With festival season in full swing, it’s important to know the most effective ways to stay safe and avoid common risks at large outdoor events.
Luckily, Jamie Scahill, Marketing Director at Skiddle, has shared some expert tips to help festivalgoers stay vigilant and reduce risks for the best possible experience this summer.
How to avoid heat-related illness
The UK festival season often coincides with warm weather, increasing the risk of dehydration and heat-related illness.
Festivalgoers should drink water regularly throughout the day, even if they don’t feel thirsty. Dehydration can lead to dizziness, fainting and disorientation, particularly when combined with prolonged sun exposure.
Applying SPF regularly is essential, even on cloudy days, to reduce the risk of sunburn and heat-related illness. Staying hydrated also helps the body regulate its temperature effectively.
It is also worth locating medical tents when you arrive and saving their locations on your phone, allowing you to reach help quickly if needed.
Share your live location with friends before arrival
For iPhone users, before entering a festival, ensure you have enabled location sharing with friends using the Find My app. The app uses mobile data to share your location and, in areas with no signal, will display your last known location.
Festival grounds can become extremely crowded, making it easy to lose track of friends. Establishing meeting points near recognisable landmarks before entering the site can make regrouping much easier if you become separated.
Phone service is often unreliable at festivals due to remote locations and thousands of people using the same mobile networks simultaneously. This makes pre-arranged meeting points especially important, as you may not be able to contact friends once inside.
As mobile data can also become unreliable, downloading or saving an offline map of the festival site in Google Maps can help you navigate to agreed meeting locations.
Follow the ‘forearm rule’ in large crowds
Festival crowds can change quickly as people move between stages. If an area feels too crowded or uncomfortable, move to a more spacious location or position yourself near security staff or stewards.
A useful rule is to keep at least a forearm’s length between yourself and the people in front of and behind you, giving you enough room to breathe and move comfortably. In extreme cases, overcrowding can become dangerous, so removing yourself from densely packed areas is always the safest option.
While festival organisers provide security across the site, attendees should remain aware of their surroundings and take responsibility for their own safety.
Reduce your contactless payment limit
If you’re bringing a debit or credit card to the festival, consider lowering your contactless spending limit before you arrive. If your card is lost or stolen, this can reduce the amount someone could spend before it’s cancelled.
Alternatively, consider leaving physical cards at home and using Apple Pay or Google Pay instead, which offer additional security features.
Monitor your alcohol consumption
Drinking responsibly can help you remain aware of your surroundings and make safer decisions throughout the day.
Avoid accepting drinks from strangers and, where possible, watch drinks being poured. Drink covers, or stoppers, can also help reduce the risk of drinks being tampered with or spilt.
Eating regular meals throughout the day can help maintain your energy levels and reduce the effects of alcohol.
Protect your valuables
Theft is one of the most common issues at festivals, both from tents and through pickpocketing in crowded areas.
A bum bag or cross-body bag is recommended for storing essentials such as your phone, wallet, keys and ID. Avoid leaving valuables in your tent, and where possible, keep important items in zipped pockets or secure compartments.
Only bring essential valuables to the festival, and if you’re attending as part of a group, consider splitting cash between friends so one theft doesn’t leave everyone without money.