This wasn’t the first person spotted at Fuji Rock this year doing what many of us have gotten used to over the last year: remote working. Over the first two days, I have spotted a tiny handful of people sitting on camping chairs with laptops open, deeply concentrated on whatever was on the screen.

Now that work can be done from anywhere – literally anywhere – as long as there’s a stable wifi connection, does this mean that the atmosphere of festival such as Fuji Rock will change too? I see this as mostly a positive, especially in a culture where taking time off can be difficult.

In the past, many festival goers would arrive late evening on Friday after work, or early on Saturday morning ready to enjoy the remaining two days while the 3-day ticket holders are already worn out from day 1 (2, if you count the craze of Thursday night). It’s a shame when they can’t get the full Fuji Rock experience even if they want to, due to work schedules.

Having the opportunity to work remotely allows attendees flexibility and freedom. They can enjoy a set or delicious meal between work emails or projects. And who can argue that there’s any downside to working in refreshing nature, surrounded by great music? After all, if we were working from home, we’d be listening to the same songs on Spotify anyways.

It’s a new phenomena that we’re still getting used to, but one that can hopefully positively impact the festival and the hard-working individuals.