In the midst of dancing with friends and jamming to music, the last thing on most concertgoers’ minds is a trip to the hospital. Emergency room visits at Lurie Children’s Hospital increase during major concerts and music festivals to the point where the hospital prepares ahead of time, said Kristen Kester, attending physician at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. To play it loud and play it safe at future concerts, stay in sync with the five tips below.

1. Stick with at least one other person at all times and stay in contact with them. Plan transportation home ahead of time, know where water is and always look out for the people you came with. If anyone is in danger, call 911 or seek help at a medical tent.
2. Establish two meeting points in case a phone dies or you lose the people you came with. Choose one meeting point close to the concert venue and another one farther away in case an incident occurs and the venue is no longer safe.
3. To prevent personal belongings from being stolen, keep them in front of the body rather than at the side. If using a bag, opt for a cross body bag or small wristlet, and if using pockets to store belongings, utilize front pockets rather than the back ones.
4. Avoid relying on a phone as the main form of payment at a concert. Bring at least two forms of payment, such as cash, a credit card or a phone. Having a backup payment method accounts for purchases in emergencies, such as taking a cab home.
5. Make sure to have emergency contact information written down or memorized, such as a parent’s phone number, in the event cell service goes down or something happens to your phone and using a landline is necessary.

Sources: Kristen Kester, attending physician at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Steven Aks, Chief Academic Affairs Officer at Cook County Health and director of the Toxicon Consortium