I’ve only been to two festivals, but they were worlds apart – literally. In Spain, everyone was relaxing on the grass, sipping beers in t-shirts and enjoying the music. In the UK on the other hand, it seemed like everyone was more intent on managing to stay upright in the slippery, slimy layer of mud that coated the floor (and most of the people), waterproof poncho pulled up over their heads and a hot cup of soup clutched between their hands.
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So yes, you can tell which one I preferred. Unfortunately though, catching a local festival is a much more affordable option than jetting off across the globe every time I get the urge to watch my favourite bands play live, so just how can you survive the Great British Weather and enjoy your next festival trip to the max?
1. Pack Wisely
Well, first things first you need to make sure you turn up equipped for the elements – even if the weather forecast says ‘sunny’, I’d pack these things just in case. This is Britain after all, who knows when there will be a sudden downpour?
So make sure you’ve got your wellies, your poncho (buying one at the festival is a total rip-off!) and an umbrella! A packet of hand-wipes can’t go amiss either – you never know when you’ll slip and put your hand down in a nice puddle of mud!
2. Stay In The Sidelines
I can already see the scornful looks of die-hard festival goers, but really, there is more to festivals than moshing around right in the centre-front of the crowd. I mean, do you really want all those crowd-surfers going over your head kicking you with their muddy feet?
Unless you’re desperate to see the lead singer up close and personal, take a step towards the side or the back of the crowd where you can enjoy the music in peace without worrying that someone in the jostling crowd is going to knock you over into the mud!
3. Book a Hotel
I’ll admit it, I cheated both times I went to a festival – I stayed in a hotel next door. Now I know most people think camping in a tent is half the fun of being at a festival, but when everything is coated in a thick layer of mud, you’re drenched through from the rain and there’s not a shower in sight, believe me, you really will be glad you’re heading to a nice warm bed with a private bathroom to clean up in!
4. Eat Right
Finally, if you don’t want to get ill, make sure you keep up a healthy diet all festival long. It’s easy to drink nothing but alcohol and to feast on nothing but the junk food they have for sale, but you’ll be lowering your immune system – a snivelling cold is no fun when you’re standing in the rain at a gig and even the toilets don’t have toilet paper to blow your nose on!
Take along hearty foods that will keep your body fuelled and warm and give you the energy to be jumping up and down all day long! Cereal bars are a great alternative to actual cereal when you don’t have milk with you for breakfast, and snacks such as nuts and seeds will keep you feeling fuller for longer throughout the day.
I hope you’ve found these tips useful! Remember your lanyards, UK festival goers, so you can keep your camera or phone safely under your clothing where it won’t get any water damage. Nothing ruins your weekend like a broken iPhone!
What was the wettest festival you ever went to? Tell me below!
James Duval is a tech nerd who couldn’t stand getting his iPhone broken due to rainwater at a gig! He blogs for IDPro, online retailers of security equipment such as lanyards and ID card printers.