Festival season is in full swing. Once there were only a handful of festivals, you’d go to Reading, Leeds or Glasto, then slowly over the years the list of music festivals has grown, just look at the interactive map by gogirl.co.uk. Even here in Brighton we have three annual music festivals – The Great Escape, Wildlife and Boundary.
From 16 I’ve been a regular festival goer, attending at least one a year, usually Reading or Download, sometimes both. Each festival has a different vibe, style and purpose, but the rules of survival remain the same. Here are some tips that I have learnt over the years.
Don’t forget or lose your ticket before you get in…
Seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how often this happens. The first year I went to Reading, my friend accidentally left her wallet on the train. Not only did it have her ticket, but her return train ticket and all her money. Luckily her brother was joining us the next day.
A couple of my friends have also gone all the way to Download (from Brighton) only to realise they left their tickets at home.
Agree a meeting point with you friends
With so many people, stalls, stages and food trucks, it’s easy to lose your friends. Find an easily identifiable landmark and agree to meet your squad here at certain points throughout the day if you split up or were to get lost. This way you also conserve precious phone battery!
Pack something warm
The sun is shining, it’s warm and you’ve been inspired to wear hot pants or short skirts by Coachella attending celebs. But when the sun goes down and you’re camping in a tent the temperature will plummet and you will freeze. With camp fires being banned at most festivals nowadays, if you want to continue partying into the night, your jumper will become your best friend.
Be aware of the sun
Spending a few days dancing away in the sunshine sounds so idyllic, but getting severely sunburnt is not fun, especially if you have a few more days to go. Equally, getting heatstroke while at a festival, and having nowhere to rest but a baking hot tent is actual hell, so be responsible.
Think feet first
The temptation is always there to wear cute little sandals all weekend, but choose comfort. Not only are you going to be on your feet most of your festival experience, but with weather changes, the ground can quickly turn from hard and dry to ridiculously muddy. One year at Reading it rained so much that I lost a shoe to a muddy puddle!
Not to mention the risk of getting your feed stamped on in the crowd or treading on discarded glass or cans.
The key to a great festival experience is to go with the flow, be safe and relax. So if you are off to a festival, then I hope you have a fantastic time.
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