Planning on staying in Dover for next summer's Phish festival? Good luck booking a room.

Krys'tal Griffin, Delaware News Journal
·3 min read

Phish fans hoping to see the band perform in Delaware next summer might think securing tickets when they drop will be their biggest hurdle, but finding a nearby hotel to stay in may be a bigger obstacle.

The jam band announced on Sept. 12 that they’re hosting a four-day festival at The Woodlands of Dover from Aug. 15 to 18, 2024.

If the location sounds familiar, that’s because the site is home to the annual Firefly Music Festival, which did not take place this year or in 2020 due to COVID-19, but otherwise is one of the biggest events in the state every summer.

Festivalgoers enjoy Billie Eilish during the first night of Firefly Music Festival on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, at The Woodlands in Dover.
Festivalgoers enjoy Billie Eilish during the first night of Firefly Music Festival on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, at The Woodlands in Dover.

Although tickets for the festival have yet to go on sale, that hasn't kept fans from looking into booking hotel rooms.

Many Phishheads will opt to camp at The Woodlands, as organizers have said there will be camping as there has been for Firefly. But for those who prefer hotels, securing a room may take persistence.

Hotels in Dover near the festival venue have varied availability. Some are completely booked for next summer’s concert weekend and others have yet to open booking for those dates.

As of late September, Comfort Inn & Suites on Dover Leipsic Road and Sleep Inn & Suites on Dupont Highway had no available rooms for Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, 2024, according to employees at each location.

From left, Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman and Mike Gordon of the band Phish perform during an exclusive concert for SiriusXM and Pandora listeners at The Met on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019, in Philadelphia.
From left, Trey Anastasio, Jon Fishman and Mike Gordon of the band Phish perform during an exclusive concert for SiriusXM and Pandora listeners at The Met on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019, in Philadelphia.

At the Hilton Garden Inn on Dupont Highway, bookings for the festival weekend are not yet open. Although the rooms show up as booked and unavailable online, an employee at the hotel said bookings should open in early to mid-October but they could not provide an exact date.

Wyndham Garden Dover, and all other Wyndham Hotels & Resorts properties in the area, show no available rooms for the duration of the Phish festival run.

Despite a notice on Wyndham Garden Dover’s site saying, “This property has no availability on our site from 15 Aug. to 18 Aug.,” an employee at the hotel said in late September that their software is showing availability on those dates, and they will need to check their system for the discrepancy.

Rancho Azteca Mexican Restaurant and Bar has opened in the Wyndham Hotel building at 561 N. Dupont Highway, northbound Route 13, next to Panera Bread.
Rancho Azteca Mexican Restaurant and Bar has opened in the Wyndham Hotel building at 561 N. Dupont Highway, northbound Route 13, next to Panera Bread.

At press time, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts properties in Dover still showed a notice for no availability during next summer’s Phish festival.

Major hotel company Choice Hotels — which operates several properties in Dover, including MainStay Suites Dover on Stover Boulevard and Comfort Suites on Dupont Highway — also shows up online as having no available rooms.

How can I get a place to stay in Dover?

It might take a bit of persistence — and some phone calls — to ensure that you have a hotel room.

As for other places to crash after jamming out each day, fans might try Airbnb or Vrbo.

And stick with us as more Phish info is announced in the months ahead, including camping details.

Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com. 

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Dover hotels sold out, not yet available for Phish festival next year