What to Take to an Outdoor Music Festival

Pack wrong for a British festival and you’ll spend the weekend damp, phoneless and queuing for overpriced ponchos. Pack right and you’re comfortable, prepared and actually enjoying the music. Knowing what to take to an outdoor music festival in the UK is a specific skill — because British festivals mean British weather, which means preparing for all four seasons in one weekend.

Here’s the complete packing list, refined over many muddy fields: the essentials, the comfort upgrades, and the things everyone forgets.

What to take to an outdoor music festival: the essentials

The non-negotiables — without these, you’re suffering:

• Tickets and ID: obviously — but screenshot tickets offline (signal dies at festivals) and bring photo ID. Some festivals are strict.
• Tent: a proper one, pitched at home first. Cheap pop-up tents collapse in wind; a £60–80 2-person tent from a known brand survives the weekend. Bring a mallet for pegs — the ground is harder than you think.
• Sleeping bag + mat: a 3-season bag (British nights are cold even in July) and an insulated mat — not just a roll mat. Sleep quality makes or breaks the weekend.
• Wellies + walking boots: wellies for mud, boots for dry days. Trainers will be destroyed by Sunday. Bring spare socks — more than you think.
• Waterproofs: a proper waterproof jacket (not a ‘showerproof’ fashion jacket) and waterproof trousers. See our rainy festival survival guide for the full wet-weather system.
• Warm layers: fleece, thermals, a warm hat. Night-time temperatures drop to single digits even in August.
• Phone + power bank: a 20,000mAh bank gives 4–5 charges. Put your phone in a waterproof pouch.
• Toilet paper + hand sanitiser + wet wipes: the holy trinity. The festival provides some; it runs out. Bring your own.

Clothing: the layering system

British festival clothing is about layers, not outfits:

• Base: quick-dry t-shirts and leggings/shorts — cotton stays wet and cold; synthetics or merino dry fast.
• Mid: fleece or hoodie for evenings.
• Outer: waterproof jacket and trousers, always packed, even if Friday is sunny.
• Feet: wellies, boots, and flip-flops for the showers/toilet runs (trust us on this).
• Extras: a warm hat, sunglasses (optimism), a cap, and a bin bag — the most versatile item at any festival (rain cover, seat, laundry bag, emergency poncho).
• Pack for the forecast, prepare for the opposite. The Met Office festival forecasts are worth checking daily in the run-up — but British weather changes hourly, so the layering system is your real insurance.

Food, drink and money

Food: festivals allow sealed food in — bring breakfast supplies (cereal bars, porridge pots, fruit), snacks (nuts, crisps, chocolate), and a camping stove if you’re serious (check the festival’s rules — some ban them). Festival food is £8–15 per meal; self-catering breakfast and snacks saves £50+ over the weekend.

Water: bring a refillable bottle — festivals have free water points. Staying hydrated matters more than you think, especially if drinking.

Drink: most festivals allow a limited amount of alcohol in (check limits — usually something like 4 cans or a small box of wine). Decant spirits into plastic bottles (no glass allowed on site).

Money: most festivals are cashless now — card/phone payment everywhere. Bring a backup card and a little cash for emergencies. Split money between people/pockets — losing your wallet shouldn’t end your weekend.

The cool box question

A cool box with ice blocks keeps food and drinks cold for 24–48 hours — worth it for groups. Freeze water bottles to double as ice blocks (they become drinking water as they melt). For solo travellers, it’s extra weight for marginal benefit — the festival shops sell ice if you’re desperate.

The things everyone forgets

The difference between veterans and first-timers:

• Earplugs: for sleeping (campsites are loud all night) and for hearing protection near stages. High-fidelity earplugs (£15–20) protect hearing without muffling music.
• Head torch: essential — navigating a dark campsite, finding the tent, 3am toilet trips. Bring spare batteries.
• Duct tape + cable ties: fix tents, wellies, everything. The veteran’s secret weapon.
• Portable charger (mentioned twice because it matters): 20,000mAh minimum.
• Flag or marker for your tent: all tents look identical at 2am. A tall flag, a balloon, fairy lights — anything distinctive.
• First aid basics: plasters, painkillers, antihistamines, any personal medication (plus a copy of prescriptions).
• Sun cream: British festivals sunburn people every year — the one year you forget it will be the heatwave year.

What NOT to take

Leave behind: glass (banned at virtually all festivals — decant everything), expensive jewellery and watches, brand-new white trainers, excessive valuables (tents aren’t secure — use the lockers if you must bring them), disposable BBQs (banned at most festivals now — fire risk), and overpacking generally. If you can’t carry it all in one trip from the car, you’ve brought too much.

Also: no gazebos unless the festival allows (many ban them — they become wind-borne hazards), no sound systems (you’ll be unpopular and possibly ejected), and no bad attitude about the weather — it’s Britain, it’s a festival, embrace it. Our rainy festival guide will keep you smiling whatever the sky does.

Festival packing for families

Taking kids to a festival changes the packing maths. Essentials multiply: more changes of clothes (kids + mud = exponential laundry), familiar snacks (festival food queues with a hungry toddler are a nightmare), ear defenders (not just earplugs — proper kids’ ear defenders for main stages), and entertainment for downtime (colouring, cards, a football).

Choose family-friendly festivals (Camp Bestival, Deer Shed, Green Man) with dedicated kids’ areas — they’re designed for it, with changing facilities, quieter camping zones and children’s programming. And lower your ambitions: with kids, you’ll see half the acts and enjoy it twice as much. The family festival is a different, wonderful thing — pack for comfort, not for the full rave.

The bottom line: What to take to an outdoor music festival: tent (pitched at home first), 3-season sleeping bag and insulated mat, wellies and boots, full waterproofs, warm layers, power bank, toilet paper/wipes/sanitiser, earplugs, head torch, and food for self-catering. Pack for all weathers, carry it in one trip, and leave the glass at home.