Fantastic festival tips

Ah, it’s that time of year again. Yes girls – its festival time.

Around May every girly magazine on the planet jumps on the fact that festivals are ‘hip’ and instruct you how to look just like Kate Moss whilst skipping lightly around a verdant field – often in heels and tiny shorts.

Well I’m here to tell that ain’t reality. I’m here to give you tips on how to survive a rocking weekend – emostyle.


Location, location, location

First off you have to pick a festival – that in itself can be a minefield – just ask the many hippies who are faced with listening to gangster rap at Glasto this summer! Buying tickets before headliners are announced can be a risky business but it depends on the festival – I got tix to Glasto the year Kylie was meant to headline for Christ’s sake – but I knew I was going to spend most of my time in the Greenfields getting my hair braided

However, the years I’ve missed Reading/Leeds it’s been due to an overdose of indie headliners – that’s a festival I visit for the music. Hardcore metallers might opt for Download (look out for our very own e-Mo and CrazyCatGirl there this year!) and then of course there are the smaller festivals that are too many to name.

This year I’ll be visiting Reading for the 7th time to catch the mighty Rage. Festivals don’t phase me the way they used to because I’ve streamlined my packing and made sure I have everything I need and nothing I don’t. Here are some festival essentials to streamline your festival experience – enjoy!!

The hardware

First thing’s first – make sure you have a decent tent. If there are three of you don’t attempt squeezing into a three man tent – it’s a rookie mistake. Also make sure the tent you buy has an inner and outer sheet – our first year at Reading was dogged by wet sleeping bags after ignoring that rule for a bargain.

Next make sure you’ve got a decent sleeping bag. I’d recommend the "Mummy" type. You don’t need four seasons kit for a summer festival but it needs to be a decent quality to keep you warm at night. I’m also a bit of a fan of blow up beds – but maybe that’s just me being a wuss! At the very least take a camping mat – the floor is HARD!

If you have a large camping torch take it – you can hang it from the tent poles to act as a light. Also take a small torch to carry with you – trust me – every tent looks the same at midnight!

Don’t bother with a camping stove, you’re not going to be eating cordon bleu meals. You may as well ditch all the weight (you’ll have enough other stuff to carry believe me) and choose from the food onsite – grub is relatively expensive but there’s a great selection to be had these days – everything from burgers to Chinese and crepes.

Time to travel

Remember it’s a good idea to sort out your transport beforehand as trains and coaches get booked up early. Get there as early as you can to get a good spot. Last year we ignored that rule and ended up camping in a bog – earwigs anyone?

Tips are to stay away from the toilets (they will stink and you’ll have people wandering past your tent at all hours – probably puking and/or singing at the same time), don’t camp too close to the main stage (again, you’ll have people traipsing back at all times of night) and don’t camp too far away (you’ll feel like you should have bought the kids along!)

Festival gear

Take a waterproof jacket. It’s England – chances are it will rain. Don’t take an umbrella – everyone hates people who put umbrellas up when trying to catch a glimpse of their fave band. They will sell cagoules and glorified bin liners (with handy holes for your head and arms) at the festival for extortionate amounts; buy before you go.

Take wellies. Wellies can be a statement in themselves these days with some of the great designs around. Again they’ll charge you three times as much at the festival and probably four times if it’s chucking it down.

Don’t take anything with a heel – it’s a festival for god’s sake. Rock your skate shoes or Converse if it’s sunny, wellies for the rain.

Don’t take anything new – it will get mud/beer/puke/suncream on it.

Try and avoid massively long trousers – they’ll drag in the mud and get wrecked. Try some long shorts instead if it’s warm.

Techno, techno, techno, techno

Don’t take your iPod or anything else you wouldn’t want to lose. If you want some music for the evening burn a cd and take an old walkman with speaker attachments.

You’ll probably want to take your phone to find friends who’ve gone AWOL – but don’t leave it in your tent unattended. Also, make sure it’s fully charged before you go and only have it on when you need it; the charging points always have massive queues and I even broke my phone at Glasto using one of those points: beer + technology = disaster.

Make sure you have enough money to see you through; again the sparse cash points always have huge queues (I spent three hours in one at Glasto).

Don’t forget you will need to buy food and drink all weekend, that’s before buying t-shirts and the other little items they have on sale. Do take your cash card though just in case.

You might want to take a camera – I normally stick to disposables so that if I do drop it in a drunken stupor it’s only 7.99 pounds down the drain not 199 pounds. And another tip is not to bother taking many stage shots; you’ll look back at them and not be able to work out which dot on the horizon is which. The best pics are of you and your mates doing crazy things.

It’s all in the detail

Take ear plugs – singing around the campfire until 6am is fun if you’re a part of it. If you’re not, this will stop you from committing murder.

Take plenty of wet wipes – they’ll keep the stench at bay. If you can, take a little shower gel and have a wash outside your tent; that’ll help you feel even cleaner. I’ve never risked festival showers but if you don’t mind ‘going communal’ then feel free to try.

Don’t take toilet rolls, take flat packed tissues instead – you can keep them in your bag all day and they take up loads less space.

Dry shampoo was something I discovered last year – it certainly helps with the grease. Oh and take a hat or a headscarf; it’ll cover all manner of sins and keep the sun off.

Take a couple of bin bags – they’re handy to sit on if the ground’s a bit wet.

Take suncream – it is sometimes sunny in England you know.

Take some of that anti-bacterial handwash – it comes in handy when its time to pick up a burger with sweaty/dirty hands.

Give us your feedback!

Most of all remember to take your ticket, yourself and your friends. Follow these tips and you should avoid most of the pitfalls of festival-going. Just be vigilant and keep an eye on your valuables and you’ll be fine. And don’t forget to rock out.

When it’s all over and done with don’t forget to send us your reviews of the festival you went to and we’ll publish them on the website!