What’s your idea of a perfect festival experience? Is it to spend £250 for a ticket, only to see out the duration of the festival drinking overpriced cider from the bar and camping out at the main stage in order to catch all the headline acts? Hopefully not. Festivals are a seminal part of British summertime. Yet so many people waste their time loitering around the main stage, and their money on cheap tents and useless trinkets that most likely won’t last the length of the weekend. So to avoid becoming one of the roving masses yourself, consider these alternative festival essentials.
Festival Sports
Festivals aren’t all about the music. Sure, there’ll no doubt be bands you want to see throughout the course of the weekend. But a festival spent endlessly drudging through wet, muddy fields simply to catch a glimpse of the latest Indie-pop sensation, is a festival wasted. So why not spend a portion of your time enjoying playing sports, the same as you would on any other camping expedition? Most people love a spot of football, cricket or even table tennis. So as much as anything else, festival sports are a fantastic way to engage with other random festival-goers. You don’t necessarily have to have all the latest gear from High Octane Action Sports. But having a couple of sporting activities to get involved in throughout the festival is a great way to add something different to your weekend and have a laugh with new (and old) friends.
A Decent Tent
Most seasoned festival veterans have come to accept that festivals in the UK are not always characterised by hot, sunny weather. On the contrary, rain and mud are as much as part of the British festival experience as anything else. And although most people will invest in a pair of wellies prior to a festival, so many don’t invest in a decent tent. Pop-up tents may be incredibly easy to erect, but in terms of keeping your stuff dry, they’re useless. One decent bout of wet weather, and you can pretty much expect half of your gear to be saturated. The solution? Always buy a two-skin tent.
The Important Things
Festivals in the UK attract all manner of different people. And the ones who have been coming year after year have realised what is important: come equipped with decent gear, and get involved in activities outside the music.
