With the sun shining bright, festival season is here, and lots of our team are excitedly gearing up to join in on the fun at various festivals this summer! Whether it be family friendly events like Splore and Soundsplash or adult only events like Rhythm and Alps and Northern Bass there are options for everyone!
The idea of attending multiple day or even singular day festivals can be extremely daunting but don’t worry because we’ve got you covered with our top tips:
- Research your festivals rules. Each festival with have its own list of rules. Some may require you to have named tickets that match your ID whereas others are more lenient. Rules around what you can bring in will also vary from event to event, some allow you to bring in unlimited nonalcoholic drinks whereas others might only permit a certain amount. Certain events also don’t allow you to bring in glass make up or perfume containers, I’m still grieving the Marc Jacobs daisy perfume I had taken off me at Rhythm and Alps back in 2015.
- Prepare for all types of weather. It can be tempting to just take you festy outfits but make sure you pack plenty of layers including wet weather gear like a rain jacket and gumboots. Weather in New Zealand can change in an instant, so it always pays to be prepared!
- Leave your valuables at home. When attending festivals, it can be hard to keep your belongings safe. Though padlocking your tent is always a good idea it isn’t always full proof, so make sure to leave your laptop safely at your house. It can also pay to purchase a cheap jacket rather than taking your nice expensive one.
- Top up your festival wrist band before the event. Most festivals nowadays have gone cashless and instead use smart wrist bands for transaction. Often you can top these up before you head to your festival, this way you don’t have to worry about your wallet or wait in a cue to top up. Plus, you can normally claim back any left-over money after the festival has ended.
- Get a good bum bag or fanny pack. Though many festivals are cashless you will still need an ID at most festivals so it’s a good idea to keep this somewhere safe. Fanny packs allow you to keep your valuables secure and close to you at all times.
- Keep medication in its original prescribed packaging. Many events now have strict rules around medication and will require it to be contained in a valid container with a prescription that matches the ID of the ticket holder. Though it can be tempting to move your medication into a small container this can cause you to be delayed in line or even risk not being allowed to bring your medication in!
- Plan the perfect camping set up. Knowing what to pack for an overnight festival can be very stressful but don’t worry because we have put together the perfect camping checklist here. Make sure to check what is and isn’t allowed to be brought in as many rules will be different from festival to festival.
- Leave your camp site how you found it. We’ve all seen the videos of acres and acres of abandoned tents and rubbish. Though you might be tired after a big night of dancing it’s important to be a tidy Kiwi and through away your rubbish.
- Have a designated meeting spot. It can be easy to lose your friends at a festival plus there may not be much cell phone reception so make sure you choose a place where you can regroup if anyone gets separated.
We hope you have a safe and fun festival season!
