Ready for festival season? While you may be itching to go, there are a few things to think about and prepare before you head off.
Check out some of our top festival tips and hacks.
What to pack for a festival
Unlike staying at hotels, camping out at festivals usually means you need to bring a lot of different things.
If you’re a festival first-timer, it’s even harder to know what you should pack for your trip - but our guide can help you prepare.
Overall essentials
There are a few non-negotiables when packing:
- your ID
- money
- your passport (if you’re heading abroad)
- your phone
- a portable charger
- any travel tickets
- festival entry tickets
Camping essentials
Some of the camping essentials include:
- a sturdy, waterproof tent that’s large enough for you and whoever’s camping with you
- a sleeping bag
- a small or inflatable pillow
- a sleep mat or airbed
- a portable gas stove, if you intend to cook
- locks for your tent zips when you’re away or asleep
Check out our camping essentials guide for more tips.
Of course, you may have treated yourself to some glamping instead! You can book bell tents, yurts, caravans or have a rented tent waiting for you at lots of different festivals.
Make sure you check what they provide as part of the package before heading off, as it could save you some extra space in your bag.
For instance, a lot of bell tents come with a bed, so you wouldn’t need to pack sleeping bags or airbeds.
Food and drinks
While there’s usually lots of food and drinks available to buy at festivals, they can be expensive.
To save a little and keep things convenient, make sure you bring some provisions with you to the campsite:
- cereal bars
- bottled water
- easily portable snacks like nuts and dried fruit
- stir-in-the-pot meals like ramen or pasta (you’ll need boiling water for these)
- energy drinks
- longer-lasting fruit like tangerines and apples
Make sure you don’t bring anything that needs refrigerating or freezing with you, as you could end up very unwell if you eat it after it’s been left sitting out.
If you do want to bring refrigerated things, you’ll need to store them in a cooler to keep them safe for eating.
Don’t forget that coolers can keep food chilled from just a few hours to a few days based on which one you buy, so do your research first.
Clothes and layers
Summer festivals can mean lots of light clothing that doesn’t take up too much space, including:
- shorts
- t-shirts
- vest tops
- sandals
But it’s always wise to be prepared for wet or cold weather, too. Even if the forecast says it’ll be dry and warm, it’s never guaranteed – especially in the UK!
To keep yourself comfortable in the less desirable weather, make sure you also pack:
- a waterproof coat
- waterproof socks
- warm trousers for the night
- thick socks for the night
- sturdy, sensible boots or trainers – even if they’re not the best choice for your outfit!
- a coat or poncho – often festivals will have these for sale, but they’ll be likely more expensive than in a regular shop
Toiletries and first aid
Accidents can happen easily during a festival, especially when zigzagging through a campsite or dancing in a large crowd.
Make sure you pack a small first aid kit, containing:
- plasters
- bandages or gauze
- anti-septic wipes or cream
- painkillers
If rain is forecast, wear shoes with good grip to reduce the chance of slipping.
Other important toiletries include:
- deodorant
- sanitary items like pads and tampons
- toothbrush and toothpaste
- hand sanitizer
- sun cream
- after sun
- shampoo and shower gel if showers are available
- dry shampoo and body wipes if showers aren’t available
Useful extras to pack
On top of the essentials, it’s also worth packing some bin bags for any litter you and your campsite produce.
This helps the festival staff with cleaning up any littering after the festival is over – and is also the right thing to do.
Sleeping accessories like earplugs and eye masks can help give you a better night’s rest. A small, battery-powered fan can make hot days and nights easier, as well as a baseball cap.
Bringing a portable mirror instead of using a small pocket mirror can also make it easier to do your hair and makeup.
Toilet and hygiene tips
Festival hygiene can be tricky, especially if you’re in a campsite without showers.
To keep as fresh and clean as you can (and make your toilet visits a bit more pleasant), try:
- using body wipes, deodorant and dry shampoo for freshness
- bringing your own toilet roll and baby wipes
- applying hand sanitiser before and after using a port-a-loo
Safety accessories
It’s probably not at the front of your mind, but safety should be a priority while at a festival. You should pack:
- a headtorch
- a personal alarm
- padlocks for your tent zippers
- padlocks for your bags
But packing these things isn’t all that can keep you safe.
There are plenty of other ways to protect yourself and your friends or family at a festival.
The risks of festivals
As with any other kind of holiday, festivals unfortunately come with some risks.
According to our claims data (collected between 1 April and 31 October between 2022 and 2024), 53% of festival-related claims are from losing belongings, while theft makes up 47%.
Clearly, loss and theft can be a big issue for festivalgoers!
Other, more severe crimes are also sometimes seen at festivals, such as assault.
Check out our tips below on how to stay safe.
Festival safety tips
Just making a few changes to your usual festival routine can help keep you safe.
Get your bearings
Try and familiarise yourself with the festival grounds after you arrive.
Keep note of where big landmarks are, like the main stage, toilets or a particular tent, to help you get around more easily without getting lost.
Choose a safe campsite
A lot of festival campsites are on flat, grassy ground. But this isn’t always the case.
Make sure your tent isn’t:
- near water
- on a slope
- in a walkway
It also helps to camp near to other tents, so you’re not isolated.
Keep a buddy system
A buddy system means you arrange for people to stay in pairs or threes at all times.
That means if a larger group splits up, no-one is ever left completely on their own.
Arrange a meeting point
It’s easy to get lost in the large crowds of a festival. Just popping to the toilet can leave you wandering around for what feels like hours looking for your group.
Arranging a meeting point is great for safety, as it gives everyone one spot to head to if anyone gets lost.
Make sure your meeting point is easy to find and isn’t anywhere too quiet.
Use location apps
Location apps let people share their smartphone’s location with the rest of their group. This can be very useful at a festival, where it’s more than easy to get lost.
But if the festival is in a very remote area, you may find it hard to get internet access and be able to share your location.
That’s why it’s important to have other methods like buddy systems and meeting points in place too.
Keep to a schedule
While you don’t have to organise your festival trip down to the minute, keeping a general schedule so everyone in the group knows what’s next is useful.
This way, everyone knows which areas or stages are being visited at which time, making it easier to meet up if the group splits or someone gets lost.
Festivals and travel insurance
While some people don’t think of festivals as a holiday, you can get travel insurance for this kind of trip. If you’re going to a UK festival (more than 25 miles from your home for two or more nights in a row – or one night for single trip policies), you may want to take a look at our UK travel insurance page.
If you're going to a festival abroad, you may want to look for travel insurance that can cover you for things like:
- lost or stolen luggage
- flight delays of 12 hours or more
- repatriation
- emergency medical treatment
Check out our festival insurance guide to learn more, or head to our travel insurance page to see what we offer and any limits or exclusions that apply.
