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Festival essentials checklist 2024 for Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds and more
From tents and camping chairs to dry shampoo, SPF and wellies, tick off this list while you pack
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Festival season is just around the corner. Glastonbury and the Isle of White Festival kick off a summer of live music next month, while Reading & Leeds, Latitude, Lost Village and Parklife follow close behind. To ensure you pack everything important (at best you forget dry shampoo, at worst your ticket), a thorough checklist is a must.
Whether you’re pitching up for the weekend, heading to your favourite day festival in the city or flying abroad for a blowout on the beach, your packing list should span beauty, toiletries, camping gear, clothing and more.
While most festival essentials are non-negotiable (think tents, toothbrushes, underwear, sunscreen and reliable shoes), others can simply make your experience a much more pleasant one (we’re talking cordless hair tools, pyjamas, camping stoves and eye masks).
To prevent you from being that person in the group asking to borrow everything, the exhaustive list below includes everything you need for your next festival (you’re welcome), whether it’s an all-day rave or a four-day camping stint.
Festival checklist
Festival camping
Festival toiletries and beauty
Festival clothing
- Wellies (men’s, women’s)
- Cowboy boots
- Walking boots (men’s, women’s)
- Trainers (men’s, women’s)
- Summer dresses
- Waterproof raincoat (men’s, women’s)
- Jacket
- Summer hat
- Crossbody/bum bag
- Comfortable bra
- Sweatshirt
- Pyjamas
Miscellaneous
- Festival ticket
- Compact mirror
- Cards and cash
- Breakfast bars
- Wine, spirits and cans
- Snacks
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Phone charger
- Disposable camera
- Reusable water bottle
- Railcard
Best festival essentials
Best festival tent – Mountain Warehouse festival fun tent: £24.99, Amazon.co.uk
Securing a spot in our review of the best festival tents, our tester said Mountain Warehouse’s fuss-free ‘festival fun’ design does what it says on the tin. “There’s a decent groundsheet, plus a mesh door to keep things cool (and keep bugs out), while the sturdy poles are easy to erect,” they said. The pink version will help your tent stand out in a sea of plain tents at a festival campsite.
Best camping roll mat – Mountain Warehouse roll mat: £6.99, Amazon.co.uk
Dubbed the best under-£10 buy in our review of camping mats, this Mountain Warehouse offering is “tough, insulating and long-lasting,” according to our tester. “Roll mats may not be quite as comfy to sleep on as inflatable mats, but they do have one redeeming feature: they’re nigh-on indestructible (unlike air mats, which, if pierced, will immediately deflate and be rendered useless), so they’re a great choice for rocky, uneven ground or for popping under an air mat for extra protection,” they said. If you are after something no-frills for festivals, this is the budget mat for you.
Best festival sleeping bag – Outwell contour lux double sleeping bag: £87.89, Amazon.co.uk
The most affordable option in our round-up of sleeping bags, Outwell’s double sleeping bag is a cosy option for festival season. “Two zips make it easy to share this roomy bag, which can also be opened up into a full-sized double duvet that’s ideal for glamping or for popping in a campervan. Two built-in pillows are a nice place to rest your head,” they said. Generously sized and warm enough for use from spring through to autumn, this bag was rated by our tester for its price and comfort.
Best camping chair – Pro Action steel folding camping chair, red: £13, Argos.co.uk
When it comes to chairs, you don’t need anything too fancy for festival season. This purse-friendly Pro Action model from Argos will easily do the job and is finished in a bold red hue that will help it stand out in the camping field. You want something light and easy to transport, with this offering folding away into a carry bag with a strap. Plus, it boasts a handy built-in drinks holder.
Best camping bag – Lifeventure waterproof packable backpack: £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
Our favourite budget travel backpack, Lifeventure waterproof packable bag is just what you need to haul your essentials to a camping festival. “It’s extremely light and squashes up into its very own pouch, but still felt fabulously comfortable, thanks largely to ergonomically contoured shoulder straps and a hip belt.” our tester said. With a durable, waterproof design and 22l capacity, it ticked all the boxes.
Best powerbank – Belkin BPB012 portable charger 20K: £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
If you want enough phone charge to find pals, take pictures and look up set times, a good power bank is a must-have, whether camping at the festival or just heading to one for the day. This nifty Belkin model will get you 78 extra hours of battery life with MagSafe-compatible Apple iPhones and Samsung phones. It ensured our phone was never out of battery during a four-day camping stint – plus, up to three devices can be charged at the same time, through two USB-A ports and one USB-C port. Available in three sleek colours, Belkin’s pack looks good, too.
Best face SPF – La Roche-Posay anthelios UVmune 400 oil control fluid: £16, Lookfantastic.com
Considering you’ll spend most of the festival outside in the sun, a good SPF is essential. Our favourite hails from La Roche-Posay, with its anthelios oil sunscreen praised for ticking every box. Including UVA, UVB and long UVA protection, it’s suitable for sensitive skin, and it has a non-greasy and lightweight formula. “Reducing shine, we found you’ll still get a fresh-faced glow minus any sticky or oily sensation, and it keeps you safe from the sun,” our tester added.
Best body SPF – Coola classic body organic sunscreen spray: £25.95, Amazon.co.uk
It’s just as important to top up your body sunscreen – and Coola’s classic spray is our top pick for summer 2023. “With a unique ‘pina colada’ scent that is sweet without being overpowering, it’s a delight to apply, a process made much easier by the spray applicator, which means the sunscreen is quickly absorbed into the skin,” our tester said. Soft and nourishing, more than 70 per cent of the ingredients are organic.
Best aftersun – Bioderma photoderm refreshing after-sun milk: £13, Escentual.com
If you do burn, having some aftersun on hand will be a godsend mid-festival. Bioderma’s formula came out on top in our round-up of the best aftersun, with our tester lauding the lightweight product for its immediate cooling effect. “Allantoin and ginkgo biloba gel soothe overheated skin, while patented cellular bioprotection technology works to protect your skin against cell damage from UV rays and other stressors,” they said.
Best dry shampoo – Batiste naturally dry shampoo green tea and chamomile: £4.04, Amazon.co.uk
Keeping your hair fresh between showers at festivals (or if you’re not planning to shower at all), dry shampoo is a must-have toiletry. Batiste’s formulas are affordable favourites and its green tea and chamomile bottle earned a spot in our round-up of the best dry shampoos. Our tester loved the “luxe” scent, which reminded them of sandalwood perfumes.
Best festival rain jacket – Rains storm breaker: £95, Rains.com
Scandi brand Rains has somewhat of a cult following for its minimalist yet practical rain-appropriate clothing. Its unisex storm breaker boasts a sporty look and extra wet-weather functionality (perfect for current conditions). Complete with a hood and built-in cap, two-way zipper, doubled-welded pockets and elasticated cuffs, the jacket will ensure you’re prepared for whatever the weather throws at you this festival season.
Best festival wellies – Barbour abbey wellington boots, black: £64.95, Barbour.com
Our favourite pair of wellington boots, these robust Barbour boots offered a “flexible fit for movement”, and the chunky soles provided good grip while walking. “There’s chic Barbour branding throughout, from the tartan pattern inside to the logo running up the back,” our tester said. A solid, stylish and reliable choice for festivals.
Best festival bag – Uniqlo round mini shoulder bag: £14.90, Uniqlo.com
The bag of the moment, Uniqlo’s TikTok-viral crossbody bag is perfect for festival season. Roomy, adjustable, affordable and available in an array of fun colours to make a style statement, the styled-up bum bag is just what you need to carry your essentials around the field. Coming in minimalist black, beige and white finishes or playful yellow, red and green, there’s a reason why Lyst named it the hottest product in the world.
Best cowboy boots for festivals – Urban Outfitters brown leather Dallas cowboy boots: £73, Urbanoutfitters.com
Cowboy boots remain a classic for festival season but this summer Western-inspired styles are trendier than ever. This take from UO is crafted from leather with Western signature details, from the stitching throughout to the curved hems, pull tabs, pointed toe and block heel. Finished in a chocolate brown hue, the boots are a practical choice for stomping through the festival fields (and disguising any mud stains).
Best festival eye mask – Soap & Glory the rest assured sleep mask: £7, Boots.com
Waking up hungover in a tent is never fun – but a good sleep mask can make the experience a lot less painful. “Made from polyester, Soap & Glory’s mask has a silky feel that’s lovely and smooth against the skin, while the extra-long shape wraps around the head and blocks out almost all of the light,” our tester said.
Best festival ear plugs – EarHub sleepwell silicone earplugs, 6 pairs: £6.48, Amazon.co.uk
If you struggle to get any shut-eye at festivals, make sure to pack some ear plugs for sleeping. Proving you don’t have to spend a fortune on good buds, these EarHub plugs impressed our tester. “These putty-style, soft silicone earplugs are moulded into shape with your fingers and placed over your ear opening (not inserted into the ear canal), forming a sealed covering,” they said, adding that they blocked out sounds better than foam buds.
Best cordless hair tool – Babyliss 9000 high performance cordless straightener: £180, Boots.com
Boasting a high-performance lithium-iron battery, three heat settings (160C, 180C and 200C) and some of the biggest plates found in cordless straightner models, this is a great option for keeping hair tamed during festivals. With three hours of charge, you can enjoy up to 30 minutes of styling time (it can also be used plugged in). Making light work of our curly, frizz-prone hair, it smoothed flyaways and left us with a just-washed glossy finish.
Best reusable water bottle – Contigo Jackson chill autopop vacuum-insulated water bottle, 720ml: £14.23, Amazon.co.uk
This top-rated reusable water bottle was praised for being “small enough to be carried all day”, which is just what you need at a festival. This Contigo bottle has it all, according to our tester. “It’s ready to drink with just one press, has a chug spout for free-flowing water and a cover to protect the mouthpiece from dirt.”
Barry M gold bio body glitter gold mine: £4.49, Boots.com
If you want to glam up your festival look, turn your attention to glitter – but make sure it’s a biodegradable one so it doesn’t damage the environment. This Barry M offering is plastic-free and produced from a special film sustainably sourced from plant cellulose, that biodegrades naturally in fresh water. You can apply with Barry M’s glitter fixer gel (£4.99, Amazon.co.uk) on either the face or body.
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