10 Useful Tips for Your First Reading Festival

Are you heading to Reading or Leeds Festival this summer? Here are ten useful tips for your first reading festival! Please note, this post was first published in 2016 so there may have been changes at the festival since then.

Recently I attended Reading Festival for the first time.

I didn’t know what to expect and, even though I was attending with my friend who had been before, I certainly wouldn’t consider her an expert.

We had a lot of fun but of course, there are a lot of things I wish we – or at least I – knew before going. So here’s my ‘newbie’s’ guide to Reading Festival, with some tips you should keep in mind if you’re ever planning to go.

Arrive Early

If you want a good camping spot, you have to arrive early. We arrived late Thursday afternoon and had no choice as to where we camped – there was space in one camp only at this point, even though the festival didn’t start to the following day. A friend of Briony’s arrived early on Thursday and got a somewhat decent spot, so I’d suggest arriving on Wednesday or early on Thursday. It’s a faffabout, but you could always arrive Wednesday afternoon, set up your tent whilst it’s not busy then leave the campsite to spend the evening having dinner or a few drinks in a local pub.

You don’t necessarily have to spend the whole time on the campsite and can come and go as you please. The town centre is a mere 20 minutes drive away. Alternatively, if there’s a group of you going, take it in turns. One year, send a couple of you to go up early and set up everyone’s tents or at least mark out the spot. The next year, send someone else.

Book an Extra Day off Work

The way Reading Festival falls is that it ends on a Sunday and most people travel back the following day on the bank holiday Monday. This was do-able, but I do wish I’d booked an extra day off, just to catch up on sleep and allow my body to catch up. It was probably worse for me because we had a long way to walk from where we were camped, but I have discovered there is also such a thing as Festival Flu. My throat still hurts now whenever I sneeze!

Again, it probably feels like a bit much taking nearly a whole week off work but it really depends on whether you want to do so or not to get a decent camp which isn’t a far walk, has a nice feel to it and has semi-decent toilets. It’s not necessary, but having now attended, it’s likely to be something I’ll do next year.

Where to Camp

This one is a tough one because every camp has it’s positives and negatives. From my personal experience, I would not suggest Brown camp (the toilets there are the worst) and only choose White camp if you’re willing to put up with the walk – because it is a long walk. White camp was kind of quieter than others, which was nice when it came to sleeping, but saying that, there were points that I wish I’d stayed in another camp with more of a welcoming atmosphere. Likewise, with some of those camps, it might be a bit too much. I guess this one is just something you’ll learn as you go along, but in conclusion, the Brown camp’s toilets are the worse, and the White camp is a long walk away from the arena (but is closer to the cars so you don’t have to carry your stuff so far).

Carrying Your Stuff to Camp

Oh god, this was the worst. I’m weak enough as it is, let alone when I’m carrying luggage a long way. My advice would be to pack light, don’t use a suitcase and maybe use a little pull-along wheelbarrow or use one of those metal things used for luggage in an airport. A lot of people seemed to be successful with these.

What to Pack

Just the usual, but wellies are essential, even if you just keep them in the car. Most stuff you can buy there if you forget it (or buy in the town centre) and I’d even suggest waiting until you’re all settled before heading into town and THEN getting a crate of beer or whatever. Keep valuables on you at all times – don’t leave them in the tent. Anything else keep in the car, locked. People do steal from your tent. We didn’t have this at White camp, but I heard it happened in others. Oh, and a blow-up bed is ESSENTIAL. My back still isn’t the same from sleeping on the floor.

I’d say invest in a decent tent too, as this can make all the difference, but as it’s your first time, you might not want to spend lots of money if you’re unsure whether or not you’ll come back next year. Don’t go for a cheap one, but not an expensive one either. And definitely take it home with you after. Don’t leave it there! I’d recommend trying your tent out a week or so beforehand, just to make sure you know how to put it up and pack it away again easily. No one wants to battle with putting a complicated tent away on the last day, especially hungover.

Use the App

The free Reading Festival app was a complete lifesaver for us because there were so many acts we wanted to see and we couldn’t remember all of them, let alone their times, where their sets were and any clashes. Plus, it reminded us 15 minutes before any set AND it was thanks to the app that we knew You Me At Six were doing a secret set!

Familiarise Yourself

Take some time to look around and find out what tent is what. Don’t do what I did and go to the wrong tent for 21 Pilots, feeling like the cat that got the cream because no one else was there yet and you thought it was just because they ‘weren’t that big in the UK yet’. WRONG. Thank god I headed down early AND asked someone if I was in the right place, because I only just managed to run to the right tent and slip in to a somewhat decent spot. I think had I not realised in time I would have cried.

Read more: 6 European Music Festivals Worth Travelling For

Plan Your Pees

There are nice genuine toilets in the arena and elsewhere it’s just basic portaloos. Really, you only need to use camp toilets first thing in the morning and late at night if you’ve had a drink and the arena is closed, so if your night is ending, stop drinking for like, half an hour before you leave and have a final pee in the arena toilets. This’ll help avoid the nasty portaloos too.

Use the Power of Glitter

Glitter looks great (although I do feel it’s more suitable for a festival that isn’t a music festival, still, can’t complain) and more importantly, it covers up the bags under your eyes! But it is a bitch to get out. Over a week or two on, I’m still finding random bits of glitter on my body. Always choose biodegradable glitter too. I would 100% suggest getting your hair done, however, especially if you’re unable to wash it. It looks great and can be made into a style that keeps it out of your face, which is ideal if it’s hot. I kept my hair in space buns the entire time and it looked great.

Have Fun

Finally, have fun. Although this guide should help, you learn by doing, y’know (as Turk would say in Scrubs). Although I wish I had known all this beforehand, it didn’t ruin my weekend or even put a dampener on it. It was fun camping and learning all this first-hand. And anything you don’t think of, you can buy there from a camp shop, or in Reading town centre. So, if you forget something, don’t fret – it’s all part of the experience!

Remember to use your common sense too – definitely let off steam but don’t get yourself into ridiculous situations and look after your friends too!

Have you got any tips for Reading that I may have forgotten? Let me know!