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Around this time the excitement is building and there are last-minute worries about certain things - below are some oft-answered questions with some avice based on experience. It may not be 100% accurate (things change from year to year) but it should be enough to get you started and hopefully give you enough to go on so that you don't come across as a total spaz in front of more experienced vets.
Feel free to ask questions or to correct mistakes in my answers.
What size bag should I take?
Figure out everything you need to take, then choose a bag that's big enough to fit it all in. Allow for a little extra space as it will always take up more room when re-packed, especially if it's caked in mud.
How can I watch the football at the festival?
Either use you fancy smart phone with Sky TV or get off your arse and walk to the pub. If you're going to Reading there are two pubs (The Crown and The Moderation) at the and of the road (and round the corner a bit) that the site is on . Go for The Crown, it's more festival-friendly.
Can I charge my phone at the festival?
There is a phone charging tent run by one of the mobile networks, I forget which. They usually limit use but if you go in when it's quiet you can sit there and charge your phone for longer.
I really want to see band x but all my friends are going to see band y. What should I do?
Go and see band x and agree to meet them afterwards. Make sure your phone is charged (see above).
Can I get food at the festival?
Yes there are all manner of wonderful stalls filled with food from all around the world in the arena, and quite a few in the campsite near the arena. Expect to pay £5-£7 for a 'main' meal, be it curry, sausage and mash in a giant yorkshire pud or hog roast. At Reading there's a garage and fantastic cafe (The Gorge) at the end of the road and the aforementioned pubs just after that.
Can I buy fags at the festival?
Yes, there are Marlboro stalls inside and outside the arena. If memory serves me correctly they were reasonably priced, and one night last year they were doing a "two packs for a tenner" promo as they came in fancy promo tins. Although that may have been someone manning the stall who was bored or stupid.
Can I but merchandise at the festival?
Yes there's more than one official stall in the arena. T-shirts are £15-20, hoodies £30-35. Those are based on memory so are unlikely to be entirely accurate.
What can I do after the music?
Well there will be the usual nonsense going on like the silent disco or that daft tent where you buy oxygen and sit around with tubes up your nose for 5 minutes wondering when it's going to start. Loads of shit like that. You can also play the game where you find the 16 year-old trying to impess his mates by playing Wonderwall on his guitar 57 times in a row and ensure, one way or another, he doesn't get to play it a 58th. Generally anyone sat round a campfire with a guitar is fair game for some kind of abuse.
I have a really nice camera/phone but don't want to lose it. What should I do?
Simple - don't lose it. If being at a festival excites you so much that you need to drink/smoke/snort so much that you can't control yourself then probably best to take precautions and leave it at home and take a shit one instead.
What do I do if I lose my friends?
Whatever you do in any unfortunate situation, do not freak out and start crying. There's no sadder site than someone crying at a festival. Even if it's for a reason completely unrelated to the festival everyone will assume that it's because you're wet behind the ears and can't handle the drink/drugs/weather/crowds and you need to go home to Mummy. Stay cool. In the arena there's a meeting point, make sure your group are aware of it. Keep a phone on you (a charged one). Outside the arena there's usually a few charity stands that you can go and sit in if you're on the verge of a freakout and they'll probably give you a cuppa until you calm down. In the middle of the night in a strange campsite, you're f**ked. Better make some new friends fast.
What about cash machines?
There will be a bank of cas machines outside the arena near the stalls. be wary of the queus and the fact that rain + lots of people walking in one area = lots of mud in front of cash machines. At Reading there's a few cashpoints in Caversham (10 mins walk from the festival entrance).
Edited by mrtourette, 16 August 2010 - 06:54 PM.
