How to Find People to Hang Out With at a Music Festival Alone

Turn to the person next to you and say hi. Festival crowds are among the easiest to talk to, because everyone is there for the same music and most people are in a good mood. Ask what they came to see, say you came on your own, and offer something small like a sticker. Within a few minutes you will usually have company.

At a normal bar, a stranger saying hello can feel odd. At a festival, it is the custom. You share the music, the heat, the lines and the long hours. A man who says hello fits right in.

Regular festival goers say the same thing: stop anywhere, turn around, and greet whoever is beside you. Say what music you like, where you are from, and that you are on your own. People often respond with an invitation to join.

You do not need clever lines. Use what is in front of you.

• "Who are you here to see?"
• "I came alone. Anyone have a favorite set so far?"
• "Is the next act worth moving up for?"

Add a small thing to give out. Glow sticks, stickers or a bracelet open a conversation without any words. A stranger who accepts a sticker has already said yes to talking.

Keep it warm and short. If someone replies with a single word and turns back to her friends, smile and move on. There are thousands of people there.

Position matters more than you think. Skip the very back of the crowd, where people are on phones, and the very front, where everyone is locked on the stage.

Stand in the middle, near the sound mix and a bit off to one side. You will find people dancing, drifting, and open to a hello. Spots near water, food stands and between stages are good for short chats, because people are already pausing.

Best results come when people are dancing and in a good mood. Move to the music yourself. A man having a good time is easy to approach and easy to approach back.

If you want to meet women, you will run into three obstacles: her friends, loud music and crowds.

Her friends: she is often with a group. Include them. Say hi to everyone, and do not single her out in the first minute. A friendly group that likes you is a gateway.

Loud music: keep it short and lean in just enough to be heard. Save longer talk for the moments between songs.

Crowds: choose a pocket with space. A tight press of people makes conversation hard for everyone.

Do not try to make one great connection and hold onto it. Aim for several small ones. Chat with a pair, move on, find another group, return to the first at the next set.

By the second day, you will have a few faces who know you. Swap Instagrams with the people you like, so you can find them again at the main stage. Men who do this end up with a loose group by the end of the weekend, and often with a woman or two who want to keep talking.

Many men lock up at the idea of walking up to strangers, even at a festival. If you do, start with the smallest step: make eye contact and smile at five people. The next hour, say hello to two. The hour after, ask one question.

Treat it as a game with no pressure. Each hello is practice. You are not there to win anyone over. You are there to enjoy the music with whoever shares your mood.

Saying hi to strangers gets easier with repetition and honest feedback. A coach beside you can tell you right away what worked.

Cold Approach's Bootcamp is in person and fully in the field, in Miami and New York. You get live coaching on every approach and feedback after every set. Group is three consecutive days at three students per coach. Private is fully one-on-one for one, two or three days.

Each training day is two four-hour blocks, with daygame and night game mixed to suit you. There is no skill floor, a total beginner is welcome, and approach anxiety is a specialty. By the next festival, saying hi to strangers will feel routine.