Volunteering at music fests can get you in free

Decibelle Music and Culture Festival
May 22, Jun 4–6 and Sept 24–26, various locations
Perks Free admittance to a show for every shift worked
Total value: $25
Artists Peaches, Ssion and Ongina from RuPaul’s Drag Race
Time commitment Two to six hours
Work required Ticketing, staffing merchandise tables; working security and hospitality, transportation, setup and cleanup
Registration info@decibelle.org
I did it! “I believe in Decibelle—bringing together entertainment and social activism,” says Chelsey Clammer, who donated her time to help the fest’s PR team last year. “I like being a part of something that is socially transformative.”

Milwaukee Summerfest
Jun 25–Jul 5, Henry Maier Festival Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Perks A volunteer T-shirt, an extra general admission ticket, a parking pass, a $5 food coupon and—obvs—free admission to the concert in which you’re volunteering (which could be worth up to $77)
Total value: $112
Time commitment Four hours
Work required Planting flowers, setting up grounds, chauffeuring artists and information-booth staffing
Registration Summerfest.com
I did it! “I’ve been volunteering for 15-plus years,” says Wisconsinite Dorothy Fare. “I love the festival. Where else can you find 11 stages with 11 acts playing every day?”

Rothbury Festival
Jul 2–5, Rothbury, Michigan
Perks Nearly free admission for three days
Total value: $249.50
Artists The Dead, Bob Dylan, String Cheese Incident
Time commitment Three shifts of five to seven hours.
Work required Volunteers, known as the Green Team, contribute to the goal of producing a festival that leaves no carbon footprint. You’ll set up the event, perform maintenance work and clean up afterward.
Registration Joining the Green Team requires a credit-card deposit of $279.50, and all but $30 of that is returned upon completion of duty; i.e., volunteering actually costs you money. Visit spitfireagency.com/rothbury.
I did it! “Volunteering [at Rothbury] gives you the chance to meet new friends and help educate,” says Virginian Anne Bedarf, who, as a member of last year’s Green Team, helped recycle and compost trash. “Volunteering here lets you reduce the footprint on our environment.”

Chicago Folk & Roots Festival
Jul 11, 12, Welles Park
Perks Admission to festival, free T-shirt and free or discounted Old Town School of Folk Music classes and concert tickets
Total value: $68
Artists Lineup released May 3, but you can expect foot-stomping global sounds
Time commitment Two to four hours
Work required Greet guests and artists, maintain park and assist with kids’ activities
Registration tharkins@oldtownschool.org
I did it! “There’s a chance you’ll rub elbows with artists,” says Sandra Ray, a volunteer for the past five years. “I met Robert Plant, and I tell my husband—who I met while volunteering—that that was the number two experience for me.”

Pitchfork Music Festival
Jul 17–19, Union Park
Perks T-shirt, entrance to the festival on the day you work, or, in some cases, an additional day
Total value: $35
Artists Yo La Tengo, Flaming Lips, Built to Spill
Time commitment Six hours
Work required take tickets, control access to areas, hand out programs
Registration volunteer@pitchforkmusicfestival.com
I did it! “You get to meet people with similar values,” says Melissa Oglesby of volunteering at Pitchfork, which makes donations to organizations that lend hands, such as Oglesby’s Girls Rock!, a nonprofit initiative that uses music lessons to boost girls’ self-esteem. “Going to the shows for free is a lot of fun, too.”

Lollapalooza
Aug 7–9, Grant Park
Perks Admission to festival on the day you work and a volunteer T-shirt
Total value: $63
Artists Depeche Mode, Beastie Boys, Jane’s Addiction
Time commitment Four hours
Work required Greet guests, distribute programs, assist the recycling center and Kidzapalooza
Registration Lollapalooza.com
I did it! “I began volunteering at Lollapalooza with my son who was just out of high school,” says Michael Graham. “We work together and get into the festival without paying full price. And we’ve volunteered providing access for people with disabilities, helping them have a great experience.”

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Complete festival listings: April/May | June | July | August | September | October

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