Methodology
How we decide which festivals to cover, how we rank options within a guide, and how we keep recommendations honest.
Our Editorial Philosophy
Our guides are built for travelers who need to make festival-attendance decisions, not for readers who want inspiration. We optimize for clarity, accuracy, and actionable detail — confirmed dates, real ticket flows, accommodation areas that work, and the survival detail first-timers wish they'd had.
How We Rank Options
When we rank accommodation areas, ticket types, or transport options within a festival guide, we use the following criteria — in this order of priority:
- 1
Usefulness for the Attendee's Decision
Does this option help the attendee decide? Vague 'nice to know' picks are cut.
- 2
Reliability & Accuracy
Does the provider operate consistently? Are the details we've documented verifiable?
- 3
On-the-Ground Verification
Has our team or a trusted local contributor verified this personally or via recent attendee reports?
- 4
Value for Attendee Budget
Does the option match its price point? We flag both overpriced festival traps and underpriced hidden wins.
- 5
Authenticity vs. Polish Tradeoff
We explain the tradeoff explicitly — some attendees want polished, some want raw. Neither is wrong.
What We Don't Rank By
Understanding what we explicitly exclude matters for trust.
- ✗Affiliate commission rates — high-commission providers get no ranking boost
- ✗PR pitches and media requests from festival operators
- ✗Social media popularity or influencer endorsements
- ✗Paid placement of any kind
Where Our Data Comes From
Our recommendations synthesize multiple signal types. We prioritize signals in this order:
1. Direct attendance
Our team's personal festival attendance, notes, and photos
2. Local contributors
Writers based in major festival host cities with lived experience of the event
3. Primary operator data
Official festival schedules, ticket platforms, and capacity information
4. Government tourism boards
Official travel advisories, visa rules, and event calendars
5. Reputable published journalism
Named authors at established publications with editorial standards
Handling Uncertainty
When we can't verify a detail, we say so. Phrases like 'reportedly', 'according to [source]', or 'unverified as of [date]' appear in our guides deliberately. We'd rather be honest about uncertainty than pretend to know what we don't.
Read our editorial policy for how this process is executed on every guide.