Hannah Maundrell, editor-in-chief of Money.co.uk takes a look at the top Festival tips for this weekend
Gone are the days when you used to rock up to music festival with a tent and crate of beer. The new trend of “Glamping” (glamourous camping for those not in the know) has bought a whole new level of desirability to what was once an experience for those who didn’t mind roughing it for a few days.
Budgeting for a festival entirely depends on what sort of experience you are hoping for. The Isle of Wight festival in particular offers a huge array of packages.
If you don’t fancy carrying all your belongings and camping gear from the ferry port, the organisers offer options that include pre-pitched tents, Tipis, Podpads and Luxpads. Once onsite you can make use of hot tubs and champagne bars – the offerings are vast and if you don’t mind splashing the cash, your festival experience can be less quagmire more St Tropez.
It’s important to be honest with yourself though and work out what you can truly afford. It’s easy to get swept up in the magic of it all once you are there and burn through all your cash in your first couple of days on bottles of Prosecco at the Piano bar so work out a daily budget and stick to it like glue.
Crossing the Solent:
If you’re going to the Isle of Wight Festival you’ll need to take into account the cost of crossing the Solent, which is quite a bit more expensive over the weekend of the festivals. Compare ferry prices with the hovercraft and check to see if you can save some money by buying a package with the ticket for the festival and the travel for the crossing included.
Transporting your belongings:
Watching people arrive at the ferry port with their luggage is often worth a ticket in itself. The creative ways people get all their belongings to their tent pitch can be very entertaining indeed. Shopping trollies, wheelbarrows, scooters, you name it. These people are clearly pros though because there is a long old walk from the drop off point to the camping fields.
You can hire Sherpas who will transport your luggage for you. Be prepared and pack resourcefully, leaving anything that you would be sad to lose at home. Here’s a check list of what to take: https://www.money.co.uk/guides/how-much-do-festivals-cost-and-what-should-you-take.htm.
Wining and dining festival style:
Buying food is expensive once you’re through the gates as the vendors have to pay a hefty pitch fee, but the quality is very good and there is plenty to choose from. You won’t left disappointed if you have dietary requirements – the festival puts on something for everyone.
If you budget properly you won’t need to spend more than £25 a day on breakfast, lunch and dinner. Take snacks with you to keep you going in-between though – there is a large Waitrose really close to the Ferry Port to stock up on a few nibbles.
Eat your main meals on-site if you can afford it because this will save you time in trips back and forth to the tent. The main food villages are situated closed to the main stage and the walk can take up to 30 minutes.
If you like to drink then much of your money will be spent at the bar. You are allowed to take your own alcohol onto the campsite (strictly no glass bottles) but not into the arena where the main stages are. Don’t get caught out trying to sneak booze into the main arena – you will get searched, and you will be asked to throw it away.
Budget:
To help you budget we’ve worked out the average costs of attending from Thursday afternoon through to when you leave on Monday morning:
Standard Adult Camping Weekend Ticket = £200
Travel including Ferry Crossing and Parking= £45-£75
Camping Gear = £50-£80
Food & Drink = £50 a day x 4 days = £200
Total spend (approx.) = £495 – £555 per person
There are other costs to think about like shopping at the numerous trade stands for fairy wings, treating yourself to a hot tub in the open air on the Sunday afternoon when you are at your dirtiest, the must have souvenir hoodie and getting your phone charged.
Top tips:
Festival toilets can really spoil your weekend. There is a company called “When Nature Calls” that have their own posh loos situated a 5 minute walk from the main stage. For £32.50 you get your own wristband and the difference with these loos is that they are cleaned after every single use. They smell divine and there are so many of them you rarely have to queue for more than 5 minutes. £32.50 might seem steep, but trust me on this. It will be the best £32.50 you ever spend and you’ll have a much more pleasant festival experience. Book in advance as they limit the number of wristbands they dish out.
Lastly make sure you have sturdy footwear. The campsites can be as far away as a 30 minute walk away to the main stage. Although designer wellies might look cool, you’ll not be smiling when you have blisters the size of a small country.
