The weather is finally warming up, and sunshine brings the festival season. Glastonbury, Latitude, Reading and Leeds festivals are all taking place this summer. However, it can be hard to remember everything you need. At best, you forget dry shampoo, at worst, your ticket. That’s why 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 make your experience much more pleasant (we’re talking cordless hair tools, pyjamas, camping stoves and eye masks).
To prevent you from being the person in the group asking to borrow everything, the exhaustive list below includes everything you need for your next festival, whether it’s an all-day rave or a four-day camping stint.
Festival checklist
Festival camping
Festival toiletries and beauty
Festival clothing
Miscellaneous
Best festival essentials
Securing a spot in our review of the best tents, our reviewer said that this is the best-value tent you can buy, and perfect for a festival. Tester Sian warns that it won’t stand up to heavy rain, but her tests found that this tent has “three separate bedrooms, each of which can fit a double air bed”. Its air vents and mesh door are great for keeping the tent cool in heatwaves, too. In the end, Sian describes it as “ideal for a family of four sharing in the summer months, or for heading to a festival with friends.”
Best camping roll mat – Nhowin self-inflating camping mat: £23.99, Amazon.co.uk
Dubbed the best budget option in our review of camping mats, this Nhowin self-inflating camping mat is described as a bargain for £30. “This comfortable mat is lightweight (900g) and compact when rolled up,” they said, adding that “once inflated using the built-in foot pump, it provides an effective bed with a brilliant pillow included.” Plus, poppers enable you to attach another of these mats to one side, to create a double mattress.
The best double option in our round-up of sleeping bags, Outwell’s sleeping bag is a cosy cocoon 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,” our tester said. Generously sized and warm enough for use from spring through to autumn, this bag was loved by our reviewer for its price and comfort.
Best camping chair – Pro Action steel folding camping chair, red: £10, 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 and was included in our round-up of the best camping chairs.
Best camping bag – Lifeventure waterproof packable backpack: £32.98, Amazon.co.uk
Our favourite budget travel backpack, the 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: £27.99, 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: £16.80, Amazon.co.uk
Considering you’ll spend most of the festival outside in the sun, a good SPF is essential. One of our favourites 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. Our tester found that: “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 – Ultrasun extreme SPF 50: £25.60, Amazon.co.uk
It’s just as important to top up your body sunscreen – and this SPF 50 is our top pick this summer. “Designed for ‘intense conditions,’ the white cream is lightweight and absorbs really quickly and beautifully into the skin, offering high, broad-spectrum protection,” our tester said. Used liberally throughout a 10-day holiday during testing, this bottle should contain more than enough to see you through a festival.
Best aftersun – Bioderma photoderm refreshing after-sun milk: £15, Lookfantastic.com
If you burn, some aftersun 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 sensitive scalp: £2.87, Boots.com
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 how affordable this shampoo is and how kind it was on sensitive scalps.
Best festival rain jacket – Rains storm breaker: £95, Rains.com
Scandi brand Rains has a cult following for its minimalist yet practical rain-appropriate clothing. Its unisex storm breaker boasts a sporty look and extra wet-weather functionality. 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: £69.95, Barbour.com
One of our favourite pairs 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 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 phone carrier – Jigsaw leather crossbody phone bag tag: £51, Jigsaw-online.com
Compact phone bags combine fashion and functionality, leaving you hands-free to enjoy the music without compromising your festival outfit. Enter: Jigsaw’s sleek leather crossbody. The discreet design leaves just enough room for your phone and cards thanks to internal and external pockets, while the crossbody style leaves you plenty of freedom to move. The sleek leather bag is available in brown and black.
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 curling tong: £73, Amazon.co.uk
Boasting a 25mm barrel and three temperature settings (160C, 170C, 180C), BaByliss’s cordless hair straightener is designed with an ultra-smooth ceramic finish for bouncy, frizz-free curls. A three-hour charge enables up to 40 minutes of use, helping to revive tired hair while camping in a festival field. Plus, it comes with a handy travel case and has an auto-shut-off function for peace of mind.
Best reusable water bottle – ProCook Life’s a Beach stainless steel water bottle: £15, Procook.co.uk
This top-rated reusable water bottle was praised for being everything you could want in a water bottle, without costing a fortune. It’s available in four attractive shades of muted blue, pink, black and grey; it has a carry handle, and the double-walled vacuum construction will keep drinks hot for 12 hours or cold for 24 hours. “We also love the fact it’s not enormous, which makes for easier drinking, and it has a sleek, modern design that makes it look a lot more expensive than it is,” they said. Plus, 10 per cent of each sale goes towards the Life’s a Beach charity, which works to eradicate single-use plastic from beaches and waterways.
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 biodegradable, so it doesn’t harm the environment. This Barry M offering is plastic-free and produced from a special film sustainably sourced from plant cellulose, which biodegrades in fresh water.
Find more camping gear recommendations with our guides and reviews
