...what to pack, and what to skip in your packing list according to a festival addict.

Music festival preparation for festival goers

Packing for a music festival is a fine art. You’re trying to strike a balance between bringing everything that could possibly, even remotely enhance your experience, while also making sure you don’t lumber yourself with too much gear, especially at summer festivals and camping festivals.

Get the balance right, and you’ll set yourself up for the time of your life. Get it wrong, and you’ll arrive onsite grumpy, sweaty, starving, and ready to abandon everything you own. And nobody wants that.

Meet Anouk, packing list expert

So, to set you up for success, we chatted with TicketSwap’s very own Anouk, who tells us she’s been to an infinite number of festivals, across all climates and terrains from the artsy Horst Festival in Belgium to a glittery Milkshake Festival, and from the sheltered Draaimolen Festival to the sizzling and sunny Dekmantel Selectors in Croatia.

She’s been to ADE, the industrial Voltage Festival in Belgium, she’s been to a cozy ZeeZout at the beach. If there’s someone who knows what to pack, it’s Anouk.

Case in point: she just survived 5 days at the muddy fields of Wildeburg festival with perfectly planned outfits for every twist of weather. This summer she will go for a back2back camping festival experience starting at Lowlands followed by Dekmantel Selectors in Croatia.

But here’s the clincher: she’s not only a big-time festival aficionado, but also one of the most organized people going.

So trust us when we say: your packing is in good hands. Get to know her expertise on what to bring to a multi-day festival.

So, Anouk, how do you prepare for a music festival?

“My friends always think I'm nuts when I send them a picture of my packed bag two weeks before the festival starts. But I just love having everything ready way in advance. It saves me from the last-minute panic of realizing important things are sold out, missing, or still dirty.

So, here's my advice: make a packing list of essentials you absolutely can't forget and start packing early (thank me later). Not sure where to begin? No worries, I already put a list together for you!

However, clothes are always the tricky part when it comes to packing… For Wildeburg Festival, I had to rearrange my outfits three times because of the unpredictable weather forecasts (from sun and 22 degrees, to a cloudy 16 degrees and non stop rain). Tip: make sure to pack for any forecast. Bikini? Absolutely! You never know when there might be a spontaneous group shower with a DJ blasting “Waterloo” in the pouring rain. (Yes, I’ve been there, done that.)

What do you need to take to music festivals?

My number one festival essential? Great company. Whether it’s your best friend, your grandma’s neigbours’s second cousin, or that cute match from your dating app, your company can make or break the experience. Luckily, you’re never alone at a festival, and it’s a perfect opportunity to make new friends on the grounds.

Besides that, I never head to a festival without a well-stocked fanny pack, including earplugs (a must!), sunglasses, a hat, hand sanitizer, and tissues (because you never know what those porta-potties will be like).

What do you absolutely not need to take to a music festival, in your experience?

In my extensive festival-going experience, one thing you absolutely do not need to take to a by day festival is a glow-in-the-dark stick or lightning stuff like shoes or sunnies with lights. Trust me, while it might seem like a beacon of innovation for your packing list, these sticks are as useful at a by daytime music festival as a snorkel in the Sahara. Save the glow-in-the-dark gadgets and lights for your living room dance parties, and let the festival lights handle the sparkle!

Next question: what to wear to a music festival!?

Ah, the eternal question of looking like you rolled out of bed effortlessly cool while secretly planning your outfit for weeks! Based on the forecast, I always opt for a carefully curated ensemble. I make sure there are plenty of layers so I can rock out whether it's scorching hot or unexpectedly chilly.

In my case, you will spot me in comfortable sporty outfits, like hockey skirts and oversized vintage football tees OR my signature black on black on black outfits, XL Dr Martens platform boots and edgy sunnies. Oh, and don't forget a hat for those sunny jams or rain and a hoodie just in case the weather decides to join the party too!

On that note - should I wear jeans to a music festival?

Now, about jeans—they're like the classic rock of clothing: reliable, timeless, but not always the headliner. Personally, I never wear them to festivals. Why? Because there’s a whole wardrobe of comfortable but edgy, and festival-ready gear out there just waiting to be danced in. However, I’m a big fan of the jorts though, with the mid length version it’s all about feeling free to groove!

Should I bring a backpack to a day music festival?

Definitely bring the backpack! It's like your festival sidekick, ready to carry all your must-haves. ....But wait, are you ready to level up your festival gear game? Than go for the IKEA Frakta with handtruck! It's like the Swiss Army knife of festival gear: water-resistant (take that, unpredictable climes!), easy to pull around and budget-friendly. Who says you can't be practical and stylish?

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Festival checklist: what to pack for a festival

Your go-to packing list for weekend festivals, day festivals and more, no matter where you go.

Practical items / Electronics

Value Practical items / Electrical equipment action

1 Printed festival / parking ticket (just in case)

1 Wallet, cash, card, ID, EHIC

1 Phone + phone charger

1 Loaded (!) power bank big (bring another small power bank too, that'll help you avoid losing your friends onsite!)

1 Flashlight

1 Polaroid camera (to capture your festival highlights)

1 Bluetooth speaker, to keep the party going on campsite

Optional: first aid kit, portable phone charger, water bottle

Camping essentials

Camping gear

1 Tent (set up once before going to festival to avoid unpleasant surprises)

1 Air mattress + pump (go for an electric cordless pump!)

1 Sleeping Bag + optional: inner sleeping bag. Never overlook sleeping bags.

1 Pillow (or staple your sweaters on top of each other, in case of lack of space)

1 Groundsheet (for underneath the (possibly wet) tent, thank me later)

1 Gas burner + gas bottles of max 250 grams (let your inner chef out)

1 Ducktape (to save your life in any circumstance, from a broken tent to a heart)

1 Camp chair (I recommend decorating it, to recognise yours!)

1 Hanging light (to find your shit hands free in the darkness of the night, even when tipsy)

1 Reusable water bottle

Essentials for the advanced camping festival goers

Camping items

1 Party tent (to gather with all your (new) besties at your camp)

1 An iconic, decorative name plate with your camp name

1 Fun Decoration (flags, jellyfish lamps, garden gnome, glitter curtain, lanterns, e.d.)

1 Camping table (multifunctional)

1 Coolbox + optional: dry ice (handy to keep your drinks cold for days)

2 Microfiber towel + hammam towel (dry fast, just like your thirst)

10 Package wet wipes (as a substitute for showering)

Optional: bug spray, solar powered items, eye mask

Food & Drinks

Essentials and snacks

5 Canned sausages + white buns (handy for hangover breakfasts every morning)

1 Mayo + Curry + Ketchup

5 Instant noodles (or other non-perishables/chill food that is ready quickly)

1 (disposable) plates and cutlery

1 Small concentrated lemonade bottle

1 (instant) coffee or tea for enthusiasts

10 Cup-a-soup or ORS for the killing hangover

1 pack of dried fruits or trail mix

5 Protein / breakfast drink of 500 calories (snacks to get your calories up)

1 ingenious folding jerry can (handy to get and store A LOT of water at once and avoid long lines)

5 Liter of soda, beer, seltzer, whatever you want (choose something that is drinkable even if it gets warm. I suggest bringing a bottle of Salmari, too!)

Clothing (I recommend to go for a backpack. And no suitcase!)

Clothing essentials + accessories

5 cool, well-considered outfits, day AND night

2 Chill outfit (sports legging, hockey skirt, joggers)

2 Sweaters / Cardigans Pack

1 Poncho / Raincoat Pack

100 Underwear / strings (you never know)

100 Socks (same story) Pack

2 BH’s (if you want to wear them tho)

2 Closed toe and comfortable shoes / boots

1 Slippers or flip-flops (never, I repeat, NEVER go to the shower without them)

1 Swimwear (if there is a lake or fun group shower party with DJ)

2 Caps or a sun hat

1 Sunglasses

1 Pajamas (if you want to wear them!)

1 Jacket, just to be sure

Toiletry bag (bring minis!)

Value Camping items action

1 Shampoo + conditioner

1 Shower gel

1 Hair product (anti-tangle spray, styling spray, wax, hairspray, mouse)

2 Earplugs (to sleep AND to party, always protect your ears people!)

1 Toothbrush + toothpaste (and please use it 2 x a day)

2 Deodorant (a big one and small one to put in your fanny pack during dancing)

1 Razor blade + with soap bar

1 Sunscreen + after sun

1 Medicines (melatonine, plasters, deet, EHBO kit, ibuprofen, condoms)

1 Tweezers Pack

1 Nail clippers / scissors

At least 1 roll of toilet roll, or tissues

Pink tax

Value Pink tax action

1 Make up (mascara, eyeliner, blush, foundation, setting spray)

2 Wet wipes / make up wipes

1 Birth control pill (if needed)

10 Sanitary pads / tampons or other menstrual items

100 Tissues (to avoid empty toilet cubicles without toilet paper)

1 Nail polish + nail polish remover

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