How to Prepare for a Music Festival

Music festivals are the perfect opportunity to gather together all of your friends and proceed to jump around in a field for a few days. Not only do you get to experience the great outdoors - proving your Bear Grylls status to your friends via a pop-up tent, but you also get to see your favourite

bands with a bunch of other people who also like those bands too! South Africa festivals are notorious for their spirited people, atmosphere and mud, and even though Glastonbury isn’t making an appearance in 2018, there are still loads of other festivals to get involved in, such as Wilderness, Joefest or Latitude. But if the idea of preparing for a festival is giving you cold feet, throw on some fleece-lined wellies and keep reading - we’re here to help you out!

Home Sweet Home
Unless you plan on not sleeping for the entire weekend, a good tent is absolutely necessary. Sure, it might end up filled with glitter and mud once the festival is over, but you will never forget that tent and the shelter that it provided. You’ll be able to find tents in all shapes, sizes and colours, so whether you’re planning on going solo or, as a family of eight, Outdoor Gear South Africa might be the place for you. They have a wide range of standing room tents, family tents and backpacking tents, and the majority don’t require a boy scout camping badge in order to be constructed properly. They also provide sleeping bags and tent accessories, including spare steel pegs and shelter extensions. For those who are looking for a more luxurious “glamping” experience, try Bell Tent Boutique. You can find rugs and stoves, as well as very Instagram-worthy canvas bell tents.

On The Road Again (Or the Rail...whichever is easiest)
When travelling to a festival you want to leave yourself plenty of time to get there. This way, there will be less people on site and you’ll be able to choose the perfect camping spot. Some festival websites will help direct you to coaches and buses that will be available on the day for travel, but for those who are travelling further, look towards train services such as Virgin Trains. Make sure you consider the amount of luggage you will have with you, as if you do travel by train there will be limited space for camping equipment.

Looking the Part
Potentially one of best bits about a music festival is being able to step out with a load of neon face paint on and have no one question you about it. Luckily, as soon as festival season rolls around, many shops will stock vibrant festival gear and glitter. Check out ASOS and Boohoo for clothing and style advice, as well as Superdrug and Smashbox for makeup, face paints and primers that will ensure your makeup doesn’t budge - even in the middle of a mosh pit. If you’re lucky with the weather, make sure you stay safe in the sun with plenty of sun cream, and for stylish sunglasses, try Sunglass Hut, Sunglasses2U or Sunglasses Shop. Finally, be sure to find a pair of wellies that are comfortable, as you will be living in them for the entire festival - even when you’re asleep.

Bits and Bobs
There’s nothing worse than pitching your tent, slumping into a camping chair with a beer, and realising you’ve forgotten a bottle opener. Your first festival will be/will have been a series of “Why didn’t I bring the ___ ?” and “I forgot the ___ !”, so why not make a list of everything you think you’ll need. For example, a disposable camera may not seem essential, but it will save your phone battery and you’ll have a great laugh when you get round to collecting the film. Baby wipes and dry shampoo will also be your best friends if you don’t fancy queuing for cold showers. If you’re going with a big group of people, choose a tall object so you’ll be able to find your friends in the crowds. Consider a pink inflatable flamingo, a foam finger or simply put one friend on the shoulders of another and get them to wave manically until you’re all reunited again.

Good luck out there! And don’t forget your wellies!