Festival insurance - all you need to know

Whether you’re going to a music festival or a food festival, in the UK or abroad, below we explain what insurance you need if anything goes wrong.

Does travel insurance cover festivals?

We don’t offer specialised festival insurance, but travel insurance can cover you at both UK-based and overseas festivals.

Insurance for festivals abroad

If you’re heading to a festival overseas, a travel insurance policy covers you for things like:

• emergency medical treatment
• lost or stolen personal belongings
• cancelled or delayed flights

If your festival is in Europe, remember your Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or the old European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if it’s still in date.

It’s not a stand-in for travel insurance but can help you get emergency medical treatment if you need it. Read our guide on using the GHIC and EHIC cards.

Gadget insurance is also helpful for festival goers. Although we advise you to avoid taking many high-value gadgets away with you, you’re still likely to take your mobile phone, a camera and maybe a SatNav if you’re driving abroad.

Insurance for festivals in the UK

You might not consider travel insurance if you’re staying in the country, but having insurance for UK holidays or festivals is still sensible.

You don’t need cover for medical expenses in the UK (apart from the Channel Islands, where there’s no NHS for UK citizens). Still, other aspects of travel insurance policies can be helpful.

A policy can cover you for:

• lost or stolen luggage
• delay or cancellation of domestic flights
• having to cut your trip short
• lost or stolen money and documents

You must travel more than 25 miles from your home address for two or more nights to be eligible for travel insurance in the UK.

Read our guide on camping in the UK for some extra information about domestic trips.

Festival cancellation cover       

If the event is cancelled, you should get the ticket cost back from the event organiser.

If that isn’t the case and you paid for the ticket on a credit card, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act should compensate you for your loss.

You might get the same guarantee with certain debit cards, but this isn’t the law.

Is my car insured if I take it to a festival?

It depends on your car insurance policy. We offer cover for up to 90 days of driving in Europe, but not if your festival is further afield.

Don’t leave anything on display in your car that could attract thieves. Ideally, don’t leave anything valuable in your vehicle at all.

Some festival organisers suggest leaving glove compartments open to show criminals that there’s nothing worth stealing in the car.

How to keep your belongings safe at a festival

Theft from tents isn’t uncommon at festivals. Take some basic precautions to try and avoid this if you can:

• take as few valuables with you as you can
• keep cash or cards in the foot of your sleeping bag while you sleep
• if you’re not in a sleeping bag, divide your money into different areas of your tent
• keep anything valuable on you

How to make an insurance claim if you’re robbed at a festival 

If you get robbed at a festival, you should:

• report the incident to the police as soon as possible and get a Crime Reference Number, which you will need to make a claim
• get in contact with our claims team with the following information ready: your policy number, address, date and time of the incident, the value of the stolen item, details of the crime and a Crime Reference Number

It’s important to note that you won’t be able to get compensation if your belongings were left in your tent.