The Ultimate Festival Packing Guide

With warmer weather and sunshine comes the fun-filled music festival season!  From Coachella, Lollapalooza, Ultra, Tomorrowland, and countless others, there is a festival for every genre all over the world.  With your ticket purchased, you’re ready to go to see your favorite artists with your best friends — but first, what to pack for a music festival?

Here is my complete festival packing guide!

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Dresses & Rompers

What’s a festival packing guide without flowy bohemian dresses?!  Floral patterns, spring colors, crochet, lace and whimsical details can be seen throughout the festival crowd.  Off the shoulder dresses are not only trendy but can also be great for those extra hot days (Coachella, I’m talking about you!).  Just make sure to choose ones that you’ll be comfortable dancing in and plopping down in the grass for a rest!

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Tops & Bottoms

Separates are great for layering — because while it can be scorching during the day, often times you’ll be up into the wee hours when it can get quite a bit chillier!  Pack some fun bell bottom pants or a maxi skirt for a day where it might be a little cooler outside.  Tie a jean shirt around your waist or bring a fun kimono for those colder nights.

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Shoes

One of the most important things to think about while packing for a music festival is shoes!  Remember you’re probably going to be doing a lot of walking — with so many shows packed into a few days, you’re going to be going back-and-forth between stages and beer gardens and food tents.  On my last trip to Coachella, I walked 10+ miles a day!  Make sure you choose shoes that are sturdy and have good sole support.  Also think about the elements – will there be dust or mud?  If so, you’ll want to pack shoes with full coverage.

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Accessories

Now that you’ve got the basics covered, it’s time to accessorize!  With most music festivals, anything goes… and the more flare, the better! For a bag, pack a cross-body purse or a backpack so that you can have your hands free and dance comfortably.  And since you’ll likely be outdoors in the sun, make sure to bring a hat and sunglasses to protect your face and eyes.

Necessities

Aside from your normal beauty products and toiletries, these are the festival packing guide ‘necessities’ that have come in handy (literally, lifesavers!) while at music festivals.  With music festivals comes crowds, weather and exhaustion — just be prepared and you’ll be problem free!

• Band-Aids: yes, even if your shoes are comfortable, you’ll likely need a band-aid at some point (or one for a friend!).  I usually keep a few handy in my purse at all times!
• Collapsable Water Bottles or Hydration Pack: dancing in the sun all day can be exhausting and dehydrating, make sure you are drinking enough water throughout the day!  I like to pack a foldable, reusable water bottle in my bag.
• Chapstick: this one is so key!  I especially like these all natural ones.
• Liquid IV Hydration Multipier: this is a new favorite of mine!  I packed these for VooDoo Fest and they were a lifesaver — goodbye dehydration and pesky hangover.  Everyone in our group was asking for these by the end of the weekend!
• Wet Wipes: trust me on this one, you’ll need a wet wipe at some point during the festival.  Keep this bag of individually packaged, all-natural wipes with your group and they’ll be thanking you.
• Tissues: along the same lines, I always carry a pack of tissues in my purse because those port-a-potties never have TP!
• Perfume: pack a travel-sized perfume roller to keep you feeling fresh throughout the day.
• Bandanas: these are especially helpful if you’re attending a festival in the desert where they’re will be a lot of dust (Coachella, Burning Man, etc).
• Sunscreen: an obvious one but don’t forget to apply because otherwise you’ll be hurting the next few days.  And bonus, this one is all-natural and paraben-free!
• Dry Shampoo: pop a travel-sized dry shampoo in your purse to freshen up your hair during the festival — it wicks away any moisture from dancing!
• Hair Ties: while you may leave the house with beautiful, curled locks, you’ll be wanting a hair tie by the end of the night after all that dancing.  These ones are cute too… goodbye ugly black hair tie!
• Medicine: you never know when that stomach or headache will sneak up on you (usually at the worst times!) so pack a travel sized Antacid, Pepto Bismol, Advil, Allergy Relief, and Vitamin C.

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Electronics

Aside from your phone, there are a few other items to complete your festival packing guide and will definitely come in handy once you’re there!

• Portable Phone Charger: this has saved me so many times from a dead phone and fear of losing contact with the group.  Don’t forget to pack it and a charging cord!
• Fujifilm Instax Mini: I have so many fun polaroid photos from music festivals I’ve attended — they make for great memories.
• GoPro: I brought my GoPro to Coachella last year and loved being able to take video of my experience!
• Canon Powershot: if you want to take videos, another option is to bring a point-and-shoot camera as most festival don’t allow professional cameras (no detachable lenses).

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Hope you find this festival packing guide handy!  Check out Coachella Outfit Inspiration for even more festival finds.