Man Is Torn Between Attending Friend’s Unexpected Engagement Party or an Already Booked Music Festival: ‘I Feel Stuck’

A man is torn after his once-a-year music festival plan lands on the same day as a close friend’s newly scheduled engagement party — and the friend isn’t thrilled about the hesitation.

Writing on Reddit’s “Am I the A——?” forum, the man said he bought festival tickets months ago and has been counting down ever since.

“I booked tickets to a music festival a few months ago,” he explained. “I only go to music festivals once a year. The tickets were $200 and I’ve been really looking forward to it. It’s been locked into my plans for a while.”

But the situation changed quickly. Last weekend, one of his close friends proposed and announced an engagement celebration. The date? Exactly the same as the festival.

He initially tried to make both work. “At first, I thought I could go to both: attend the festival, leave for the engagement party for a bit and then go back to the festival,” he wrote. “But I checked the festival rules and discovered they have strictly no pass-outs, meaning once I enter, I can’t re-enter at all.”

When he brought the conflict to his friend, the friend pushed for a clear choice. “When I told him about the clash, he told me he’d prefer that I sell my ticket so I can be at his engagement. Now I feel stuck,” the man said, adding that he doesn’t want to disappoint him.

Unsure what to do, he asked other users whether skipping the party would make him wrong.

Most commenters sided with him, pointing out that the festival was planned and paid for long before the engagement date was set. One person noted that he had already committed to the festival, arguing that weddings and pre-wedding events can add up, and not every gathering needs perfect attendance.

Another commenter suggested that while the engagement party is meaningful, the wedding itself is the bigger milestone — and a close friend should understand honoring plans made well in advance.