Everything You Need to Know about THE Merriweather Post Pavilion
BY LIZ BAUMMERA festival is only as good as its venue, and I think Merriweather Post Pavilion does a great job of hosting All Things Go! Whether you’ve been there before or this is your first time, see some details about the venue below including a breakdown of the two stages, where to look for venue policies, and what information to keep an eye out for ATG to release as we approach the festival dates.
Stage 1 – The Pavilion Stage
What many would consider “the mainstage” of All Things Go, this stage is typically what people associate with Merriweather Post Pavilion if you’ve ever visited before. A beautiful, covered pavilion the leads into a massive hill, The Pavilion is the epitome of enjoying music in style. I have spent many evenings hanging out in this venue, and it continues to be one of my favorites. As someone who enjoys having a seat at concerts and festivals, having a pavilion with seating is always a plus for me personally. In front of the seats is a standing pit for those looking to go for the barricade. Up on the hill, people often lay out picnic blankets (see venue/festival site for what is and is not allowed) and create little spaces for themselves and their groups. Arguably the hidden gem of The Pavilion is the SkyLawn. The SkyLawn is an elevated viewing platform at the back two corners of the Pavilion. You can look out into the venue or out over the lawn. It’s a perfect vantage point to get a little taste of everything, and bonus points because anyone who has a ticket to the festival has access to this stunning viewing option.
Stage 2 – The Chrysalis
“The Big Green Blob in the Woods” as I affectionately call it, The Chrysalis may just be my favorite stage at any venue I’ve ever been to. There’s something so special about the vibes of this large, green, amorphous structure surrounded by the woods. The underside of the structure has gorgeous wood detailing and the large holes places sporadically throughout the structure allow sunlight to stream in. Seating for this stage is simply a hill that stretches as far up as the eye can see. At the top, trees are interspersed amongst the people truly making you feel like you are in nature. During the day the sun shines down brightly, causing the green exterior of the stage to almost glow with how radiant it is. At night, the vibes get moodier with lights filling the interior of The Chrysalis and spilling out into the crowd. With little to no lighting on the seating hill itself, the stage really commands full focus. There is no experience quite like The Chrysalis during both the day and the night, and in my opinion, it is a can’t miss spectacle of All Things Go.
In my opinion, one of the best parts of the ATG stages is that they are, at most, a 10 minute walk from each other. This makes it really easy to bop on over from stage to stage without losing a lot of time walking. And if you want to keep your seat at whatever stage you’re at or just want to take a rest, in the past the festival has livestreamed the performances happening on one stage to other when there is only one performance happening. This means you can take a breather without missing any of the action.
Speaking of stages…it is, of course, important to know the venues rules and regulations before you arrive. Merriweather’s FAQ’s can be found here https://merriweathermusic.com/faq/ but here are some things that I think are important to note:
1. Merriweather is a cashless venue. The take credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
2. Fans can bring in one factory sealed water bottle or one empty water bottle the weekend of the festival. There are water refill stations on site that are free to use. Last year ATG made a significant effort to increase the number of these stations to make it easier for fans to stay hydrated over the weekend.
3. Merriweather does allow you to bring one clear, disposable, non-glass container with personal food items into the venue. This is perfect if you want to bring in snacks to munch on between sets (which can also be a great way to save money if you don’t want to eat at concessions!). My personal recommendations are always to travel with protein bars and electrolytes especially on long, hot festival days.
4. Merriweather is a rain or shine venue. If it is looking like it might rain, be prepared to get wet and possibly a little muddy. It never hurts to travel with a rain poncho if the forecast is looking a little iffy.
5. Parking at Merriweather is free! The parking map for Merriweather can be found here: https://merriweathermusic.com/parking/
As always, be on the lookout for information from All Things Go as the festival gets closer. All of the above are show dependent, and I know in the past ATG has also provided specific guidelines for bags that were permitted during the festival.
While we don’t have a festival map yet, All Things Go typically releases one in the lead up to the festival. I am predicting we will see this sometime early to mid- September. This map will outline the details for the food options, giveaways, advocacy work, water refill stations, and more so keep an eye out!