UK Festival Season: A Guide to Survival

Practical tips for camping and bringing the kids, advice from real festival-goers, and a characteristically eclectic Glasto playlist to get you in the mood.

Each year it seems that more and more festivals are added to the UK repertoire. 2011 is no exception, and as we get close to the 24th June, revellers all over the world are counting down the hours to the mother of all festivals: Glastonbury. But whether you plan to be at Bestival or the Big Chill, here are some practical tips for survival.

Revelling in comfort

Camping is never a five star experience. But it’s important to be well rested, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed so that you’ve got plenty of energy to make the most of your festival. So…

1. Be an early bird

If you don’t fancy sleeping next to the toilets, or in the blazing sunshine, get to the campsite early. The Glastonbury gates open at 8am on morning of the 22/06, but the main music doesn’t kick off until two days later.

Bring wellies! Photo by Glasto_2009 on Flickr

2. Pack for all weathers

Yes, it’s the end of June and it should be hot, but this is England we’re talking about, so make sure you pack some wellingtons and a waterproof jacket as well as shorts – dancing in the mud with flip-flops on is no fun for anyone.

3. Drink… water

Most festivals in the UK, Glastonbury included, have free drinkable water available, so there’s no excuse not to keep hydrated.

4. Serve chilled

There are usually limits on the amount of alcohol you can bring onto the campsite, but if you are bringing a few cans of beer, keep them cold by wrapping wet toilet paper around them – seriously!

Pace Yourself! by Fussy Onion on Flickr

5. Don’t lose your tent

You would be amazed at how tricky it is find your tent in a sea of the things. Especially at about 3am. So put a flag or some kind of marker you’re likely to recognise by your tent.

What the Festival-goers say….

Ella (25, Surrey) is heading to Glastonbury herself this year. “I would definitely advise renting a tent that’s already been set up for you on arrival. It does cost a bit more though so, failing that, get a pop-up tent for minimum effort.”

“It’s worth bringing car. That way you can recharge your electric powered cool box or i-pod dock. If you’ve got space, you’ll also be grateful for camping chairs where you can sit, enjoy some comfort snacks and recharge your own batteries.”

Chiara (17, London) won’t be at Glasto this year but is planning to attend Bestival and Secret Garden. “If you want true comfort, you could try one of the luxury camping options on offer, like a yurt.”

“On the other hand, if camping isn’t really your thing, there loads of day long events that are alternatives to the typical five day extravaganzas. Check out Wireless or Lovebox.”

Bringing the kids along

There are plenty of festivals that welcome kids and many have dedicated entertainment for mini-festival goers. In fact, the Kidz field at Glastonbury is one of the best places to be. If you do plan to bring the little ones, here are a few tips.

1. Camp family style

Put your tent up in one of the dedicated family areas. These will be quieter and safer.

2. Don’t lose sight of them

Remember the terror of losing your mum in the supermarket when you were 5? Well trying multiplying that by about a million. There are so many people at festivals and the sites are often huge. Still, in the eventuality that you do get seperated, make sure you know where lost kids get taken.

3. Bring ear-plugs

You may not end up taking the kids anywhere near the main stages, but if you do, it’s important to protect their little ears.

4. Stock-up

Make sure you have a wealth of snack bars, fruit, drinks cartons etc so that you can satisfy their cravings on demand. It works out a lot cheaper than constantly buying stuff on site.

Kidz Field by Fussy Onion on Flickr

5. Have fun with them

Lots of the activities on offer for kids at festivals are just as much fun for adults, so make sure you do some face painting too.

Essential Glastonbury playlist

Let’s not forget that, while it’s good to be practical, festivals are all about the music. To warm you up, here’s a playlist based on the various acts appearing at Glasto this year. So put on your headphones and mentally prepare yourself for the UK gig of the summer…

For more info on Glastonbury Festival, check out our Dreamguide to the UK.

Are you going to any festivals in the UK this year? Do you have any advice?