Music Festival survival guide
Summer and music festivals go hand in hand; there are the more famous festivals such as Glastonbury, Reading, and T in the Park as well as more unknown venues such as the Isle of Wight Festival and Global Gathering. The majority of organised festivals now provide good levels of sanitation with hot showers and toilets located all over the festival grounds, Glastonbury is even offering free toilet roll to ticket holders at the 2007 event! Bars, food stalls and shops selling a variety of goodies are dotted around the music tents and support is available from The Samaritans and The Salvation Army should you need it. Most of the festivals have their own websites where information on services, facilities and bands lined up to play. Ticket & travel information, forums and information on disabled facilities are also available to read on the websites.
Festival Essentials
As the festival season dawns make sure you are well prepared! And prepare for the worst case scenario – RAIN!!
Below is a checklist of items we think you should pack for your festival adventures.
Tent
Sleeping Bag & pillow
Torch
Bottle opener
Loo Roll – lots of!
Matches/Lighter
Water container
Sun Protection (you never know!)
Rain Proof Anorak & Trousers
Welly Boots
A complete change of (dry and clean) clothing
Hat /sunglasses (there is hope the sun will shine)
Toiletries
Money
Alternative “protection” (you know what that means?!!)
Radio/Stereo
Basic First Aid Kit
Paracetamol /aspirin for the mornings after (you’ll thank us)!
Helpful information for once you get to the festival
You’ve saved up and bought your festival ticket and have probably looked forward to this occasion for what seems ages right? The idea is to have fun and enjoy yourself to the max, cram as many bands in as humanly possible and dance your heart out. When you eventually do get to the festival make sure you first and foremost have a great time but also make sure to take care of yourself.
- Drive safely to and from the event, don’t drink and drive (that means no drug driving too)
- You’ll more than likely be camping so when you have found your pitch mark your tent with a familiar flag or marker as locating your tent late at night (especially if you’ve had a few drinks) could prove tricky!
- Keep well hydrated and drink water regularly you’ll find you will have more energy if you’re properly hydrated thus see more bands.
- Festival sites are huge, take a few minutes to get your bearing and familiarise yourself with where you are.
- If you are in a group, arrange for a place to meet up should you find yourself lost or get separated. Find somewhere that is not going to be crammed with people.
- Stay in control, don’t get so trollied that you don’t know what you are doing and who with!!
- Stay safe, STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS you really don’t know what they contain or who you are buying them from!
- Beware of tent guide ropes – they’ll trip you over every time!
- Make sure you keep your belongings safe, no good you taking expensive items and simply storing them in your tent as they could get nicked! Put cash, keys and other essentials in a small bag and put it inside down the end of your sleeping bag when you sleep this might sound funny but should someone intrude overnight, you know that all your important stuff is safely tucked away.
- Keep your money as close to you as possible, try to split up your money so it isn’t all in one place.
- If it rains never take a mud bath – you will so regret it later on!
- Festival toilets are notoriously grim! Take plenty of loo roll and when you have to go, don’t sit on the loo seats and whatever you do don’t look down!!
Click here to buy festival tickets
for Camping Equipment