The Festival Checklist: All The Essentials You’ll Need For 2025
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2 days ago
Heading to Glastonbury this summer? These are all the festival essentials to add to your packing list
Thrumming bass, sunny skies, food stalls and open fields filled with music lovers – sounds like festival season to us. If you find your summer filled with plans for Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds and Isle of Wight, then you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ve rounded up all the festival essentials you could need this summer, from sensible must-haves (extra pants, always) to little luxuries that will make your experience all the more special.
Festival Essentials: The Checklist
(c) Barbour x Alexa Chung
Clothes, Footwear & Accessories
First things first: the clothes. Festival season in the UK is notoriously fickle when it comes to the weather – so while you might be perfectly fine in shorts and a tank top in the morning, afternoon showers might require a few extra layers and a pair of wellington boots. (And there’s all those spare pairs of pants and socks to consider too.)
Clothes
- Planned festival outfits
- Cosy/casual items – t-shirts, shorts, leggings, jeans, dresses
- Waterproof jacket or poncho
- Layers – jackets, hoodies, jumpers
- Underwear (plus spares)
- Bras (mix of normal and strapless, if needed)
- Socks (plus spares)
- Thick socks to sleep in
- PJs
- Bikini/swimsuit (if you want to use the showers or it gets too hot)
Footwear
- Wellington boots
- Trainers (preferably a pair you don’t mind getting muddy)
- A pair of sliders/sandals/flipflops/crocs to wear around the tent or in the showers (if using)
Accessories
- Bucket hat
- Bum bag or a rucksack
- Sunglasses
- Jewellery (earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings)
Toiletries
Festivals aren’t necessarily known for the sparkling bathrooms and facilities, but that doesn’t mean you have to go without your daily hygiene and beauty routine. Opt for easy-to-carry, travel-sized minis and multi-purpose products that will help save space in your rucksack (and make sure you have something on your feet if you’re braving the showers).
Skincare (travel size)
- Face wash
- Moisturiser
- SPF for face
- SPF for body
- Aftersun
- Lip balm
- Reusable cotton pads
Hygiene
- Deodorant
- Packs of tissues
- Nail file
- Hand sanitiser
- Toothpaste
- Toothbrush
- Sanitary products
- Insect repellent
- Hay fever tablets
- Painkillers
- Plasters
- Blister plasters
- Daily medications (as needed)
Hair
- Dry shampoo
- Hair ties
- Shower minis (shampoo, conditioner, body wash)
- Razor
- Hair brush
Makeup
- Makeup minis (primer, foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, highlight, eyebrow kit, mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipstick/gloss, setting product, makeup brushes)
The Sensible Stuff
It’s not all fun and games at festivals (well, mostly); you’ll need to take some sensible bits and bobs to see you through the event. If you’re camping, this means tents, sleeping bags and camping chairs, as well as personal organisation items that ensure you don’t misplace your ID or money.
For The Campsite
- Tent
- Sleeping bag
- Roll mat
- Camping pillow
- Camping chair
- Tent light
- Camping towel
- Bin bags
- Reusable water bottle
- Lighter and camping stove (if cooking)
Extras & Personal Items
- ID
- Wallet with your cash/card (remember that most ATMs at festival charge)
- House keys
- Compact mirror
- Portable charger and lead
- Packing cubes
Luxury Add-Ons
If your bulging rucksack has space, then you can spend the last moments packing up some little luxuries to help you feel at home during those jam-packed days and nights. We’re talking eye masks, picky bits and even hangover tablets (when you need a pick-me-up from last night’s shenanigans).
- Face mask
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Speaker
- Snacks/picky bits
- Hangover tablets
Featured image: Barbour x Alexa Chung
