So you just bought your ticket for your very first music festival! Congratulations! I get questions from a lot of first-timers about what exactly they should pack. It’s so easy to over pack, or under pack if you have no idea what to expect. So I’m going to lay it all out for you.
Start off by going through my Basic Packing Checklist. This is anything you would need for ANY trip. I will repeat some things in this post, but I’ll leave out the basics (toothbrush, underwear, etc.)
Let’s start with the most important thing….
⬜ TICKETS!!!
You can forget ANYTHING else on this list and replace it pretty easily EXCEPT THE TICKETS. Put a reminder in your phone for the morning you leave reminding you – just in case!
Toiletries:
⬜ Hand sanitizer
⬜ Sunscreen*
⬜ Insect repellent*
⬜ Aloe*
⬜ Face wipes
⬜ Deodorant*
⬜ Zip-lock bags
⬜ Ibuprofen
*Check the festivals restricted items list first! Most festivals have rules about aerosol cans or the amount of water you can bring, etc. So you may have to leave some of these items at the hotel!
What to wear:
⬜ Comfortable shoes (if they’re waterproof, even better!)
⬜ Sunglasses
⬜ Earplugs
⬜ Rain coat or poncho
⬜ Cross-body purse/bag
⬜ Bandana or buff (especially if you’re somewhere dusty)
Purse/Daypack – to bring to the festival:
⬜ TICKETS TICKETS TICKETS
⬜ Driver’s license or ID
⬜ Water bottle and/or camelbak*
⬜ Phone
⬜ Portable charger (solar powered is even better!)
⬜ Face wipes
⬜ Extra bobby-pins
⬜ Extra ponytails
⬜ Sunglasses
⬜ Comfortable shoes
⬜ Chapstick with SPF
⬜ Earplugs
⬜ Tissues and toilet paper in a zip-lock
⬜ Hand sanitizer*
⬜ Sunscreen*
If you’re camping:
⬜ Tent
⬜ Tent stakes and mallet/hammer for stakes
⬜ Tent lock
⬜ Air mattress (if you’re fancy!)
⬜ Blankets
⬜ Sleeping bag
⬜ Pillow
⬜ Extra tarps
⬜ Hammock
⬜ Camping chairs*
⬜ Toilet Paper
⬜ Towels (mircofiber is better)
⬜ Wet Wipes
⬜ Saline eye drops
⬜ Cooler*
⬜ Solo cups
⬜ Lanterns and/or flashlights
⬜ Camping grill* (if you’re REALLY fancy!)
⬜ Food to go with your fancy grill*
⬜ Snacks*
⬜ Duct tape
⬜ Bluetooth speaker
⬜ Trash bags
⬜ Dry shampoo*
⬜ Flashlight or headlamp
⬜ Mirror
What NOT to bring:
❌ Expensive jewelry
❌ Anything designer
❌ White clothes
❌ Glass of any kind
❌ Always, always check the restricted items list for any festival.
And I’m gonna say it one more time because it really is the most important…
⬜ TICKETS!!!
Download the printable version, here!
And check out my Music Festival Essentials Amazon list here!
Check out my full list of essentials here!
Did you like this post? Check out these related posts!
Perfect timing – I’m off to Glas-‘denbury’ festival tomorrow!
This is an amazing checklist, the first tim J went to a music festival, I had wished I had access to some information like this.
Thanks! The past couple year’s we’ve been bringing a number of first-timers with us, so I thought a checklist would be nice for them – and all the other first-timers!
awesome list, thanks for sharing! Concise and to the point. The bandana is a great idea! And surely, nobody who reads this will ever forget their tickets again 🙂
Thank you! I have seen enough people forget their tickets to constitute nagging lol.
As someone who has been to dozens of music festivals, I can say this is a great list. It’s always surprising to see how many people bring nice things only to watch it get destroyed.
Thank you! And I know – I always cringe when I see anyone wearing designer stuff. I saw a girl wearing a white Gucci purse this summer and was like “girl whhhyyyy?” lol
Love this! I’ve definitely needed a guide like this a few times when I’ve been to festivals – I almost always forget something haha
Very handy list ..I haven’t been to any music festival yet and so wanna attend one. Will keep this list in mind
Very handy list ..I haven’t been to any music festival yet and so wanna attend one. Will keep this list in mind
It really is a lot of things to remember considering you’ll be with so many other people. I think this actually sounds like more stuff than I take for camping in the wilderness! 😉
Still, this will be really handy for first time festival goers!!
p.s. no one who reads this can ever have an excuse for forgetting their tickets!! 😉
Great list! I got to about 2 to 3 festivals a year, and this is an awesome resource. Lol love the reoccurring ticket reminder.
I’ve witnessed enough people forgetting their tickets to warrant nagging lol.
The perfect list for festival goers. I go to festivals rather infrequently, so this checklist is a great one to have handy!!