READING Festival returns to Richfield Avenue this weekend, bringing the likes of Chappell Roan, Travis Scott, Bring Me The Horizon, Limp Bizkit, and Hozier.
For festival veterans and first-time attendees alike, here are five essential things to bring to make this year’s event go with a swing.
1 – Fanny Pack/Belt Bag
While Reading Festival itself recommends not bringing a bag into the arena, we all need somewhere to keep our bits and pieces together.
The arena only permits bags smaller than a sheet of A4 piece of paper, however.
As such, the perfect compromise is the bum bag: just big enough to keep the bare essentials all together, yet small enough to wear under clothes, round the waist, or across the chest and out of the way.
It has enough space to keep your phone safe, as well as most of the other items in our list, but is also small enough that it keeps regular bag checks brief, minimising time waiting to get into the arena and making the rush to see that unmissable act slightly less panicked.
Some also come in clear mesh or plastic, which means security staff can see into it– making bag checks even faster.
2 – Ear Defenders/Plugs
As any Reading resident knows, the festival can be loud–especially when you’re right down the front for the likes of Bring Me The Horizon or Enter Shikari.
As such, any festival-goer who wants to keep their ears sharp for decades of live music to come should be using ear protectors.
Of course, big over-ear defenders can spoil a scrupulously-crafted festival look (unless you’re among the youngest of music fans), so a smaller set of in-ear hearing protectors can be the perfect compromise.
While foam earplugs are cheap and widely available, it’s worth investing in a more permanent, less disposable set, especially as they tend to sacrifice the quality of the music you’re hearing less.
More permanent sets also come in handy little packs, including hardy, handy metal cases which clip to keys or belt loops, so you’ll never lose or forget them (in theory!)
3 – Reusable Water Bottle
Reading Festival has been making huge efforts towards sustainability for years, including partnering with projects such as Music Declares Emergency through its No Music On A Dead Planet initiative.
It runs a number of initiatives to reduce its impact on the environment across all aspects of the festival, including recycling and composting nearly 90% of its waste, using hydrotreated vegetable oil for power, and bringing single-use plastic to a minimum.
With its stance on plastic, this year the festival has teamed with Hydro Flask, meaning that there will be free-to-use Hydro Flask refill stations across the site, as well as exclusive bottles available.
Festivalgoers will be among the very first to get an exclusive sneak peek at their new Micro Hydro, as it will be one of the first major events in the UK where it’ll be showcased.
HydroFlask is also bringing a special experience to the festival that’s still under wraps–though insiders say there could be an exclusive, private disco in the works.
HydroFlasks are sturdy (including a nice strong handle loop), well-insulated (for keeping water cool, or even soup warm), and come in various sizes and some attractive colours.
They also offer all sorts of bottles and shakers (for those looking for their smoothie or protein fixes), as well as food storage for lunch-packers, and insulated totes and coolers for family picnickers.
4 – Travel Sunscreen
The weather at the festival is perennially unreliable– it’s a bank holiday in the UK, after all.
While the Met Office predicts that this weekend will cool down compared to the heatwaves we’ve been experiencing over the summer, highs of around 24°C will mean that the predicted sunny intervals will feel warm.
If by some *miracle* the weekend ends up being something of a scorcher, having some UV protection on hand will mean you’ll be well covered.
Even in cloudy weather, sunscreen is always a good idea to prevent burning, especially if you tend to stick around the main stage rather than under the cover of the tented stages such as Festival Republic.
I find one of the travel bottles is perfect for fitting into a bumbag or handbag, and the smaller bottles with the screwcaps seem to be far less prone to breaking or being squeezed open while jumping around in a mosh-pit.
(The previously mentioned mesh bumbags get a bonus mention here too, as if the worst happens and the sunscreen does leak, they’re much easier to rinse clean– but a small carrier bag around the bottle can be the difference between minor mishap and drippy disaster.)
5 – Waterproof Mac/Jacket
Despite the most optimistic expectations of meteorologists, Reading Festival has rarely passed a year without a few drops of rain.
Even if you’re just spending the day at the festival, but especially if you’re camping, not being caught out in the rain can be just as crucial as not getting sunburn if you plan to stick it out at the main stage.
A small fold-away mac which fits into a zip-pouch is handiest for tucking away into a pocket or tying to a belt loop.
Bonus – Printed ScheduleHaving a printed version of the schedule means you can highlight different acts in different colours so that you can keep track of where your mates are planning to be and when.
They are also handy for seeing what your plans look like across the weekend–including the best time for all-important tactical loo-breaks and trips to the bar–at a glance.
A couple of printed copies of something like a ClashFinder, folded away in a bag or pocket, can be a extremely handy resource for squeezing the very most out of the festival.
It’s important to note, however that the very best way to stay up to date with stage times, set changes, and announcements (such as those lightning-strike secret sets) is through the official Reading Festival App.
Reading Festival returns to Richfield Avenue from Thursday-Sunday, August 21-24.
More information available via: readingfestival.com
