COLUMBUS — Most Sonic Temple-goers beeline for the main gates after shuttling over, walking from Columbus neighborhoods or slowly navigating the on-site parking lot.
But for the recreational vehicle-renters and owners who set up camp before the festival even began, they put their feet up and observe the chaos with a beer in hand.
Sonic Temple 2026 offers 350 limited on-site RV camping spots that allow up to six people per site and include access to water and electrical hookups.
These spots, which usually sell out quickly, cost $841 for a basic spot and $1,008 for a premium spot located closer to the entrances.
Campers are allowed to bring in their own food, drinks and supplies to last them through the weekend.
Walking through the premium camping site, many campers had similar set-ups outside their RVs: multiple fold-up tables strewn under pop-up tents, speakers on the ground, water and beer cases at the feet of fold-up-chair sitters.
But some campers boasted unique identifiers, with different flags, inflatable pools and even an outdoor mini bar, which attracted quite the crowd.
A unique experience
Josh Newsom, who is staying with his friend Christina Bennett (also known as the camp mom) said glamping at Sonic offers a unique and pleasant experience.
“It’s nice because you can hang out, you can have drinks with friends, you can not worry about having to drive in and out. This year especially, the parking is a nightmare as it has been the last couple years,” he said.
“In the long run, just the convenience, and the camaraderie, and getting to stay here and not worry about stuff is worth it.”
Glampers also receive a unique privilege no other ticket holders get: in-and-out access to the festival all day.
Sonic Temple prohibits people from re-entering the festival after they leave, regardless of if a person has a general access or VIP ticket.
“It’s nice because you can take a rest, you can get some water, and not have to just be on your feet all day and not have to buy the $20 drinks that are in there,” Newsom said.
Newsom, who lives in the Greater Columbus area, has attended on and off for 17 years, meaning he was around when the festival was originally named Rock on the Range.
But he’s only been glamping with colleagues and college friends for the last five years.
“We look scary because we all wear black and stuff, but they’re the nicest people,” he said. “I’ve been to country concerts, I’ve been to rap concerts, but mental concerts are always 10 times nicer. The community is just really chill, very protective of each other.”
Newsom sees people he met in previous years, but also meets new metalheads who invited him over for dinner after a 30-minute initial conversation.
He also said glampers have their own campsite-wide after party, with one RV doing karaoke into the wee hours, while others play corn hole, all while the speakers continue to bump the music.
“We met a guy who came down from Canada one year and sat with us until 2 o’clock in the morning, singing music and having fun,” Newsom said.
Glamping is gritty, too
A four-man group in a rental RV shared similar sentiments.
“It’s just a party, honestly. You meet a lot of very friendly people. We’ve never had any bad experiences yet,” Bryon Cobb said, who traveled from the Mansfield area to see the weekend-long show.
“I don’t think I would come back to Sonic if I wasn’t camping.”
That being said, Cobb admits it’s a lot of work to secure an RV spot, get the supplies, set everything up and coordinate the whole ordeal.
“I thought for sure we had everything we needed, but as we were unpacking, I’m like, we need this, we need this,” Cobb said.
The work is worth the convenience though — and Cobb and his posse look forward to doing it again next year.
