Festival season is upon us.
And we couldn’t be more excited. From Bulmers Forbidden Fruit to Electric Picnic and from Metropolis to Body&Soul, we are practically chomping at the bit to get our wellies on.
If this is your first year at an Irish festival (or your tenth) then we’ve got the lowdown on how to pack properly.
Here is our ultimate guide for what you need to bring and what you need to leave at home.
You can thank us later.
Bring:
Plastic bags
Bring a whole roll. Trust us on this one. Plastic bags are your ultimate festival survival item. Want somewhere to put your mucky clothes? Plastic bag. Your boots are leaking? Use a plastic bag. You’ve run out of clean clothes… you get the idea.
Hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is the only thing that makes using Portaloo worth it. It also helps to get rid of B.O. (true story)
Lots of spare socks
Game changer, for obvious reason. There’s no misery like wet feet misery.
Portable charger
Save yourself the hassle of queueing to charge your phone and invest in a portable charger instead. If you buy a good one it should last you all weekend and you won’t have to worry about missing any Instagram opportunities.
Waterproofs (plural)
As much as we like to pretend that the Irish weather will clear up during festival weekends, unfortunately, it very rarely does. Yes, you might look like a fisherman back from the sea, but at least you won’t be cold.
Leave at home:
Wheelie suitcases
Repeat after me, wheelie suitcases do not belong at festivals. They’re heavy, bulky and they will just get covered in muck within the first five minutes. Leave them at home.
Sandals
This is Ireland.
Anything expensive
Realistically, most of your clothes are going to come home covered in muck and soaking wet. Don’t ruin something expensive by bringing it to a festival you will only regret it.
A cheap tent
That €20 tent might seem like a bargain at the time but it will inevitably leak. Buy yourself a decent (waterproof) tent and it will make your whole festival experience so much better.
A guitar
Seriously? Don’t be that guy who whips out his guitar at 3am for a rendition of ‘Wonderwall’. Nobody likes that guy.
Umbrellas
Most festivals do not allow umbrellas in the main arena. Save yourself the hassle and just leave it at home.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
