7 things for Phish fans to know about The Woodlands Dover 2024 four-day festival

Since Phish will swim into Dover to deliver a new four-day festival in summer 2024, fans from everywhere will travel to the First State — a mythical place to some folks.

For folks unfamiliar to Delaware and wanting to know what to expect at The Woodlands, site of the new Phish festival, here are seven things to know that will make "aphishianados" feel comfortable to chart these musical waters, before the event launches Aug. 15-18, 2024.

This information is based on what we know about the longtime Firefly Music Festival that's helped to popularize The Woodlands over the last decade. 

And we'll update you when ticket info and more information about the festival is available.

Where is closest airport or train to The Woodlands Dover?

The closest train station is upstate in Wilmington (roughly 51 minutes). Amtrak's Acela offers routes between Wilmington, Delaware; Philadelphia; New York; Boston; New Haven, Connecticut; and Washington, D.C.

Festivalgoers will find the nearest airports are Wilmington Airport (38 minutes). This Wilmington location offers budget prices, but the only caveat is they serve only select cities. For a complete listing, visit flyilg.com.

Other nearby airports are Philadelphia International Airport (1 hour and 15 minutes) and Baltimore's BWI Airport (1 hour and 45 minutes).

Where are The Woodlands?

The Woodlands are in Dover, Delaware, a rural area off the main Route 1 highway. The festival grounds are on a countryside, but the space isn't in the middle of nowhere. Civilization is only about a 15-minute drive. Within that driving radius festivalgoers will find lots of businesses like Walmart, Target, gas stations (Wawa), grocery stores (Safeway, Redner's), restaurants (Chipotle, Grotto Pizza, McDonald's, etc.) and the Dover Mall.

What's it like in The Woodlands?

The festival grounds are massive, which means you might want to wear some comfy shoes. The Woodlands also includes areas where folks can set up hammocks.

One of the downsides to The Woodlands is it doesn't offer a lot of shade from the sun. It's likely The Woodlands will shrink significantly for the Phish festival, which would help revelers cut down on walking.

What events are The Woodlands known for?

Each year NASCAR fans camp out in The Woodlands to see their favorite drivers race at the nearby Dover Motor Speedway, formerly Dover International Speedway, and nicknamed the Monster Mile. The Woodlands are on the outskirts of the iconic racetrack. There's also the Firefly Music Festival. The site also has hosted music festivals like Firefly and its country spinoff named Big Barrel.

How is Firefly Music Festival tied to The Woodlands?

The Woodlands has been the site of Firefly, an annual event that's drawn tens of thousands of guests since it started in 2012. Attendance peaked with over 90,000 fans in 2015. Last year the festival turned 10. Over the years, the event has featured multiple stages (north of six) and attracted a number of big names like Paul McCartney, Eminem, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and many others. The four-day event (which organizers put on hold for 2023 to recalibrate) is produced by AEG, a company Phish has worked with to promote the band's annual events at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.

Are there water and charging stations in The Woodlands?

At Firefly there were water and charging stations in The Woodlands. Infield RV and all glamping packages at Firefly included power. Other campers had the option to use complimentary charging stations at ranger stations and camping hubs.

How is Wi-Fi in The Woodlands?

Internet access was hit-or-miss at Firefly. Some people used their phone as a hotspot to access the Web.

Are you coming to the Mondegreen festival and have a cool Phish story to tell? Please email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at [email protected]. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Phish festival 2024: What fans should know about The Woodlands Dover