From wellies to cowboy boots — The evolution of Irish festival fashion

Festival season once had a well-trodden uniform, but the reign of Hunter wellies and florals has come to an end.

Holly Warren charts how Irish festival fashion has grown up

Ten years ago, dressing for an Irish festival followed the same well-worn formula: Hunter wellies, denim cut-offs, floral tea dresses, body glitter, and enough layers to survive four seasons in a day.

Inspired by the Kate Moss-at-Glastonbury aesthetic, festival fashion struck a balance between practicality and bohemian cool, and whether you were heading to Electric Picnic or Oxegen, there was a shared understanding of what belonged in your backpack.

Fast forward to 2026 and that uniform has all but disappeared.

Walk through Electric Picnic this August and you’ll likely spot football jerseys paired with lace skirts, jorts worn with cowboy boots, floaty slip dresses offset by Salomons, silk scarves tied around handbags and statement belts cinching oversized denim. This weekend at All Together Now, you’ll likely see many of the same trends, although they’re often mixed with vintage finds, practical layers and older favourites rather than worn as complete trend-led looks. The modern festival wardrobe is no longer built around one recognisable look. Instead, it’s a reflection of personal style, shaped as much by music and social media as it is by the weather forecast.

Festival fashion hasn’t disappeared. It’s simply evolved.

The transformation has been gradual. In the early 2010s, Irish festival style closely echoed what was happening across the water. Glastonbury was the benchmark and practicality remained king. Wellies, floral prints, denim shorts and layered jewellery became staples, creating a recognisable festival wardrobe that changed very little from year to year. It was less about making a statement than dressing for a weekend outdoors while still looking effortlessly cool.

Alexa Chung attends the Glastonbury Festival at in 2014. Picture: Danny Martindale/GC Images

Then came the rise of Coachella. As the Californian festival became one of the internet’s most photographed events, its influence stretched far beyond the desert. Instagram replaced magazines as the primary source of inspiration, Pinterest boards dictated packing lists and retailers responded with annual “Festival Edit” collections. Crochet tops, off-the-shoulder blouses, embroidered jackets and body glitter flooded festival fields, while flower crowns became almost as synonymous with festival season as the music itself.

By 2018 and 2019, festival dressing had reached its most extravagant point. Sequinned co-ords, holographic jackets, fishnets, and metallic makeup dominated crowds, with outfits often looking designed for Instagram rather than a muddy campsite. Festival fashion had become an industry in itself. It wasn’t unusual to buy an outfit that would only ever be worn once, before being packed away with camping gear until the following summer.

The pandemic accelerated a shift that was already beginning. Rather than buying an entirely new wardrobe for one weekend, festivalgoers increasingly started shopping their own wardrobes, adding vintage finds, charity-shop pieces and a handful of accessories instead. As conversations around sustainability gathered pace, the disposable “festival edit” began to lose its appeal.

That shift is reflected in what shoppers are buying today.

Dublin Vintage Factory’s Terri Murphy says customers have moved away from “traditional boho festival looks” in favour of a pared-back Y2K styling, with vintage denim, cropped T-shirts and simple accessories proving particularly popular this season.

“We’ve found a lot of people are leaning into vintage streetwear and sports looks,” she says.

Back in the day: Kate Moss and Pete Doherty walk backstage on the second day of the Glastonbury Music Festival in 2005. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty

Instead of stocking sequins and glitter, the retailer has expanded its offering of leather jackets, sports jackets, knitwear and accessories such as scarves, belts, and bum bags, which can be worn long after festival season comes to an end.

Murphy says the trend also varies depending on the festival.

“Smaller boutique festivals still draw a really mixed crowd who are more experimental with their looks, whereas larger festivals like Electric Picnic tend to attract a more mainstream crowd that’s influenced by wider trends.”

That helps explain why you’ll see the same pieces interpreted differently across Ireland’s festival calendar.

Murphy isn’t the only retailer noticing the shift. Nine Crows has also seen festival shoppers move away from sequins and glitter in favour of more wearable pieces.

“We’ve definitely seen a shift towards more practical clothing for festival season,” the team says. “Rain jackets, drawstring cargos, sportswear and fleeces all sell out during festival season now. Many people have shifted from sequin pieces to clothing that’s easier to style and wear.”

While vintage has become increasingly mainstream, Nine Crows estimates that around 20- 30% of customers are still looking for the more traditional festival aesthetic, proving there is still room for glitter among the growing appetite for practicality.

So what will actually be filling Ireland’s festival fields this summer?

If the last decade was about dressing for a festival, this summer is about dressing for yourself. The biggest trend of 2026 isn’t one particular item of clothing, but the way outfits are styled. Rather than buying a head-to-toe festival look, people are mixing trend-led pieces with wardrobe staples they already own.

Laura Whitmore at Glastonbury Festival in 2016. Picture: David M Benett/Getty

Football jerseys show no signs of slowing down, particularly when styled with softer pieces like lace skirts, bubble hems or slip dresses. Limited-edition collaborations such as Bohemian FC’s jerseys with Oasis and Fontaines D.C. (both of which support charity causes), have helped cement football shirts as a wardrobe staple rather than simply supporter merchandise, while vintage Adidas and Umbro styles continue to blur the line between sport and streetwear.

Oversized denim remains a constant, whether in the form of baggy jeans, jorts or denim jackets, while CMAT’s influence can be seen through western details including cowboy boots, suede, embroidered shirts and statement belts.

Prints are becoming softer too. After years of florals dominating festival dressing, polka dots have emerged as one of the season’s defining prints, appearing on halternecks, midi skirts and scarves. Butter yellow continues its reign as the colour of summer, while capris have made an unlikely comeback alongside foldover shorts and longline jorts. Together, they point towards a more playful, nostalgic take on Y2K dressing than the glitter-heavy festival fashion of a decade ago.

Poppy Duff, Ruby Phelan, Ella Fitzpatrick, Ava Howlin, Aoibheann Fogarty and Ruby Magaire dancing their way into Electric Picnic in 2024. Picture: Kieran Ryan-Benson

Accessories are doing more of the heavy lifting than ever before. Claddagh rings and Irish-made silver jewellery continue to feel particularly relevant, offering a subtle nod to Irish identity. Crossbody bags and bum bags remain practical staples, while roomy vintage shoulder bags are replacing the tiny micro bags that dominated social media a few years ago.

Footwear has evolved just as much. Hunter wellies haven’t disappeared — this is still Ireland, after all — but if the weather stays dry, expect to see Adidas Sambas, Salomons, cowboy boots, and Puma Speedcats outnumbering traditional festival wellies. The practical mindset remains, but it’s no longer at odds with style.

The rise of vintage shopping has also changed where people are finding these pieces. Independent retailers such as Dublin Vintage Factory, Nine Crows and Lucy’s Lounge have become go-to destinations for oversized denim, leather jackets and vintage sportswear, while charity shops remain a first stop for shoppers hoping to uncover one-off jackets, shirts and accessories before festival season begins. The aim isn’t to match everyone else in the campsite; it’s to find something nobody else has.

The line-up inevitably plays a role too. Electric Picnic’s broad programme tends to attract one of the country’s broadest audiences, making it a snapshot of what’s happening across fashion generally. Expect to see western-inspired details sitting comfortably alongside football culture, Y2K sportswear, sporty separates and this summer’s biggest runway trends. It’s likely to be the festival where you’ll see polka dots next to jerseys, lace skirts next to jorts, and cowboy boots next to ballet flats.

At All Together Now, many of those same trends will appear, but they’re often interpreted through a more eclectic lens. Rather than arriving in matching festival outfits, festival-goers tend to mix new-season pieces with vintage finds, favourite jackets, handmade jewellery and practical layers. The result isn’t a dramatically different aesthetic, but one that feels a little more individual and a little less dictated by the latest TikTok trend.

Perhaps that’s the biggest evolution of all. Irish festivals no longer have a single dress code. The days of flower crowns, glitter-heavy festival edits and buying an outfit that would never leave the campsite are largely behind us. Instead, festival style has become an extension of everyday dressing, shaped by music, personality and the pieces we genuinely love wearing.

10 Festival items worth making room for

Loop earplugs

Your ears will thank you on Monday morning. They lower the volume without compromising sound quality, making them ideal for long days in front of speakers and helping prevent ringing ears afterwards.

Handheld fan

If the current heatwave is anything to go by, this could be the unsung hero of festival season. Small enough to fit into a crossbody, a rechargeable handheld fan is a lifesaver while queuing, sitting in campsites, or waiting for your favourite acts.

Compact digital camera

The digital camera revival is showing no signs of slowing down. Grainy flash photos have become part of the modern festival aesthetic, offering something a little more nostalgic than another phone camera roll.

Electrolyte sachets/tablets

Whether it’s dancing all day, long walks between stages or a few drinks in the sun, dehydration can creep up. A simple addition to your water bottle that can make a huge difference after a day in the sun. Keep a couple of sachets/tablets in your bag to mix into a bottle of water before bed or first thing in the morning.

A well-stocked first aid kit

Pack blister plasters, painkillers, antiseptic wipes, plasters, and anti- histamines. It’s one of those things you’ll never regret bringing, and your friends will most certainly end up borrowing — bring more than you think you’ll need.

Anti-chafe balm

If you’re planning on wearing dresses, jorts, or walking upwards of 20,000 steps a day, this will quickly become your most used product. I like Megababe Thigh Rescue and Body Glide.

Reusable water bottle

With free refill stations at most festivals, staying hydrated is easier than ever. An insulated bottle will also help keep your water cool throughout the day.

SPF (without a white cast)

A sunscreen you’ll actually want to reapply. Lightweight formulas that absorb quickly without leaving a chalky finish are worth packing, especially if you’re outdoors from lunchtime until the headline act.

Biodegradable body wipes

Ideal for a quick refresh between campsite showers.

Hypochlorous acid facial spray

Long days in the sun, sweat, SPF, and dusty festival fields can wreak havoc on your skin. A hypochlorous acid spray is an easy way to freshen up between washes and help keep post-festival breakouts at bay. I like Clinisoothe+ Skin Purifier.