Festival Season

So I know festival season is nearly over but I have a friend who's going to Leeds Festival for the first time in August and she's been asking for a few tips since I went in 2010. This is essentially a post dedicated to Shann and anyone else who would like to know my own tips for Leeds Fest.

I had some friends who had earlybird tickets,  so they offered to set up tents for those of us without. We were in the White Camp, which was actually really good- it's close to the main area and not too far from other bits and pieces like the silent disco and the Relentless tent (whether or not these things will still be there 4 years later remains to be seen.)
One of the first things I went and did after getting all set up in my tent was to show my ID in exchange for an over-18 wristband, I'd definitely recommend getting one as you never know where it'll come in handy and it's much easier than wrestling your ID out of your pocket/bag any time you might need it.
As you can see in the picture above, a good idea is to get a festival sweater early on. You can take it off if you get too warm or put it on if you're cold, and they're fairly lightweight but still keep you warm. Another thing is that they have the line-up on the back, so I found myself making friends who were checking my back to see who was playing that day. On that note, getting a lanyard with the map and the stage times on is another top tip. Don't forget to bring your waterproofs! That means, as everyone knows, wellies, but also I'd recommend a cheap, fold-up parka that you can whip out of your bag in case of rain. You'll also want to bring something warm for night time, as it really does get quite cold, and I had leggings, pyjama pants and 3 pairs of socks on most nights and still ended up feeling freezing.
Don't take a load of valuable things, and make sure you have a bag you can keep on you at all times that fits the few valuables you do take. Don't bother locking your tent because you'll only make yourself seem like you do have valuables, thus making you a target.

Leave the iPhone at home! Take an old phone such as a Nokia- their battery life is more likely to last the whole festival. You won't really need your phone anyway. Just enjoy yourself- don't worry about your followers.








Get a couple of disposable cameras for any photographs you really want to take. Leave the expensive cameras at home- they'll probably only run out of battery anyway.






Image source

You don't really need to take much by way of food as there's plenty of food trucks around and the likelihood is, like me, you'll end up bringing most of it home having not eaten it. I took a load of water which was definitely something I was glad for, but I didn't take a lot of alcohol, so I'd recommend bringing cans - my problem was that the cider I like didn't come in anything other than glass bottles at the time so I was a bit stuck.
Getting down to the barriers on a day when you know you want to be there for a headliner can seem like a great idea but you'll either end up dehydrated, or, if you bring water with you, needing the toilet. Also, your feet will ache for ages, but I'd definitely say it was worth it to see Weezer and Blink-182 from a great vantage point!
I ended up separated from my friends and that definitely dampened the spirits so I'd recommend agreeing with your friends where you're going to go beforehand so you don't end up lonely for an entire day.
The signing tent can be pretty good but prepare yourself for the distinct possibility (which happened to me with All Time Low) that it has not been organised so well and that you may stand around for ages but not get to meet the band.
The comedy tent is a good place to hang out when there's nobody on that you particularly want to see, also at night time when I went they showed movies there, one was Shutter Island but you need to pay attention to that movie in order to know what's going on.
Basically just try and have a great time and use the festival as an opportunity to escape everything for a few days - you can eat, drink and sleep when you get home!

Writing this post has really made me want to go to Leeds Festival again, oh dear. But, my dear Shann, and everyone else, I hope this has helped at least a bit!

Now Playing: How I Met Your Mother