Festival fever: your essential guide to getting back out in the fields
The crowd cheer on Snow Patrol playing on the Main Stage at Oxegen 2007. Photo. Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie
Ireland has a mega history of festivals. There have been some great days, some lost weekends and a lot of very good music at Irish festivals over the years.
Immortalised by the great Christy Moore, Lisdoonvarna was a sort of an Irish version of Woodstock and ran from 1978 to 1983. For many it was an introduction to what a festival really was and international stars like Jackson Browne, U40 and Emmylou Harris took to the stage alongside homegrown talent like Van Morrison, Planxty, Paul Brady and Rory Gallagher in the Co Clare town.
For anyone born in the '70s, the real festival, the only one worth mentioning, is Féile. The Trip To Tipp started in 1990 and was a right of passage for music fans across the country. Descending on Thurles for the party of a lifetime, legendary sets from Bjork, PJ Harvey, De La Soul and Primal Scream live on in hazy memories.
There have been some monumental performances at Irish festivals. There was Robbie Williams at Slane (when he wasn’t even headlining), The White Stripes at Witnness (with two ns), Amy Winehouse (the year she made it) at Oxygen and Arcade Fire at the very first Electric Picnic.
2022 will be no different. There will be tears, hugs and late, late nights as we return to the heady days of festival season.
First thing first. Identify your festival persona. Things have moved on since we were all last at one and while you may have been happy to sleep wherever you fell a few years ago you may need a few more home comforts in 2022 and there’s no shame in that.
Equally, you may be sick to your back teeth of home comforts and be desperate to make friends with strangers while walking around a forest listening to the dulcet tones of a band you’ve never heard of. Figure out who you’re going to be and everything else will fall into place.
Wristband, spare pants, glitter, a vague idea of who else is going and where they’re camping and not a care in the world. You’re going back to festival basics and you couldn’t be happier. Someone is always on hand with a charger, a wet wipe and a spare beer and sure isn’t that how you make friends?
Got the tent, the fairy lights, the cart to carry all your stuff, a list who you’re going to see where and when, a lanyard with debit card, schedule and printed out phone numbers in case your phone dies - but who are you kidding, your phone will never die. Breakfast host, first aider and mum when people start crying. You love being reliable.
You’re excited to be partying but you also have the number of the local driver on speed dial and room service booked for 1am. Festivals require a luxury mattress, an early morning sauna and a mimosa with your eggs benedict. You didn’t survive the last two years only to catch something off a mobile shower.
light but bring the essentials. A change of clothes, a power bank, something to bathe with, including flip flops (if you’re camping), a light rain jacket, any special food or medication you need, anti-bacterial wipes and gel for surfaces and hands, and some good pals.
Non-essential items include fairy lights, cocktail making kits, fold-up furniture (though a chair is a lovely luxury to have), multiple outfit choices for different days and musical instruments – unless you’re actually playing the festival.
You’re there to have fun but you also need to mind yourself. Try and stay with a friend or your group and don’t wander off alone. Have a friend’s number written down somewhere in case you lose your phone or it runs out of battery. If you’re in a crowded space and feel anxious or unsafe move to the sides to find a way out – it’s been a while since any of this has happened, there’ll be no judgement if the big numbers freak you out. Drink loads of water and remember to eat. A festival weekend is a marathon, not a sprint.
It’s all about sustainability right now. Under no circumstances should you be placing multiple online orders for festival clothes that you’ll wear a handful of times this summer. Shop your own wardrobe and find things that will work.
Weather apps are your best friends for this. The last thing you want is swamp crotch or trench foot so check the forecast for your weekend of fun. If you’re staying on-site, make sure you have a small selection of outfits that can be swapped out and dried easily if things get wet.
If you’re a day tripper or staying off-site make sure you have one quick change in your backpack for emergencies. Something small or light is best for that – leggings, cycling shorts or a tiny skirt that are easily rolled up. You’ll have worn your fab outfit for most of the day, this is merely an emergency backup.
Your main outfit each day is your chance to go wild, get bright and have fun. If you think your wardrobe doesn’t cut it, see if there’s anything you could dye (home tie-dye is fun and looks good), repurpose or restyle. If you still don’t think you have anything, consider a festival swap shop with your friends to find your new perfect outfit.
Remember to stay true to your own style. Anything goes at a festival and that includes whatever you feel the best in.
- Jumpsuits are amazing but remember that if you wear one, you’ll definitely be naked in a portaloo at some point.
- Short, smock dresses are an easy breezy festival dream but in case you end up on someone’s shoulders/falling flat on your face/in a mosh pit you may want to team yours with some cycling shorts to avoid flashing the masses (unless that’s your vibe).
- Layer, layer, layer. You’ll be freezing, way too hot, and eventually freezing again so light layers you can pop on and off and cram into a backpack/bumbag are your festival friend.
- A light rain jacket might end up being your best buy ever. The ones that can be folded up into a tiny bag are brilliant.
- Those pleather shorts might look great but if it’s going to be a very warm day, do remember that they’re not breathable and you may face the consequences later!
- Without a doubt the number one tip from festival fans who are also parents is to LEAVE THE KIDS AT HOME. These days festivals are often totally family-friendly but someone still has to go back to the tent early with tired toddlers or get up early with them while everyone else sleeps in. It’s great family fun at 3pm, less so at 8am. If you want to let loose, dance all night and remember what it was like to be young, free and giddy, the best advice is to negotiate some good babysitting time. One dad said, “don’t have kids so you can actually go to a festival”, but that might be taking it too far.
- A top, top tip is to bring supplies for early breakfasts - with cans of nitro coffee an absolute winner.
- Ignore all weather forecasts and bring both factor fifty and a raincoat. Festivals seem to have their own ecosystem, and you’ll never regret having both on hand.
- Shower every day if you’re camping. It’s worth both the queues and the potential trenchfoot. Everyone will tell you to bring baby wipes for a quick clean down but that gets old very fast, and you’ll recover quicker and better if you have an actual wash.
- Get your group to pick a place that’s ‘your place’ and stick to it. Identify a tree or a spot that’s easily recognisable and agree that’s where you’ll always head back to. It means if anyone gets lost or separated from everyone else, they’ll be able to find you.
- Sofft Nights; Dunderry Park, Navan, Meath 04.06 – 05.06 www.sofftproductions.com
- Wild Roots; Hazelwood, Co Sligo 03.06 – 05.06 www.wildroots.ie
- Body & Soul; Ballinlough Castle, Westmeath 17.06 – 19.06 www.bodyandsoul.ie
- Sea Sessions; Bundoran Beach, Donegal 17.06 – 19.06 www.seasessions.com
- Kaleidoscope; Russborough House, Wicklow 24.06 – 26.06 www.kaleidoscopefestival.ie
- Longitude; Marlay Park, Dublin 1.07 – 03.07 www.www.longitude.ie
- Indiependence; Mitchelstown, Cork 29.07 – 31.07 www.indiependencefestival.com
- All Together Now; Curraghmore House, Waterford 29.07 – 31.07 www.alltogethernow.ie
- Emerge; Boucher Playing Fields, Belfast 27.07 – 28.07 www.emergebelfast.com
- Electric Picnic; Stradbally Hall, Laois 02.09 – 04.09 www.electricpicnic.ie
