There are literally thousands scheduled every summer, for every age, taste and budget. The hardest part is narrowing them down to a short list.
Fortunately for you, we’ve done all the leg-work, plus compiled a handy list of Do’s and Don’ts that will make planning a breeze…
GLASTONBURY
Who’s it for: Everyone
Location: Pilton, Somerset
Price of ticket: £228 weekend ticket (Thursday-Sunday)
When: June 22-26
Glastonbury quite literally has something for everyone – you can party into the early hours of the morning and wake up to the sounds of young children playing in ‘The Kidz Field’ which is a huge festival within the festival for specifically for children with some of the top childrens entertainers performing each year. One thing you must have when taking your child to Glastonbury are headphones to muffle the sound of the loud performances, as it can be incredibly loud even at the back of the crowds! From one end of the spectrum to the other, a large percentage of the crowds are hard core festival lovers, Glastonbury devotees if you will….friends of mine danced with a very old man with a chest length beard at 4am.
Food: Food is notoriously expensive at festivals, sometimes a sandwich costing up to £8. However due to the size of Glastonbury, there are hundreds of food stalls to choose from and many of them are quite cheap! £5 for a ‘super salad’ from a vegan stall – which I would recommend on perhaps the Saturday or Sunday after a few nights of heavy drinking and breakfast bars. Thai curry starts from £6, and chips are just £2.50!
Don’t Miss: Seeing at least one headliner at the pyramid stage. This world renowned stage has staged the likes of Beyonce, Kanye West, The Who, Lionel Richie, Metallica, Dolly Parton, The Black Keys, Lana Del Rey, Rolling Stones, The Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and so many more. Another stage you mustn’t miss is Arcadia, which can be recognised instantly by its infamous spider structure. Arcadia has a 360-degree inward facing sound field. The music can only be heard within that circle, so in order to experience the full effects of the music you have to step within the circle. Arcadia hosts acts such as Annie Mac, Groove Armada, Redlight and Congo Natty.
Must pack: A pair of festival shorts. Loose-fitting, material shorts can be bought on sight. Practical and comfy for the day-time but in keeping with the style of the festival. A friend of mine bought hers on the first day of the festival for only £10!
Beauty essentials: Dry Shampoo, Wet Wipes, Glitter (lots of glitter), henna and of course a bright lipstick.
READING & LEEDS
Who’s it for: A festival for students and first timers
Location: Reading and Leeds
Price: approx. £213 weekend ticket (Thursday-Sunday)
When: August bank holiday weekend
The Reading and Leeds Festival is one of the biggest in the UK. Held simultaneously on the August bank holiday weekend, Reading and Leeds has gained the reputation of being quite a young festival, particularly with students who have just finished their GCSE’s. Organisers discourage parents to bring children; with no designated family camping areas it’s a really student friendly festival. The problem with Reading is that there is a big split between people who are there purely for the music and those who are there because their friends all are. The high percentage of ‘first timers’ and young students means that Reading (in particular) has a reputation to be quite a grime-y festival and there was an aura of chaos surrounding the Sunday night, which can make leaving camp quite difficult.
Food: Like most festivals buying food there was so expensive and due to the fact that Reading didn’t actually have that big of a ‘shopping’ area, we bought all our food with us. The usual cereal essentials: cereal bars, satsumas and crisps. A lovely balanced diet…
Don’t Miss: When I was at Reading I didn’t really do anything apart from see the music and go back to camp. But I would say one thing you shouldn’t miss at Reading is the silent disco. Mostly all the music ends at midnight at Reading but the silent disco goes on until the early hours of the morning. Its a great way to carry on the night rather than having to go back to camp.
Must pack: A jumper. A massive wooly jumper. It gets freezing at night, so layer up!
Beauty essential: For Reading I would definitely recommend bringing toilet seat covers. Maybe not a ‘beauty essential’ but perhaps a practical essential! I wore coloured eyeliner all weekend, blues and greens are my favourite! Maybe a more nude lipstick for Reading as it is a colourful festival with lots of people covered in UV paint and giltter. So I would recommend going colourful with eye liners and coloured eyeshadows and balance the look with a nude lip.
LATITUDE
Who’s it for: High school students and middle-aged Pimms drinkers
Location: Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk
Price: £205 weekend ticket (Thursday-Sunday)
When: July 14-17
A decade ago Latitude set out to create “the UK’s first multi-arts boutique festival”. British festivals are not only a platform for music nowadays, festivals have become a hub for cultural exploration with people spending hundreds on pounds each year expecting big things.
Don’t miss: The Disco Shed. A little truck that plays music, it has its very own line-up of garage DJs. Its snuck around the back of the festival, if you find it you won’t want to leave.
Must pack: Beside the obvious poncho and wellies, a great item for Latitude is a pair of fishnet tights. It’s still early on in the summer so the nights are still cold, but a pair of fishnets will dress up your outfit as well as being practical!
Fashion essential: Anything covered in sequins or patterned. The ‘no pattern-on pattern’ rule doesn’t apply at Latitude.
Reporting by Maya Luthra
