What to wear to a festival

I went to my first music festival when I was 14 years old, with my best friend and no adult supervision. I don’t know how we convinced our parents to let us go, but we did and it was amazing. I remember that I wore faded blue jeans with a black tube top and sneakers. Since then I’ve been to a lot more festivals and picked up a few tips along the way, so I thought I’d share a few with you…

Wear comfortable shoes

This seems like a no brainer but if you’re going to an all day/night/weekend festival, you need to have comfortable shoes. And by “comfortable” I mean flat, closed toe shoes that will keep your feet safe from broken glass, stones and any manner of other things you could stand on (and they help to give your feet a little bit of protection against other people’s feet!). A festival isn’t the time to be wearing your super fancy shoes, it can be dusty, muddy and your shoes can end up totally wrecked – leave the Louboutins at home and wear sneakers or boots (I love Keds, Converse and Doc Martens because they’re the perfect balance of comfy and cute).

Wear sun protection

If you’re going to be outside, sun protection is a must. Apply sunscreen before you head in and remember to apply it regularly throughout the day. My favourite is Skinnies Sungel because it’s cruelty free, long lasting and it comes in a bunch of different sizes so it’s easy to fit a smaller tube in your bag. You don’t need to go fancy on your headwear, I prefer a baseball cap because it’s small and easy to fit in my bag once the sun goes down. Sunglasses are always an essential for me and I’ve learned that they’re something I drop/break/lose quite often so I only take cheaper ones along to festivals.

Wear comfortable clothes

What you decide to wear depends on the weather and what kind of festival you’re heading to, but I’d recommend something that you feel comfortable in – whether that’s shorts and a tee, jeans and a tank top or a dress. Things to think about include chub rub, how your clothes will hold up over the course of the day (leave those delicate fabrics at home!), whether you will be warm/cool enough and whether your outfit is suitable for what you’re wanting to do (is it comfy to dance in or is it restrictive?).

Take a suitable bag

I don’t know about you but I’m not a big fan of bum bags and I don’t want to take my Louis Vuitton to a festival. Depending on what you’re wearing and where you’re going, you might be able to go bagless and slip your cards, cash and sunscreen in a pocket. A cross body bag can be good if you’re wanting to keep your bag small and not worry about holding things. Sometimes a backpack can be a great idea – especially if you’re wanting to stash a sweater, a drink bottle, your phone, some snacks, your keys … you can see where this is going.

I’ve been thinking about who my ultimate “couldn’t miss” lineup would be but I haven’t quite nailed it down yet – who would be on yours?

Meagan wears:
Lace Up T-Shirt Dress from Hope & Harvest (XL, gifted)
Taylor Swift for Keds Anchor Stripe Sneakers from Hannahs (9, gifted)
PS It’s Fashion Cat Eye Sunglasses from Society+
Jansport City Scout Backpack from Northbeach

Photos: Ambient Light Photography