Festival Packing Guide {& Free Printable Checklist}

It’s officially festival season and it’s time to pack and prepare!

I absolutely love camping, but a festival is very different to your standard weekend in the outdoors. Your somewhat drunken needs will be different too, so I thought I’d put together a thorough check list of things you’re gonna want to take with you so that you have the best time ever ready for partying the night away!

Below I have included pretty much everything I could think of that you might need for a festival, based on my experience going to a few different festivals around the UK. Note: The festivals I’ve been to do not allow cooking equipment on site, so I have left out anything to do with cooking/washing up!

The Big Important Stuff

– Weatherproof tent & mallet (make sure it’s double skin like this one*!)
– Sleeping bag
– Pillow & blanket
– Waterproof mat/picnic rug (for sitting outside the tent in the sun, of course!)
– Torch (the best ones are the ones you can strap to your head* so you don’t have to hold it when getting changed etc.)
– Duct tape (fix ripped tents or split wellies, and even stick it to your ankle to prevent blisters. You can even get fancy colours*!)

Toiletries
– Toilet roll
– Wet wipes
– Hand sanitiser (these Bath & Bodyworks ones* smell incred!)
– Face wipes
– Minimal makeup (stuff that won’t melt!)
– Deodorant
– Body spray
– Dry shampoo
– Shampoo, Conditioner & Body Wash (if you think you’re gonna be able to shower…)
– Camping towel (this microfibre one is super lightweight!*)
– Moisturiser
– Toothbrush & Toothpaste
– Hairbrush, Clips & Hair Ties

First Aid
– Painkillers
– Stomach meds (festival food, alcohol & a lack of hygienic toilets means you’ll probably want these. Sorry, but it’s true.)
– Plasters (for small cuts, scrapes or blisters that are too petty for festival First Aid)
– Personal meds
– Sun cream! (You need this! Sunny or not sunny.)

Food & Drink
– Water
– Breakfast/granola bars
– Fruit (apples & bananas keep best)
– Healthy snacks* (almonds, avocado, carrot sticks etc. NOT dairy products, meats or dips like hummus; they won’t keep!)
– Beers, ciders, wine (check your festival’s rules & limits on what alcohol you can & can’t take, or use these sneaky tricks)
– Paper plates & cups (sugarcane plates/cups* are much more eco-friendly!)
– Kitchen roll
– Bin bags/plastic bags (also useful for sitting on and bagging up dirty clothes)

Read my full festival food guide!

Clothes & Accessories
– Fancy festival clothes (shorts, crop tops, kimonos – you know the drill)
– Wellies (or at least some kind of boots)
– Hat/sunglasses
– Waterproof coat (get one that folds up small like this one*!)
– Jeans/leggings (for when it’s cold!)
– Jumper/Hoodie
– Swimwear (you may want this if you’re going to Boardmasters in Cornwall!)
– Arena-appropriate handbag (cross-body/over-shoulder is best!)
– 2 or 3 purses/wallets (split your cash across 2-3 purses for backup in case one gets stolen)
– GLITTER! (make sure you use biodegradable face flitter like this!*)

Tech
– Phone
– Phone power bank (this backup battery charger* is awesome when you have no electricity!)

Luxuries/Optional Extras
– Self inflating camping mattress (this one is super lightweight!*)
– Windbreak/gazebo (you & your friends could put some money together & get something like this*!)
– Solar lights
– Flag/Bunting (so that you don’t lose your tent in the crowds)
– Camping shower (yes you heard right! Check out this cheap and cheerful one*!)
– Camping chairs
– Ear plugs
– Luggage lock (if you’re bringing your clothes & valuables in a suitcase, add a padlock to make your things extra secure.)

Handbag/Arena Essentials
– 1 purse
– Phone
– Mini hand sanitiser bottle
– Mini wet wipes packet
– Tissues/Small toilet roll
– Mini sun cream bottle
– Water bottle (remember to go to the festival’s free water stations regularly!)
– Lip balm
– Mini/head torch (for finding your way back & avoiding the tangle of tent guy ropes – this one* is cheap & awesome!)

*Indicates affiliate link; but please know I wouldn’t recommend anything here if I didn’t love & use it myself!

I’m excited to get packing and head off to Boardmasters in August. Which festivals are you going to this year?