Campervan festivals: all you need to know

What to know before taking your campervan to a festival

Music festivals and campervans go hand in hand. And if you’ve not been to a festival before, or haven’t tried one since you were a teenager, then you might be surprised by what you find. The days when festivals were exclusively for youngsters and people with ‘alternative lifestyles’ are long gone.

Nowadays, festivals are an established part of mainstream British summer life – chilled-out weekends packed with live music and great food, supplemented by all manner of other activities, including comedy, talks, crafts, interesting trader stalls, or most likely a mix of all of these.

Modern-day festivals cater for people of all ages and tastes – from young couples to families – and you definitely don’t have to be young to enjoy them. Many festivals are aimed at older music fans and toilet and washing facilities have improved dramatically over the years.

You don’t even need to travel far. You’ll find details of events nearer home, sometimes on a smaller scale but nearly always catching the carefree essence of the most complete campervan festival weekends.

Choosing and booking a campervan festival

Of course there are lots of music festivals, of all sizes and shapes, so the first thing to do is decide what takes your fancy. Don’t just make a decision based on the big headline acts; think about all the other bands on stage and what else is on offer to entertain you for the full weekend.

Festival season runs roughly from May until September. The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) not-for-profit trade body, for example, says it represents over 100 festivals with visitor capacities ranging from 500 to over 75,000.

Book your tickets early. Many festivals offer ‘early bird’ discounts, which mean you get cheaper tickets if you book before a certain date. Some also offer you the chance to pay in instalments.

Where to pitch your campervan at a festival

If you can, arriving at the festival site early is a good idea, too. Sometimes you can get in the night before the ‘official’ start day which means you will not miss a thing. Getting there early means you get a better choice of pitch, too.

Deciding where to park up your campervan is important. Organisers generally are getting better at ensuring a decent gap between camping units. There is a health and safety aspect to this: your vehicle might be perfectly safe, but there’s no way of knowing about your neighbour’s.

You might decide you want to be close to the main festival arena, but remember that is probably going to be a busy thoroughfare. You might prefer to camp near the toilets... but not too near.

Park your campervan close to landmarks you'll remember and be able to see above all the other tents and campervans. Put up a flag or banner by your vehicle to help you find it again. Once you’ve decided where you want to camp, make sure you know where all the nearest fresh water taps, first aid tents, fire points, etc, are.

At some festivals you can book an electric hook-up. That’s going to be down to personal preference. Chances are you’ll have enough electrical juice on board to see you through the weekend, but there will be those who seek a bit of extra solace in being able to call on mains electricity – just note it’ll probably be from a generator and may not be as powerful/reliable as you hope.

Make sure you have enough gas in your cylinder(s) to get you through the weekend. Having said that, some festivals offer a cylinder exchange service.

Food and drink

One of the best things about festivals is the food stalls, which offer up tempting dishes from all over the world. However, tasty as they are, they are not great value for money. Feeding a family of four could easily set you back £25 to £30 per meal and that quickly adds up over a weekend.

Bring your own and maybe even consider a coolbox as a useful supplement to your campervan fridge. Even better if it’s portable – you may want to bring it along with you for the day ahead. Just note many festivals do not allow you to take your own food into their main arenas, and even those that do allow food, ban alcohol.

You will normally be allowed to take bottles of water into the arena, though, and you can usually top these up from taps dotted around the festival site.

By all means rely on your phones and cards to pay for things, but WiFi connections, etc, aren’t always the most dependable in festival scenarios, so a small amount of cash is useful. Whatever weekend festival you go to, you’ll be surrounded by fellow campers of the friendliest variety, so help is always going to be close at hand. Remember, also, that nearly all such festivals raise money for good causes.

Campervan festival kit

What should you take?

Basically, you should take what you normally would for any weekend away in your campervan, although certain items may go further up the priorities list:

• Levelling ramps: No doubt already on board, but don’t be tempted to optimise storage space by leaving them at home. Even the best festival sites are not going to be level in places
• Lightweight camping chairs: Most music festivals provide plenty of space in their main arenas for you to set up your own little seating area. Blankets can be a blessing, too
• Waterproofs: Festivals usually take place in the British summer, and that means there’s a good chance of rain, so make sure you pack your waterproof jackets. Wellies are advisable, too
• Sun protection: Of course, the sun also shines now and then, too, so bring hats and sunscreen
• Awning: You may want the extra shelter and/or storage/bedroom a driveway awning can provide, especially if you have the kids with you
• Ear plugs: The music can get loud and it might be a bit too much for your kids, especially. And late-night parties aren’t unheard of. Sets of earplugs could prove a benefit
• Toilet and tent: Not got a plumbed-in toilet in your campervan? Don’t fancy the festival toilets (they’re not always as bad as you expect)? Then there’s one solution: bring your own portable toilet and put it in a tent beside your campervan
• Towing eye: Festivals can get more than their fair share of mud, with paths and roadways likely to get more churned up through sheer volume of use. There’s a possibility you’ll need to be towed out, so make sure your campervan is suitably ready for such an eventuality

What should you NOT take?

• Don’t bring glass. You’re camping. You may even be on land that reverts to being a farmer’s field after the festival. Broken glass can be a particularly nasty hazard, and not just for humans
• Your pets, although some do allow pets in the camping area, but not the main arena. Honestly, though, most pets will not enjoy the festival environment one little bit
• Umbrellas. They might help keep you dry in the bigger downpours, but just think of the folk behind you
• Don’t overpack. Make sure you take what you need for a weekend’s camping, admittedly in slightly different surroundings
• A bad attitude. Don’t ruin it for others! Even if you’re not enjoying the music, you’ll soon find plenty of other attractions

Which festival should you go to?

Here’s a selection of great events to consider for your next campervan festival experience in the UK.

The best festivals for campervans tend to be the smaller, more intimate events

Wychwood

Its timing at the end of May/start of June means Wychwood kicks off the UK’s music festival season each year. And its location – Cheltenham’s world-famous racecourse – makes for a pretty perfect setting.

The organisers always seem to bring in an eclectic mix of musical acts and other activities for all ages and tastes – the circus workshops, in particular, help make it that bit more unique.

Find out more  

Tartan Heart

Belladrum’s sprawling estate near Inverness is the venue but, despite all the space, this is a festival that keeps its visitor numbers down to the 20,000 level.

Nevertheless, it’s big enough to attract the likes of Van Morrison, Nile Rodgers and Travis – as well as being a natural home to more local acts of all levels. There’s a different theme, too, for dressing up and any other antics. In 2024, it’s love.

Find out more  

Green Man

Wales’s number one festival is a heady mix of music and scenery (thanks to the Brecon Beacons) plus environmental awareness. There’s also dedicated campervan camping – indeed, there’s even the opportunity to arrive extra early, pre-festival and use it as a base for exploring more of Wales.

Find out more  

Glastonbury

There’s an argument that everybody should get the chance to go to Glastonbury Festival at some point in their lives. This is the grandaddy of festivals and is known as the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world.

Not bad for its humble beginnings when it was free. If you go, you’ll be sharing your weekend with over 200,000 other folk, but you’ll be absolutely spoilt for acts to see.

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Valley Fest

At the other end of the scale, but the same part of the country as Glastonbury. Luke Hasell hosts Valley Fest at his organic farm on the edge of Chew Valley Lake at the start of August.

It’s about food as much as music, with demos from a huge selection of chefs, talks on food and drink production and land cultivation, more food stalls than you’re going to get around in a single weekend, and all kinds of other eating opportunities, too.

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Campervan Campout

This mini-festival at the South of England Showground in Ardingly is brought to you by the people behind outandaboutlive.co.uk, Campervan magazine and the successful Warners Shows.

It’s a great mix of camping, live music (Chris Moyles was the headline act in 2024), fab food and drink, fun activities, and more. Throw in lots of sparkling new campervans to feast your eyes on and some essential vanlife advice and you have all the ingredients for a fantastic weekend.

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Final thoughts

Taking your campervan to a UK music festival can be an incredible experience, blending live music with the comforts of home. Festivals now cater to all ages, offering a mix of entertainment, improved facilities, and diverse food options.

Arrive early for the best pitch, pack essential gear, and be mindful of festival-specific rules. From small, intimate gatherings to iconic events like Glastonbury, there's a festival for every taste. Embrace the atmosphere, make new friends, and enjoy the unique campervan festival lifestyle.