What to Pack
Tickets? Check! Children? Check! It’s tempting when packing for an outdoor camping trip to bring everything just in case. But remember, unless you’re in the live-in vehicle field, you’re going to have to lug all of that stuff from the car park to the campsite and back up the hill again! We can’t emphasize enough how much easier your experience will be if you pack light…
Here’s our list of what to bring and what not to bring.
Tent. Obviously. Unless you have booked one of our pre-erected glamping options. But if you’re thinking about bringing your lovely canvas bell tent, do remember you’ve got to get it from your car to the campsite and back again so bring a trolley or sturdy buggy if you need to. We do not have a trolly hire service. A mallet is also useful. The campsites are spacious, but please don’t bring gazebos or other big shelters and be considerate to fellow campers.
Mattresses and bedding. Sleeping bags, blankets, pillows and roll mats. Nothing is worse than feeling like you can’t get a good nights sleep and it can be surprisingly cold in the middle of the night. It’s also a good idea to keep spare blankets and a set of dry clothes for everyone in the car, just in case.
Torches / lights. The main roads and paths around the festival site are quite well lit, but we intentionally keep the campsites a little dark so that everyone can enjoy the stars. Bring torches to help avoid tripping over other people’s guy ropes and seeing what you are doing inside the tent. Solar fairy lights are also helpful for spotting your tent at night.
Clothing. We probably sound like your mum, but pack clothing for all eventualities, even if the forecast is great! It is possible to have an amazing festival experience in the wet, provided you’re properly equipped, so make sure you bring wellies and raincoats as well as flip-flops and sun cream. You can also pack your Elderflower Fields T-shirts available to pre-order only here.
Fancy dress. Fancy dress is strongly encouraged for everyone, especially on Sunday for our big family dance-off. Elderflower Fields is a festival – dress in your finest, let your hair down, and have a dance. Honestly, you’ll love it!
Food & drink Our vendors offer a huge selection of fantastic quality meals for the whole family. It’s not a bad idea to bring some snacks and drinks to keep the kids happy back at camp, but you don’t need to bring food for the whole weekend. If you plan to cook we ask you to consider the environment in what you pack, leaving excess packaging at home, and please, no glass whatsoever. In the event of exceptionally dry weather, a fire ban may be imposed. We will announce this on social media and in our final newsletter to ticket holders if there is a camping stove and BBQ ban. Take a look at the food and drink page to see what’s on offer this year.
Alcohol. Weekend Campers are allowed to bring alcohol for personal consumption in the campsites only. Once you have entered the event you cannot re-enter with more alcohol supplies. Please remember, no glass bottles are permitted on site whatsoever and the gate staff reserve the right to ask you to leave excessive amounts of alcohol in your car. Alcohol cannot be brought into the festival arenas from the campsite. There are fully licensed bars with a great range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic options available.
Cups, mugs and water bottles. BRING BACK YOUR CUPS! Every year we produce hundreds of reusable cups for the bars. Reuse your bar cups to save waste and money on your first drink.
Bring your own good quality drinking bottle and fill it up with water from the taps around the site which is safe to drink. There are no single-use plastic bottles sold on-site so do remember to pack something.
Using your own coffee cup for your hot drink purchases will save you a cup levy on your morning coffee and help us reduce waste.
Safety & Hygiene. There are free hot showers at Elderflower Fields, but they get super busy in the mornings. Our advice is to go mid-afternoon or very early if you want to avoid queuing. You could also consider no-rinse body wash and dry shampoo. Or, dare we suggest it, not wash for a day or two… Do make sure you pack sun cream, ear defenders for any kids not keen on loud music, and a potty if you have small children. Toilets and hand wash stations are located across the site.
What not to bring. If you bring any of the following items, you’ll either have them confiscated or be asked to leave the festival so don’t get caught out! Glass – decant before you leave home. No glass whatsoever is allowed on site because it can be so dangerous to barefooted children and animals if broken. No Chinese lanterns or glow sticks please – nature hates them! No excessive amounts of alcohol. No pets or animals. No sound systems. Make sure you check the festival terms & conditions for a full list of what is and isn’t allowed.