Practical3 min readUpdated

Festival packing list: what to bring, and how to camp

Whatever you forget can't be bought on site, or only at three times the price. One list, ticked off the night before, and the rest of the weekend is for the music.

Dozens of colourful tents pitched on a meadow below a wooded hill on a sunny day
Photo : Lukas Blazek, Pexels

A multi-day festival is packed for like a short trip, with one extra constraint: everything you bring, you carry from the car park to your tent. The list below is built for that, essentials first, comfort second. Tick as you go.

The essentials

No festival without these

Why earplugs are in the essentials and not the extras: our earplug guide.

Clothes

For three days

The details, depending on the festival's style and the weather, are in our festival outfit guide. For a winter festival in a resort, see our guide to ski festivals.

Toiletries and health

The wash bag

Camping gear

For the tent

Festival camping: what to know

  • Arrive early. The best pitches go in the first hours after the campsite opens.
  • Pick your pitch neither next to the toilets nor on a walkway, on flat ground that will not collect rainwater.
  • Nothing valuable in the tent. A tent does not really lock, even with a padlock. Big festivals often offer lockers.
  • Check the campsite rules: stoves, barbecues and gas canisters are often banned or restricted.
  • Look at the comfort options. Many big festivals sell pre-pitched tents, rentals or a quieter campsite.
  • Take your tent home. An abandoned tent does not get donated: it usually ends up in a skip.
Travel gear laid out on a wooden floor: backpack, hiking boots, sleeping bag, toiletry bag, flashlight and camera, next to a person folding clothes
Photo : Timur Weber, Pexels

What is often banned

The list depends on each festival, but glass, sharp objects, fireworks and drones are banned almost everywhere, portable speakers often are, and sometimes food or full bottles at the entrance to the stage area. The official FAQ is the only one that counts: it is linked from every listing in our calendar.

The night before

Before you go to bed

Upcoming multi-day festivals

The ones that call for a tent and this list, from our calendar. To locate the sites, see the event map.

Frequently asked questions

What should I pack for a 3-day festival?

Ticket, ID, card and some cash, phone and power bank, earplugs, medication, layered clothes with worn-in shoes, a wash bag and, if you camp, a tent, mat, sleeping bag and head torch.

Should I bring cash to a festival?

Many festivals have gone cashless, with cards or top-up wristbands, but a little cash is still useful for travel, parking or a shop outside the site.

How do I keep my things safe at a festival campsite?

By leaving nothing valuable in the tent, which does not really lock, and using lockers when the festival offers them. Documents, phone and card stay on you, in a closed pocket.

Can I bring a water bottle to a festival?

Often yes, empty, and festivals have water points. Rules vary: check the event's official FAQ before you go.

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