There is nothing quite like the moment you arrive at a festival and realise your tent has other ideas. Whether it’s battling guy ropes in the dark, arriving to find the best spots already taken, or waking up on a freezing cold morning because you packed the wrong sleeping bag, the difference between a great festival and a miserable one often comes down to how prepared you are.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right kit, you can get your tent up in minutes, sleep comfortably regardless of the weather, and spend the whole weekend enjoying the music rather than dealing with avoidable problems.

Here at Norwich Camping & Leisure, we’ve put together this guide to help you choose the right gear for your festival trip. From picking the perfect tent to the furniture and accessories that will make your pitch feel like a proper home for the weekend, we’ve included it all!

Choosing the right tent

Your tent is the most important piece of kit you will pack. Get it right, and you’ll have a dry, comfortable base to come back to after a long day on your feet. Get it wrong, and you could be spending your morning battling a flooded groundsheet or an impossible pole system at midnight.

For festival camping specifically, you want something that balances ease of setup, weight, weather resistance and enough space for you and your kit. Here are the three main tent types worth considering, along with our recommendations for each.

Pop-up tents

If this is your first festival or you simply want the easiest possible setup, a pop-up tent is the way to go. They quite literally spring into shape the moment you take them out of the bag, with most offering a setup time of around 30 seconds. That means more time at the stage and less time squinting at instruction diagrams in a field.

Pop-up tents are also one of the most affordable options, typically ranging from £45 to £150, making them ideal for festival-goers who don’t want to spend a fortune on camping gear they might only use once or twice a year. They are lightweight to carry to the campsite and compact enough to manage on your own.

They are best suited to short festivals of one to three nights and work well in fair weather, so keep an eye on the forecast. They are not quite as robust as a tunnel or dome tent in heavy rain, but for a summer weekend they are perfectly capable.

Our recommendation: The Outwell Nexion 3 Forest Tent. It is designed for two campers and is a fast-pitch pop-up shelter that makes festival camping effortless.

https://www.norwichcamping.co.uk/shop/product/outwell-nexion-2-forest-tent/

Outwell Nexion 3 Forest Tent

Tunnel tents

If you are heading to a longer festival or going with a group, a tunnel tent is well worth considering. They offer considerably more living space than a pop-up, usually with a porch area at the front where you can store muddy boots, wet gear and anything you do not want inside the sleeping area. After a day of dancing in a muddy field, that porch becomes one of the most important features of your entire weekend.

Setup is straightforward; most tunnel tents only require two or three poles, and if you have a couple of friends to help, you will have it pitched in no time. They are sturdier than pop-up tents and handle wind and rain more reliably, which matters if you are camping for three or four nights.

One thing to bear in mind is their footprint. Tunnel tents are longer and wider than other styles, so in a busy campsite, you may need to be a little patient finding the right spot. 

Our recommendation: The Vango Beta 350xl Eco Tent is versatile, compact and weather-ready shelter ideal for couples, small families or small groups on weekends or at festivals.

Vango Beta 350xl Eco Tent

Our recommendation: The Vango Beta 450XL Eco Tent, ideal for 4-people looking for a reliable festival tent.

Vango Beta 450XL Eco Tent

Blackout and dark rest tents

Festivals are not known for being quiet or dark, even at six in the morning when you are desperate for sleep. If you have ever been woken up at sunrise by daylight flooding through your tent after a very late night, you will know exactly why blackout tents have become so popular with festival-goers.

These tents are made with a specialist darkening fabric that blocks up to 99% of daylight, which also helps keep the interior noticeably cooler during the day. Most are built with integrated ventilation panels to keep air circulating, so you stay cool without sacrificing the darkness.

One practical tip: pack a small torch or clip-on light in your bag, as the tent can be genuinely very dark even at midday. It is a minor adjustment for what can be a significant difference to how well you sleep.

Blackout tents do tend to sit at the higher end of the price range, but if you are a light sleeper or plan to make the most of the night-time entertainment, the extra investment is usually very much worth it.

Our recommendation: The Coleman Oak Canyon 4 Blackout Tent, is a spacious tent, fit for 6-people looking for a good tent for an easier sleep.

Coleman Oak Canyon 4 Blackout Tent

Festival camping essentials

A good tent will get you a long way, but there are a handful of other essentials that will make the difference between a comfortable trip and a tough one. These are the items that experienced festival campers always pack and first-timers often wish they had.

Sleep setup

Do not underestimate how cold British summer nights can get, even in July and August. A sleeping bag rated for temperatures of around 5°C is a sensible choice for most UK festivals. 

Pair this with a self-inflating sleeping mat or an air pad to get yourself off the cold ground, and you will sleep far better than most of your neighbours.

Self-inflating mats are particularly good because they are compact, light to carry and require very little effort to set up. Once you have used one, sleeping on just a thin roll mat feels like a very distant memory.

A proper folding chair

Festivals involve a lot of standing. Your legs will thank you for having somewhere proper to sit back at the campsite. A lightweight folding chair is one of those items that feels like a luxury until you have one, at which point it becomes completely non-negotiable.

Look for one that folds down small, ideally with a carry bag included. If you are travelling light, some compact options clip directly onto a rucksack, which makes getting to and from the car much less of a juggling act.

Our recommendations:

Camp Pro Jupiter XL Tub Camping Chair

Camp Pro Mars Deluxe Camping Chair

Camp Pro Neptune Folding Camping Chair

Camp Pro Venus High Back Camping Chair

A small camping table

A compact folding table is one of those items you will use far more than you expect. Whether it is a surface for your morning coffee, somewhere to set out food or just a bit of organisation at the entrance of your tent, it instantly makes your pitch feel more like a proper base camp. Look for something that folds flat and weighs as little as possible.

Our recommendation:

Quest Fleetwood Low Table

Lighting

Lighting serves two purposes at a festival. Practically, you need a torch or head torch to navigate your way back to the tent after dark without tripping over every guy rope in the campsite. But a set of solar-powered string lights or a small lantern also makes your tent far easier to spot in a sea of identical canvas, and they add a nice atmosphere to your pitch on an evening.

Our recommendation:

Vango Star 300 Recharge Lantern

A groundsheet or tent footprint

Often overlooked, a groundsheet or footprint is one of the most practical things you can pack, particularly for UK festivals where a sudden downpour is never too far away. 

It protects the underside of your tent from moisture and abrasion, keeps the inside of your tent significantly drier and makes for a much more comfortable morning when the grass is wet. It is a small addition to your kit that makes a surprisingly big difference.

Festival camping furniture 

There is a certain pride in having the best pitch on the campsite. A well set up space to come back to, with somewhere comfortable to sit, a surface to put your things and a proper hot drink waiting for you makes a real difference to how much you enjoy the whole experience.

Here are a few furniture picks from our range that are worth considering if you want a little extra comfort without adding too much weight to your car.

Reclining camping chair

A step up from a basic folding chair, a reclining camping chair gives you proper back support and the ability to actually relax rather than just sit upright. After three days of standing in a crowd, being able to recline with a cold drink is a very welcome feeling.

Our recommendation: the Outdoor Revolution Vicenza Highback Recliner provides exceptional comfort and support. We currently have a 2 for £100 deal on for these chairs.

Outdoor Revolution Vicenza Highback Recliner

A camping kettle

This one might sound like a luxury, but trust us, a cup of tea back at the tent after a long day on your feet is genuinely one of the highlights of festival camping. A compact camping kettle, paired with a small stove, takes up very little space and will make you very popular with your neighbours.

Our recommendation:

Camp Pro 2L Stainless Steel Whistling Kettle – Green

Self-inflating sleeping mat

If you are not already convinced on this one, a self-inflating mat is worth every penny for a multi-night festival. Compact when rolled up, supportive when laid out, and worlds apart from the basic foam roll mat you may have used before. Your back will notice the difference.

Our recommendation:

Vango Arcadia 7.5 Double Self-Inflating Mat

Things to remember before you go

Beyond the kit, there are a few practical things that experienced festival campers always keep in mind. These small habits make the whole experience considerably smoother:

Arrive early. The best pitches go quickly! Getting there before the crowds means more space, better positioning and an easier setup. It also gives you time to get your bearings before it gets dark.

Make your tent easy to find. A brightly coloured flag, some string lights or even a distinctive banner tied to your tent makes it far easier to locate after dark in a field full of identical green domes.

Keep valuables secure. Pack your phone, wallet and keys in a small dry bag and keep it inside your sleeping bag or at the bottom of your kit. Do not leave anything obvious at the entrance to your tent.

Always pack a waterproof. Even if the forecast looks clear, a lightweight poncho or packable waterproof jacket takes up almost no space and could save your weekend if the weather turns.

Bring a portable power bank. Your phone battery will drain quickly with maps, music and photos. A decent-sized power bank is one of the most practical things you can pack.

Bring both wellies and trainers. The ground can change dramatically over a few days. Starting the weekend in trainers and switching to wellies when needed gives you far more flexibility than committing to one or the other.

Ready to get kitted out?

Whether you are heading to your first festival this summer or you are a seasoned camper looking to upgrade your kit, Norwich Camping & Leisure has everything you need. From festival tents and sleeping gear to camping furniture and accessories, you will find it all in one place, both in store and online.

Not sure which tent is right for you? Pop in and speak to one of our team. We are always happy to help you find the right kit for your trip, whatever your budget. Browse our festival tents and camping furniture online, or visit us in store in Norwich.