets in Mongolia, it's almost luxury at Boom.

As this is my only large-scale festival, I have no points of comparison, but I've been told that it's one of the festivals with the cleanest toilets.

The number of toilets gets bigger every year, so with less and less queuing for the toilets!

Washing up at the Boom

To avoid polluting the lake, it is strictly forbidden to use soap (even if biodegradable) while swimming.

So there are showers - totally outdoors, with the sky above you - of two kinds:

• collective and mixed, where men and women shower face to face, naked or not. When I woke up the first morning, I was a bit shocked to see such mixed nudity - I wasn't used to it.
• There are individual showers, with a small curtain, but the wait to get in is much longer.

Ah, and of course, the water isn't heated, it' s cold water that comes out of the tap, but given the heat it's no more annoying than that. The duration of the water jet is also very short, surely to encourage Boomers to shower as quickly as possible so as not to waste water.

From now on, there are time slots when shower water is available, so it's no longer possible to shower all day long.

In 2023, I took along Decathlon's solar shower, for a little "rinse" in the evening before going to bed, when the showers are no longer available. I was pleasantly surprised by the water pressure possible with this shower and it was clearly THE hack of my 2023 gear for the Boom. It clearly saved me queuing for the communal showers, and I was able to shower in the morning and have a quick wash-up in the evening before going to bed.

This is where I'd strongly advise you to have flip-flops that are safe (Muji in my case), and a Cordura military pouch, which is splash-proof, quick-drying and easy to clean should it fall on a very dusty floor.

And don't forget to take a carabiner, even a Decathlon one, so you've got somewhere to hang it! Which shouldn't be a problem with a military pouch with multiple MOLLE fasteners.

As for soap, following the example of Mongolia, I had a small bottle, bought at Muji, which I had filled with Dr Bronner, this highly concentrated, ecological, multi-purpose soap.

To brush your teeth, simply use the fountains.

Washing clothes with Boom

Clearly, this requires a bit of logistics: you need to bring a basin and detergent. And you have to wash everything by hand and find something to dry it in. Valentin and I didn't want to do this, so we managed to avoid it.

See the "How to dress at Le Boom" paragraph for more details!

Drugs at the Boom Festival

It's probably the first time I've talked about drugs in our columns, but it's a subject that can't be ignored.

DISCLAIMER 1: I remind you that the possession and consumption of narcotics are absolutely forbidden in France, and that they can ruin your health!

DISCLAIMER 2: the subject of drug prevention by a company is one that interests me personally, so I'm going to take the time to talk about it in detail here.

I wasn't naive: at a festival officially dedicated to "psychedelic cultures", in the middle of nowhere, it was clear that there was going to be more than just coke and beer. To drive the point home, the first evening of the Boom featured a screening of a documentary on the life of Albert Hoffman, the chemist who first synthesized LSD. At least the tone was set!

Was the presence of drugs at the festival going to be awkward for me? Would it be too invasive for me? Is this a problem? What does "drugs" mean at a festival?

Having never been to a festival before, I tried to do some research on the net to find out what to expect.

The point of this paragraph is that if you're completely unfamiliar with this kind of place and atmosphere and have a few concerns, well, you'll know what to expect (spoiler: zero anxiety to be had).

First of all, you need to know that the situation in Portugal is a bit peculiar: there was a time when drugs were a real public health problem, and faced with the ineffectiveness of highly repressive policies, Portugal decided to make a 180° turn by decriminalizing drugs.

And it worked.

But decriminalization is not legalization! Even in Portugal, drugs are still banned and trafficking them is a crime.

The role of Kosmicare 🚑

As far as the Boom Festival is concerned, the Kosmicare is in charge of prevention. Basically, they test festival-goers' substances free of charge, taking advantage of the opportunity to collect anonymized data (sex, age, frequency of use, etc.) and, above all... provide prevention if they test a very dangerous substance.

And there was no shortage of this: from the second day onwards, a poster was plastered all over the toilets warning of particularly overdosed MDMA tablets with a specific shape (a star from memory).

So that's what Kosmicare is all about!

It's an approach to drug prevention that's similar to French festivals, and I understand that at first glance, it may seem like it's going to encourage consumption.

But it allows us to have a real dialogue with drug users, to better accompany and prevent them, and therefore to avoid tragedies.

We even come across some people with a little cardboard sign on their foreheads indicating the substance they want to buy. Some had very nebulous names.

In the camp, you could come across certain "dealers" offering cocaine, cannabis, MDMA, mushrooms and LSD on a little cardboard box turned upside down, for all to see! I'd never seen anything like it, but I was prepared to be "confronted" with this world, because a week before, I'd done a lot of research to find out about the effects of these substances and how to help someone in trouble (basically: you have to call for help!).

The aim of this "deep dive" was to understand the environment I was going to find myself in, exactly as I had done to prepare for my trip to Mongolia.

To this end, I took the time to peruse a few pages of "The Manual of Psychedelic Support", which can be downloaded free of charge from the Boom website.

To be objective: over a week and 30,000 participants, I only saw three things that bothered me:

• twice I saw people taking cocaine on their phones in the middle of the afternoon,
• and one evening I saw someone having a bad trip who was evacuated,

So yes, there are drugs at the Boom, and not just a few, but their presence has never bothered me, and to limit the Boom to drugs would be totally unfair, because it's an experience that goes far beyond that.

Nobody on any substance bothered me, and my impression is that people were very polite, positive and courteous to each other.

After that, if seeing drugs circulating so easily makes you angry, don't come to Boom, you'll have the worst week of your life, especially as it's a festival where the smell of cannabis is very present.

So much for this guide to the Boom, I wish you all a great festival if you go, with a mindset filled with curiosity, openness, humility and awareness.

In conclusion

That's all I have to say about this festival, which can change so many lives: Valentin even met his fiancée there in 2018. Others, on Reddit, describe it as their "time of my life". It's clearly a festival in a league of its own, with a justified worldwide reputation.

If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them in the comments section!

Resources

• Reddit's First Timers FAQ, packed with topics on all kinds of Boom-related subjects, a must-read!
• the "Boom guide" on the official Boom website
• a complete gear list from seasoned festival-goers, in French
• another complete gear list from a Boomer

Bonus: discover the musical universe of the Boom Festival

It's David who takes up the pen, as he's a big fan of electronic music (but not a Boomer).

For those curious to know what the Boom Festival is like from a musical point of view, you'll find multiple DJ sets from the festival on Youtube.

Among the best-known artists to play there, I'm thinking in particular of Astrix, with its psytrance ambience: