Feature image by Merlijn Hoek.

Yes, the season has been opened, and we are not talking about hunting season. The first summer festivals are already a beautiful memory for those who were there, and there are many, many more festivals to come all over Europe. I, for one, just went to my first real, two day festival including camping and all. As a festival virgin, I asked my very experienced colleagues @ Amazingy what I definitely would need to survive the crazy chaotic mud pool that I was about to enter. Now, looking back at a super fun weekend, I say thank you, my dear colleagues, from the bottom of my heart, for saving my health and sanity. Here is what I learned:

The Basics:

Poncho, sunglasses and sunscreen. Make sure you check the weather forecast. The festival I went to was supposed to take place in a non stop rain storm. Luckily it wasn’t that bad. We even got to see the sun a couple of times and because it’s summer already it got pretty hot quickly. I was quite happy to have brought my sunglasses & to have used my Algamaris sunscreen spray, which doubled as a body lotion that morning. The sunshine happiness didn’t last very long though and so the first place prize for life saving festival equipment goes to my lightweight poncho, cause who really wants to catch a pneumonia in the pouring rain.

Shoes:

Festival grounds are known to turn into mud pools, even when it’s not raining (think toilet area, icccck!) so the right, comfortable footwear is a prerequisite. Merelinde: “never, ever wear sandals to a festival. You will end up with broken toe nails -if not broken toes- because the party crowd will jump onto your feet, or you will have to wade through rain/ beer/ piss/ mud with your semi bare feet, which is… disgusting.”
So, if rain is expected: pack rubber boots (with long woolen socks to keep your feet warm & dry). Will it be dry & sunny? Wear sneakers anyway.

Outfit:

Whatever the weather: wear shorts. Long pants might get wet in spite of the poncho and that is no pleasure once you are inside the (hot) festival tent, believe me, I know. No worries, as long as your feet are warm & dry and your upper body is warm, cold bare legs are no biggie. Plus, it looks cute, especially if you put some PRTTY Peaushun on your legs for that golden summer look! Is Mr(s). weatherman saying temperatures will drop? Bring a woolen sweater. Wool breathes, keeps you warm in the cold and cool in the heat, doubles as a coat in combination with your poncho in the rain and can be tied around the waist when it gets too warm. The keywords: layers, minimalist, and versatile. Pack clothing that fits in your bag or can be tied around the waist and has a double function (e.g. underwear that doubles as a bikini etc.)

Glitter:

Glitter is always good for the group spirit (yes, also when you have men in your party crew). We chose an outrageous glimmering nail polish from NCLA (bullion in a bottle) that put a big smile on our faces. Apply it once and you have festival proof fingers for the whole weekend! If you are going for the Coachella look, try this (NCLA Nail Wrap – What Filter Should I Use). It just doesn’t get any cooler – a real conversation starter, too.

The Bag:

At most festivals, you can’t bring in your own food & drinks into the actual festival area, so no need for a big bag. In fact, take only the absolute essentials onto the festival ground, in the smallest possible bag. Let me stop you before you pack your clutch, you will need your hands when you dance. For that, you will need to commit a fashion crime and get yourself a fanny pack. You read it right, a FANNYpack. But trust me, you will fall in love with your waist-bag during the festival and you will notice, you’re not the only one. It’s the first thing Ingy mentioned: Ingy: “You’ll need a waistbag in a funky color, so you’re hands are free for dancing and you can keep your personal stuff safe!”
If you are stubborn and feel the need to bring more than the bare necessities, at least opt for a cross body bag or a cross shoulder bag that won’t get in the way when jumping around.

On the festival grounds:

As mentioned before, you want to bring as little as possible, besides your phone, money & keys. At bigger festivals you can nowadays pay with your bank/credit card so you can leave the rest of your big fat wallet at home (check your festival website before you end up begging others for food & drinks though). So what do you bring onto the grounds? An all in one beauty product, such as lip2cheek from RMS: a blush, lip color and lip moisturizer that made me look like a party girl instantly. A bonus was that it came in a small jar that fit in my bag. ILIA’s “All Your Gold” is a secret weapon too, not only will it give you that glow that turns heads (put it on your face, shoulders & collarbones) it also has a SPF 20 that will protect you from the sun. Is there a no liquids policy at the entrance? Put it on just before you leave your base camp. Apart from that: a lollypop and some chewing gum.

Health:

If you know you’re going to be jumping around to 1000 beats per minute or will headbang your way through the whole weekend, potentially in the rain, eating unhealthy food and drinking alcohol, be smart & prepare: take minerals & multi-vitamins before, during and after. Floris: “Magnesium will help avoid or lessen muscle aches and multi-vitamins are just good for your general health.”
Drink enough water, but don’t overdo it either, you don’t want to dilute the salts in your blood too much; don’t forget to eat. If you can take a refillable bottle onto the grounds, do it, it will save your bank account. Sometimes at festivals, they will sell you water bottles without the caps so you can’t really keep the bottle. Outsmart them by bringing your own standard bottle cap from home. In most European countries, festival organisations are obliged by law to provide drinking water for free at big events. Most of the time you can find drinking water outlets near the toilets.
Things will get loud at a festival, unless you are at a yoga festival, of course. Emma: “Closer to the stage the experience of a live concert is so much better, but the sound so much louder. If you don’t want to ruin your hearing forever, bring some comfortable earplugs with you”
Mud pools plus warm temperatures equals the perfect climate for mosquitoes and other nasty bugs. If you’re not into a red polka dot design on your legs, I highly recommend bringing some insect repellent with you. My bare legs were safe thanks to Eco by Sonya’s organic Personal Outdoor Spray.

Hygiene:

Ingy: “Bring some Dr. Bronner hand sanitizer. The soap is always finished at festival toilets, and so are the paper towels. If you’re super unlucky, even the water to wash your hands with has run dry. At least you can keep your hands clean with just a small drop sanitizer.” If you are not allowed to bring even small bottles onto the ground, bring wet wipes: they also double as your hand cleaner, toilet paper and in between refresher.

The most important thing to bring to a festival:

At least one fun friend to dance with, who will tell you it’s time to eat, who will join you to the toilets, stop you from snogging the wrong guy/girl and who will hold your hair back when too much alcohol was consumed: someone you can trust. Bring that friend, but also be that friend yourself. Create a festival app on your phone and decide on a meeting point in case you lose each other upon entering the festival grounds. Take crazy pictures but remember to enjoy the actual moment!

And off you go, to festival wonderland!