The golden rules of festivals

A woman walking in the mud at a festival and carrying what looks like a bin bag rollGetty Images

Bring bin bags

The host grounds are often left looking significantly worse-for-wear post-festival. Do the decent thing and pick up your own litter, and never – never – abandon your tent for someone else to deal with. Plus, bin bags are useful to use as waterproof picnic blankets if it’s muddy.

Quit moaning

It is exceedingly foolish to attend a festival and not anticipate mucky toilets. It’s part of the experience. It’s an ordeal, but everyone is going through it together, so try not to make a spectacle. Hold your nose, get in, get out, and move on.

A woman climbs on the shoulders of another festivalgoer at Glastonbury festivalOLI SCARFF/Getty Images

Don’t jam-pack your itinerary

When the line-ups get announced, it’s tempting to overload your schedule and try to fit in as many different acts as possible. Obviously, watching music is the reason people go to festivals, but remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint – leave yourself lots of time in between acts, otherwise you’ll just spend every minute marching between stages and no time to soak up the pre-gig atmosphere. Some larger festivals have an app you can download (like the Glastonbury app), where you can plug in all the acts you’re interested in seeing so you don’t miss your favourites.

Take slip-on shoes

Take it from us, there is nothing worse than waking up in a hungover haze, desperate for the loo, and fumbling around to try and put on shoes while you crouch in a tent in the dark. Do yourself a favour and pack a pair of slip-ons (just make sure they’re sturdy enough to withstand a bit of mud or slippery cubicle floors). These Asos EVA Birkenstocks are comfy and have a slight platform, to keep you away from the grimy toilet floors.

Don’t make the group wait

Wrangling the entire group to get ready and head out for the day is like herding cats, and while it can be tempting to try and nip to the toilet as you pass by, more often than not it ends up irritating people and making everyone late for the act they really want to see. Wait until you’ve all found a spot and make sure everyone is planning to stay put, then head to the toilet.