I went to a New Year’s festival sober, here are the pros and cons

“Everyone assumes you’re on something, so it’s quite liberating to freely act without inhibitions.”

When I was younger (I say at the distinguished age of 27) I used to love the UK summer festival season. It was a time for spending gloriously sun-soaked weekends with friends, covered in dust and glitter, barely sleeping in a half-pitched tent, surviving solely off chocolate brioche rolls and tepid vodka stashed in a sleeping bag. My friends and I would dabble in an assortment of drugs, smuggled in our underwear or on some occasions, just found on the floor.

At festivals, or indeed nights out, I was the friend who’d often end up on a solo adventure. At 17 I tried MDMA for the first time. I befriended two guys I’d met on a lake pontoon stage and traded them some magic mushrooms for a few bombs (caps). I was completely swept away by the following hours of elation; my senses were prickling with delicious over-stimulation. Safe to say my friends were shocked when I reappeared at the campsite at dawn, feverishly chomping through a packet of Starbursts I’d foraged.

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At another festival, I bumped into a guy I’d fancied for years. He asked me to hang out and I, both thrilled and nervous, decided it’d be a great idea to wash some ecstasy down with poorly mixed drinks before meeting him. This escapade ended with his friends carrying me to the medical tent in broad daylight. Sexy, right? 

I’d consistently drink too much, take too much and black out for hours, mentally resurfacing in a completely different location, unable to piece together the evening. It never felt like much of a big deal – it was just fun and luckily, I never ended up in too sticky a situation.

Throughout my mid-to-late twenties, my interest in going on weekend-long benders has waned and my stamina has deteriorated. Though I’m a social person, I have a slightly awkward disposition and find can find myself clamming up in simple social situations between new people or acquaintances. I worry that I’m boring. I’m acutely aware that a few drinks or a couple of lines are a good antidote my anxiety and can boost how ‘fun’ I am to be around. I know it’s not a healthy complex.

So, as I geared up towards Field Day festival in Sydney on New Years Day, I thought it’d be a good opportunity to confront my discomfort and attend sober. My initial apprehensions were that a) I wouldn’t be much fun and b) I’d find my friends and their drug-induced, saccharine affection annoying. In fact, the contrary happened. I had a great time and the experience gave me clarity about a few things I’ll be taking with me into 2025:

1. Drinking is just to keep your hands busy

My friends popped their first cap early on, so I accepted my fate of chasing a caffeine-induced high. Feeling 16 again and ordering a Red Bull, the server actually asked: “Don’t you want vodka with that?” Politely declining, my smugness offered a brief respite from the sickly taste of taurine that lingered on my tongue. Tricking myself into thinking I was drinking actually worked; as long as I was clutching a can or cup of water, the fact it was non-alcoholic didn’t faze me. 

2. Energy is infectious 

The beauty of being around people with giant saucers for pupils is that their energy is easily absorbed by osmosis. When linking up with a friend’s group, I felt surprisingly relaxed and completely happy in their company just bopping along to Sonny Fodera. So much so, I didn’t even feel tempted to accept when offered a nibble of a pinger. 

3. Sensory highs are legit

As the sun began to set over The Domain, I noticed the sky awash with dusky hues. I could feel the music from the DJ onstage thumping in my chest and reverberating across the crowd. The feeling of closing my eyes and absorbing my surroundings was a high in itself. Sure, it’s not as wild a ride as coming up, but it’s still nice without the jaw clenching, sticky mouth and lolling eyes. 

4. Just stop ‘deeping’ it

It’s so easy to get caught up in your head and fear how others perceive you. Whenever I voice my concerns about being awkward or boring, my friends look confused and shrug: “I don’t think you’re like that at all.” Honestly, every now and then you just need to chill the fuck out. The thing about being sober around drunk people is no one knows you’re sober. Everyone assumes you’re on something, so it’s quite liberating to freely act without inhibitions. I’m dancing badly, I’m crazy sweaty and shouting random sounds that feel (to me) like they’re coming from a professional DJ deck. I could be off my tits but I’m not, and you’d never really know. 

5. Being sober doesn’t mean being boring

I would happily attend another festival sober-ish. I struggled towards the end of the evening and despite the bass pummelling my body at a rapid rate, yawns were escaping me. I could’ve done with a little pick-me-up, so perhaps that’s the move going forwards: chilled out vibes until I need a final push to carry me through to the climax. Newsflash, I don’t need to be shitfaced to be a good time. 

For more on sober celebrating, try this.