Hydration, cooling urged for Sunset Music Festival-goers

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More than 40 international electronic dance music bands will perform on five stages at Raymond James Stadium this Memorial Day weekend.

The Sunset Music Festival draws tens of thousands to Tampa, but with heat and drug-related medical incidents marking past events, festival organizers and city officials are urging attendees to hydrate and stay cool. 

They're also doing what they can to give EDM enthusiasts some relief from temperatures forecast in the 90s.

“People are going to be here to enjoy the concert. We have to make sure they are safe and protected,“ said Tampa City Commission Chairman Luis Viera, who toured the venue Friday.

Safety is always a big concern at the mega event. Back in 2016, two people died, possibly from drug overdoes.

Every year, dozens of fans have been taken to the hospital for dehydration.

“We want to make sure, especially with unseasonably high temperatures, that our fans are staying hydrated, that they’re not overheating,” Danielle Alvarez, a spokesperson for the festival told FOX 13.

So there will be more free water available under the stages, at stations, and elsewhere across the property.

This year, cooling tents will be larger and more appealing than years past, giving festival-goers an air-conditioned place to rest and recover.

“We want to entice folks to cool down in those areas, so we have invited artists to play in the tents,” said Alvarez.

Misting stations will also be scattered around the festival grounds and there will be double the number of ambassadors walking the grounds, making sure everyone is safe. Among other things, they will be looking for people who show early signs of dehydration, which includes dizziness, nausea, and profuse sweating.

“We want to make sure we can get them to a shaded area,” explained Alvarez. “We want to make sure we can get them first aid or get them hydrated.”

The Sunset Music Festival runs from 3 in the afternoon to midnight Saturday and Sunday.