Bristol Twenty Festival Guide 2019

So with festival season almost on us, we thought we would put together a quick guide to where Bristol Twenty Coffee will be this summer and some top tips on surviving festival season:

First things first, find the right festival for you. If you’re a free thinking indie kid, you don’t want to find yourself at a three day weekend packed with hard core dance heads; do your research. There’s loads of festivals to choose from, from the majors which are splashed all over the news to the more quirky up and coming ones, check out the list below to see which one will be best for you. Use the links to check the line up, a good festival isn’t just about the line up, but it’s pretty important.

Once you’ve found the right one, get your ticket in advance. A lot of festivals, especially the majors, sell out really quickly, so don’t hang about, get them early. If you miss out though, there are a number of reliable and reputable secondary ticket markets you can buy your tickets from. Don’t buy from ticket touts at the festivals, you will most likely get ripped off and possibly not even get into the event.

What to take to the festival

So you’ve chosen the festival, got your ticket and you’re almost set to go. But what do you bring? Here are the things we don’t leave the house without:

Backpack

To carry all your essential gear to the event.

Daypack

To carry stuff that wont fit in your pocket.

Tent

Give it a quick check over before you go, make sure it’s in good condition since the last time you used it.

Sleeping Bag and roll matt

Even in the summer the evening can get a little chilly, and sleeping on the grass isn’s quite as comfy as it sounds.

Clothing

Don’t bring anything too nice, it will probably get wrecked. Pack comfortable shoes and sensible clothing that will get you through the day, as well as warm clothing for night. Our Bristol Twenty hoodies are perfect for those colder evenings.

Wellies, Sunglasses and Sun Cream

Prepare for the extremes especially if you’re heading to a UK festival. No matter what the forecast says, you never quite know whether there might be a heatwave or a thunderstorm, prepare for the best and worst.

Cash

Take enough money to get through the whole festival, sometimes cash machines can be hard to find.

Mobile Phone

Festivals are usually very crowded, you’re bound to get lost. Spare phone batteries are useful too. The last thing you want to do is be sitting by a plug, charging your phone while you’re mates are having a good time.

Medication

Pack the essential medication you will need in the original packaging in case of emergencies and ensure your friends know your medical situation. Bring basic medication; paracetamol, insect repellent, indigestion tablets etc. your less prepared friends might be very thankful. But if you get caught you with anything illegal, you will be dealt with by police and possibly kicked off the premises and denied entry, so that’s not a good idea!

Water

Essential in hot weather, most festival organisers will permit you to take water into the event. Most festivals this year will expect you to take a reusable water bottle.

Toiletries

Especially wet wipes, when you can’t be bothered using all the other stuff you brought with you, and don’t forget toilet roll!.

Extra Plastic bags

To pack your dirty gear away.

Bristol Twenty reusable coffee cup

Before getting on the beers there are some great coffees out there to be sampled and you don’t want to be creating more waste.

Buy your reusable coffee cup here.

Aeropress

Incase you can’t find good coffee on site it’s always a good idea to take some of your favourite Bristol Twenty coffee with you. Aeropress is an easy portable way of brewing great coffee anywhere. Boil up some water on the campfire and get brewing.

Buy your Aeropress here

Arrival at the Festival

When you’ve arrived at the festival, the first thing you need to do is set up your tent. First, find out where your camping ground is located. This should be easy to find as most festivals are very well co-ordinated and sign posted, but if in doubt, ask one of the event staff. These are the guys that make sure the whole event runs smoothly, they’ll be uniformed, clearly visible, and usually quite friendly.

Finding a place for your tent can be tricky if you don’t get in early. Try to find a space that has an area big enough for your tent and if you’re with a group, make sure there is enough room for everyone. Avoid locations next to toilets, there’s a reason why there’s so much free space around there!

With your tent all set up, scan around for a landmark that will help you find your way back, a pirate flag, yurt or teepee generally works quite well. Alternatively, you could fashion your own, just make sure you have a way to find your tent when

you come back at night, its really awkward when you walk into a strangers tent at 4am.

With your tent all set up, you’re ready to go. Pull out you’re site map and begin exploring. You could decide on a meeting point if you’re worried about losing your friends, sometimes there can be minimal network coverage because of the location, or the amount of people, so make an old fashioned back up plan just in case.

Now for the safety warning, if someone offers you anything that you’re unsure of, don’t take it! Do not accept drinks from strangers and be careful to leave your drink unattended even for a minute. If you’re the driver, make sure you can drive when it’s time to leave the site. Alcohol and drugs can remain in the system for a number of hours after consumption, so be sensible and make sure you give enough time to sober up before you leave.