MUSIC FESTIVALS

Copyright © Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2015

Research by Sophie Martin

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publishers.

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eISBN: 978-1-78372-532-8

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INTRODUCTION

You’ve been starved of the festival life for too long and the symptoms are getting considerably worse. No longer can you bear the humdrum of eating your five a day, having a regular sleeping pattern and using a toilet with a lid. But now you don’t have to camp out in your back garden because it’s time to stop pretending and start preparing for the biggest event in your calendar.

Whether you are getting ready for your first or your one hundred and first festival, this pocketsize book will be your go-to before and during your festival experience, packed with information and advice including festival hacks, DIY ideas and money-saving tips that’ll have you looking and feeling like a festival aficionado. So dig out your wellies and stop waiting around because it’s time to get your festival freak on!

TOP TIP

THE TRANSPORT TICKET

You’ve just raided the entire contents of your piggy bank for your festival ticket and you still need to pay for transport. But although you’ll have to meet the cost of the festival, you don’t have to sell your arm and leg to get there.

First of all, meet up with the people you’re going with to discuss your options well in advance, so that you’re not organising your transport in a blind panic the day before you leave. This could also help you get better deals if you decide to use public transport.

If you know other people who aren’t in your group but are going – people you don’t absolutely abhor – look into sharing a private coach or minibus. Most festivals allow you to park your private coach or minibus on-site, as long as you contact them ahead of time to give details on the number of people attending, the date of arrival and the size of your vehicle – but do check with them first before booking anything.

If you’re only travelling a short distance, or travelling lightly, it might be worth going by train (a lot of festivals advise this option). Go off-peak to make sure you get the best deal, and if you know what time train you want to catch both ways, select the super off-peak option, which gives you an even bigger discount. When you arrive at your destination, there are typically shuttle buses organised by the festival to take you to the site. Information on the shuttle-bus timetables are usually available on the respective festival website.

Another way to save money, and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time, is to go by coach. Other benefits of travelling by coach are that you are taken directly to the festival site and you can just sit back and enjoy yourself whilst someone else does the driving – this is a godsend, particularly on the way back from the festival. Nowadays, many festivals collaborate with coach companies and offer great deals to festival-goers from a number of different pickup locations. To find out if the festival you are going to offers this package and where the pickup locations are, visit the festival website, which will redirect you to the coach company’s website for additional information.

Another option for going easy on the spending is to car share. Try gocarshare.com, which enables you to search for people in your area who are car sharing via Facebook. Liftshare.com and blablacar.com will also put you in touch with other members on their websites who are looking at taking/going with other people.

If you are travelling abroad to a festival, book your flight tickets well in advance to secure a seat, and organise your transfer before you get there to make your travelling less stressful once you arrive in the new country.

If you are thinking about taking a car and you are the designated driver, think this through carefully before you agree to it. On the way there, the drive will be pleasant enough, but on returning home you’ll be tired and maybe still under the influence without even knowing it, which makes the chances of having an accident or getting into trouble with the police much higher. Also be aware that at most festivals you will experience delays getting out of the site at peak times – so there’s no point rushing to get home on the last day, as that extra time could help you work any substances out of your system so that you’re safe to drive.