Are you festival-ready…?

This time last year, we all wondered when we might find ourselves ankle deep in mud again, covered in glitter & living our best lives in the middle of a festival field…

Fast forward a year & we find ourselves enjoying festival season once more!

And this got us wondering…

Are you a festival novice or a seasoned pro? Do you know how to survive a festival and come away with nothing but epic memories? The truth is, buying the tickets is the easy part, now comes the process of getting the absolute most out of your experience, after all, no one wants to leave feeling like they’ve missed out.

But where do you start?

Let’s begin with choosing the right festival, shall we… The options are endless, you’ll find a festival offering the genre of music that suits you without difficulty, from Country to Rock, Indie & Pop, it’s all out there!

Now that you’ve found the right festival for you, it’s time to consider who you really want to see & work out who you wouldn’t mind missing, most festivals offer multiple stages with various acts performing simultaneously & unless you’ve worked out how to be in two places at once, you’ll need a planned-out act schedule, so take the time to work out how you want to structure your day.

Be prepared to stand, stand & do some more standing (unless you’re fortunate enough to have someone’s shoulders available to park yourself on).

Be sure to check out the festival’s commitment to disabled access; you’ll find that this is taken very seriously & a great deal of effort is put in to ensure an enjoyable & fully inclusive experience for all.

Stay connected with friends… consider the need for a ‘meeting place’, these festivals are busy & it’s not uncommon to lose each other, but there will be no need to panic if you’ve already worked out a way to reunite.

Whilst we’re on the subject of getting lost, make sure that the moment your feet land on that festival field you’ve taken the time to gather your bearings… work out where your tent is (establish nearby landmarks) & make sure you know where the medical facilities, showers & toilets are.

Plan your outfits with a fragment of sensibility… ensure you’ve considered all weather scenarios & remember… there’s no such thing as too much glitter!

But what to pack?

So, we’ve dealt with the pre-festival planning, now we need to tackle the all-important task of deciding what to bring.

Choose your bags wisely, remember that where you park or arrive won’t be where you pitch up, there are no porters so you will be carrying those bags yourself! And whilst we’re at it, why not label your bag… make it easy to be reunited with it if the unthinkable happens.

We’ve put together a list of our must-haves… ranging from the sensible to the not too necessary items…

1. Sturdy tent (as unusual as possible, you want to recognise it after all)
2. Sleeping bag
3. Roll mat/Inflatable bed (remember less is more & a mat will be lighter)
4. Reusable water bottle
5. Wellies/Waterproof boots
6. Socks, socks & more socks!
7. Toilet roll (don’t take anything for granted)
8. Baby wipes
9. Suntan lotion
10. Waterproof clothing/Poncho (not the most glamorous attire but you’ll thank us later)
11. Toiletries
12. Plasters
13. Any necessary medication (remember to read the festival’s guidelines on this)
14. Identification
15. Torch
16. Ahem…. contraceptives
17. GLITTER!!!!!

Finally, & most importantly, bring YOU! Be as in the moment & invested in this unique experience as you possibly can, the weekend won’t last forever but your memories will.