GLASTONBURY is the highlight of my year, it’s the best festival out there, and no exaggeration, one of my favourite places in the world.
Having been twelve times, you could argue I’m a seasoned veteran of the festival, and dare I say, pro? So I’m here to help you know what you need to take and what to wear to Glastonbury.
Throughout the last twelve festivals, I’ve learnt what you need to pack and what is better left at home.
Get ahead of yourself now and your back will thank you later.
Trust me, you don’t want to be carrying everything in, it’s a long walk on the first day (For full transparency, I overpack every year, but I promise I’m getting better).
There are a couple of items that over the years I’ve found make your life much easier and the festival run smoother.
Glastonbury festival is the size of a small city, so I’ll start by saying if you get stuck you’ll be able to buy most things but try not to be wasteful – the whole ethos and vibe of the festival is to save the planet, plus you’ll save cash.
The main things you need are a tent, sleeping bag, travel pillow, a roll mat or an air-bed (try and get a self-inflating one if you can, they save space, and it’s much more comfortable to sleep on), toothbrush, water bottle, charger packs, backpacks, socks, suncream, toilet roll – basically the usual camping fare.
There are so many non-negotiables; seriously, don’t forget a tent and a sleeping bag as they are expensive on site, I wouldn’t risk not taking wellies and a waterproof, don’t take anything glass (decant your drinks into plastic bottles, it’s a working farm so think of the cows!), and make sure your glitter is bio-degradable, please.
But what about the fits? Now in my 30’s I’m stepping away from the sequins of yesteryear, and making a move towards a more grown-up, festival attire.
I’m talking super separates, fringing (after all, boho is back), and metallics.
If you’re heading off to Worthy Farm this year, this is everything you need to pack to stay fabulous while dancing to Dua Lipa at the Pyramid Stage and beyond.
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Your must-packs:
Saturday night fabulous top
A fabulous top is also a non-negotiable in my eyes.
There’s a number of avenues you could take for the big Saturday night, but you can’t go wrong with something shiny and something loose.
Layer this black sheer blouse over a fun bikini top, and these ‘disco’ shiny tops will look great with practically everything.
Want something loose? This Free People tunic is perfect for dancing in a field.
- Mirrored Square Disc Crop Top, £31.50, Karen Millen – buy here
- Audrina Top, £65, Revolve – buy here
- Sheer bell sleeved boat neck blouse, £24.99, Monki – buy here
- FP One Tamasi Tunic, £98, Free People – buy here
One great jacket
One great jacket will see you through the entire weekend.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be waterproof (bonus points if it is), but if it’s warm you should be good – you can always chuck a rain poncho over the top, or pack a waterproof that day instead if it looks like it’s going to rain.
The finishing touch to your look, last year I went for a Nasty Gal fringed jacket that pulled everything together. The fringing makes everything more festival, doesn’t it?
Plus with the boho trend going anywhere soon you’ll be wearing it for months to come.
Leather jackets are also a great option, with the added benefit of being wipe clean.
Not your vibe? Channel your inner Sienna Miller with a khaki overshirt, it’ll go with everything and won’t show up in the mud (denim is also great)
- Faux Leather Girlfriend Biker Jacket, £69, Marks & Spencer – buy here
- Pink Vanilla Stone Leather-Look Fringe Jacket,£50, New Look – buy here
- Twist & Shout Vegan Jacket, £118, Free People – buy here
- Oversize denim jacket, £35.99, Mango – buy here
- Pippa Utility Jacket, £65 £99, Hush – buy here
A must-have mini-dancing dress
A great mini dress is a must-pack – you can layer up when it’s cold and saves on space in your bag.
This year I’m thinking embellished.
AllSaints is my absolute favourite, but anything a bit shiny will look great contrasted with wellies and a jacket.
- Khloe Embellished Mini Dress, £299, AllSaints – buy here
- Abbie Black Rhinestone Embellished Mini Dress, £55, Missy Empire – buy here
- Cape Sleeve Sequin Embellished Mini Dress, £225, Ted Baker
- River Island Womens Bodycon Mini Dress Pink Check Sequin, £38, Secret Sales – buy here
Loose shorts
Channel Euros 2024 with bright sports shorts.
No really, pair it with a graphic t-shirt and you’ll get a cool look day or shine.
Want something a bit more cottagecore? These Uniqlo gingham shorts are one of this year’s best sellers and will look great with pretty much everything.
Pair with bright colours or a bikini if it’s really warm and you’re onto a winner.
- Adidas Sprinter Shorts, £40, END. – buy here
- Seersucker Cotton Gingham Shorts, £19.90, Uniqlo – buy here
- Leopard Pull-On Shorts, £50, Damsen Madder – buy here
- Stradivarius STR rustic pull-on short in blue stripe, £22, ASOS – buy here
Graphic tee
You just can’t go wrong with a T-shirt. Why make it a band top from someone who’s playing? Mine’s Shania.
Pair with a fabulous, fun pair of shorts and it’ll see you from day to night.
- Off White Cotton Shania Twain Print Oversized T-Shirt, £19.99, New Look – buy here
- Ganni T-Shirt, £66.50, Ganni – buy here
ASOS DESIGN boyfriend fit t-shirt with hawaii fruit graphic in ice marl, £20, ASOS – buy here - Never Fully Dressed Sardine T-Shirt, £39, Anthropologie – buy here
Loose knit
It might be sunny during the day, but it’s going to get cold at night, so you’ll want to make sure you have something to keep you warm.
Light layers are the way to go, so make sure to chuck one of these in your bag.
- Cotton-linen round-neck knitted sweater, £35.99, Mango – buy here
- Supersoft Crew Neck Jumper, £17.50, Marks & Spencer – buy here
- Mango lightweight jumper in light brown, £19.50,
£26– buy here - Mesh Crew Neck Jumper, £24.90, Uniqlo – buy here
Sturdy shoes
I’d always say don’t risk it, take a pair of wellies but this can be weather dependent.
You really need a pair of waterproof shoes (even a light drizzling will mean puddles of mud), but if it’s looking semi-dry then walking boots, smaller wellies or Dr Martens will do it.
If it’s dry you’ll be ok in trainers, just make sure they are comfortable.
If it’s raining, just pack the wellies.
Don’t take anything with a heel; just don’t.
- 1460 Smooth Leather Lace Up Boots, £170, Dr Martens – buy here
- Womens Iris Chelsea Jersey Lined Boot, £50
£90, Le Chameau – buy here - Adult Warm Wellies, £19,99, Decathlon – buy here
- New Balance 327 Womens, £100, JD Sports – buy here
Slip-on camp shoes
You don’t want to dash to the portaloos in the middle of the night and have to pull on your muddy wellies.
Pack a comfy pair of slip-ons for the camp and you won’t regret it.
(Don’t wear these out of the camp, especially if they’re sandals)
- Baya Crocs, £26.99,
£44.99, Crocs – buy here - Boston Soft Footbed, £150, Birkenstock – buy here
- Adidas adilette aqua sandals in black & white, £14.99
£20– buy here
Sunglasses
While standing out all day watching bands you’ll likely be standing in the sunshine so protect your eyes and show your personality with a great pair of shades.
These are my top pairs for this year.
- Mirko, £125, Ace and Tate – buy here
- Little Secret Round Sunglasses, £24, Free People – buy here
- Joy Sunglasses, £135, AllSaints – buy here
- Oversized Cat-Eye Sunglasses, £75, Cos – buy here
Crossbody bag
Likely one of you will already have a smaller backpack for the day (if you don’t already, pack one) for drinks, layers and the like.
However, you’ll want to keep your essentials and valuables at arm’s distance, and a crossbody bag is the safest and easiest place to keep them.
There’s only one bag for this. The OG – the Uniqlo Crossbody bag.
- Round Mini Shoulder Bag, £14.90, Uniqlo – buy here
Handy extras
- Phone strap: 2 in 1 Utility Lanyard, £57, Caseify – buy here
- Loop Ear Plugs: Experience 2 Plus, £39.95 – buy here
- Shower Bag: Portable Solar Shower, £12,
£20, Urban Outfitters – buy here - Reusable bottle: Stanley IceFlow FastFlow, £39.99, Stanley – buy here
- Travel Pillow: Quechua Camping Pillow, £7.99, Decathlon – buy here
- Dry Shampoo: Batiste 24H Active Sweat Activated Dry Shampoo, £3.59, Boots – buy here
- Hat: Adanola Sport Cap – Black/Cream, £19.99, Adanola – buy here
What you don’t need
We’ve run through the nice to haves, the lewks, and the essentials.
Now, here’s what not to take:
- Jeans: Wet jeans stick to your legs and take ages to dry, leave.
- Heels: Are you mad?
- Glass: Previously mentioned, but leave glass bottles at home, decant stuff into plastic bottles including booze and beauty and you’ll be grand.
- Anything valuable: I wouldn’t risk it. Lock them in the valuables tent (there’s one on each campsite) or leave them at home. Trust me, you’d be sad if you lost them. That goes for jewellery too. If you’re not prepared to lose it, don’t take it.
- No spares: Pack spare stuff like socks and a spare top, it gives you options and you’ll feel much fresher. Trench foot is not a look.
- Anything illegal: Duh. Check Glastonbury’s packing list here for more excluded items such as lanterns, sound systems etc.
- Gaezbos: Yeah, it’s nice to sit under if it rains. But it also hogs camping space for everyone else. Don’t be that guy.
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