Weekender: Top Tips For Surviving Your First Music Festival

If you are off to your first music festival this summer no doubt you are excited but maybe not quite sure what to expect. What should you pack, will you lose your mates in the crowd, can you even pitch a tent properly? 

No doubt you will forget all your worries as soon as you get there and have a fantastic time, but just to make sure, it’s best to do a little preparation. Here are a few top tips!

Transport

First things first, how are you going to get to the festival? Going by private car means that you will have to find a parking space, which will potentially be costly. You will also need to pay for the petrol. 

If you are going with a group of friends, the best option may be to go for a shared coach hire. This is a more environmentally friendly choice than travelling individually, and means that you will be dropped off directly at the site, rather than have to make your way from a train station. 

The basics

If you are camping, you will obviously need a tent, a sleeping bag, a sleeping mat, and spare clean clothing. Besides this, you will need other basic necessities such as toiletries, medication, food and drink, money, and of course your ticket and a backpack to carry it all in. Pack all these items and you really can’t go too far wrong!

Most festivals will have a dedicated website that will provide you with a list of essential items that you need to bring with you, and what services are available. Generally, if you forget or run out of something, you will be able to buy what you need on site. However, it’s more economical to pack well so you don’t have to worry about your cash flow.

Looking after yourself

The last thing you need is health problems ruining your weekend. The hedonistic vibes might tempt you to start drinking alcohol early. Combined with (hopefully) warm weather and dancing, this can increase the risk of dehydration. Therefore it’s a good idea to pace your drinking with alternate soft drinks or water. 

Even if you are not consuming alcohol, at a festival you will probably be on your feet and walking about a lot more than you normally would, so it’s important to keep well hydrated. Most sites will have drinking points so bring a refillable water bottle with you.

Don’t forget to eat either! There will be plenty of choice at the food stalls if you don’t want to bring your own food with you. If you are drinking alcohol, food is important to help you process it more efficiently and minimise that hangover.

Have a meet up point

At some stage, you will probably become separated from your mates. To avoid panic, arrange a meeting point in advance, and carry an emergency battery powered charger for your mobile phone so that you can stay in contact at all times.