24+ Awesome Ways to Sneak Alcohol into Festivals (or Anywhere!)

Once you add up the ticket, the equipment, the food and the alcohol, festivals are expensive. There’s no doubt that they’re worth every penny, but if you can work out how to sneak alcohol into festivals, successfully, you stand to save A LOT. 

I want to show you how to hide alcohol to help you bring the costs of festivals, cruises and events down. If you learn how to do this without detection, it’s a lesson to learn for life, and you stand to save many pounds!

– All this advice also works for sneaking alcohol on a cruise too!

Most of the weekend camping festivals let you take your own booze in, Glastonbury and Bestival included. There are always a few that are just out to make as much money as possible though, such as EXIT, Field Day and Eastern Electrics.

They charge an absolute fortune for a glass of wine, making getting drunk at these things, way too expensive. This is where getting a little sneaky becomes a necessity. I’ve been going to festivals for over 20 years, always on a budget so I’ve become somewhat of an expert at this. Trust me!

If you need to get alcohol into festivals…

1. Sunscreen lotion bottle

If you want to hide alcohol, simply empty a tube or bottle of lotion and refill with booze. Or if you want to be really crafty, and probably safer, put your booze in a food bag and push to the bottom of the bottle. That way if they open it up and sniff it or look at it, there will still be sunscreen on the top to throw them off the scent.

You could adapt your own sunscreen bottle, or buy these specially-created-for-smuggling bottles from Amazon for the easier option. This is one of the best ways to hide alcohol when you’re trying to get the booze into the festival. 

2. In the Pringles tube

Same idea, different smuggling vessel. Just add a food bag filled with booze in the bottom – weighs less than bottles – and stack a few Pringles on top.

Sneaky, and you get to eat some tasty Pringles too.

3. Wine bags

Buy the boxed wine – which I like to call ‘cardboardeaux’ – and take the bag out. Then just put it down your trousers as a voluptuous bum, or in your top as a squidgy belly.

Dress discreetly and accordingly.

Or buy these Boobie Bags where you don’t even need to bother binning the box, they come ready bagged and waiting to be filled with a helpful straw for sucking.

This is my favoured way of getting the booze in, as you can divide and conquer and just have bags of booze in all your possessions and pockets, bras and pants. We did this for Victorious a few years ago, and if anything, it was a little too successful.

4. Mini bottles in the wellies

Just turn your wellies into a mini bar. Watch how you walk and you’ll be the most popular kid in the field. In all my years of festivals I’ve never had my wellies frisked so either buy some miniatures, or be cheap and make your own with these 50ml bottles from Amazon.

Then, when you’re out of sight, you can enjoy your stash of alcohol to your heart’s consent. 

5. Secret Umbrella Flask

You can sneak alcohol into any event with the Secret Umbrella Flask. Saves on money and on queueing at busy bars. It’s easy and obvious to use just take the top (handle) off, and you can use the umbrella like a bottle. It holds just under half a litre of your favourite alcohol!

This makes for the perfect gift for anyone looking to save a few pounds on booze, even if that’s yourself!

6. Secret tampon flasks

A tampon flask? Errrrm, sounds a bit weird?

Well, it is. But, it also helps you save money on festivals by hiding your favourite spirits away in the form of a tampon no security guard would ever even think to check.

These undetectable hidden tampon flasks hold five shots of your favourite tipple – saving you money, and time in queueing at the bar. They’re perfect for festivals, sports events, and any night out – no one will suspect a thing. And that includes your friends, if you want to keep a private stash to yourself!

Makes for a great present for any event. Prefill for an even better one!

7. Shampoo flasks

These secret shampoo and conditioner flasks let you smuggle in over litre of liquid, hidden in the bottles. Perfectly designed and easy to carry, these bottles are your key to affordable fun at many overnight events.

Constructed with high-quality, food-grade materials, the Shampoo Flask prioritises both safety and durability. These would be perfect for sneaking alcohol onto cruises – helping you to drink that little bit cheaper!

They also come with seals, perfect for discretion!

8. Cans in the hood

I’ve smuggled booze in before by just putting a few G+T cans in my hood. I was all casual as I wandered in – sometimes just being totally casual and blatant is the best way.

You could also try under your hat.

10. Specially adapted bra

Again fill food bags (probably want to double bag them) half way and stuff into your bra like chicken fillets. Bear in mind that the booze will be lovely (bleugh) and warm when you get them out, but at least you’ll have saved money on a drink.

Or, if you can get your hands on one of these ‘Wineracks’ (£35), you’re laughin’.

Buy me one if you do.

11. Camelbak

Something like this Hydrobak 1.5 Litre Camelbak is perfect for smuggling alcohol in under your jumper. Secure it to your back with tape to prevent the security guards from feeling the gap between your back and the bag.

Or you could go for something a little smaller and cheaper like this 2L Hiking Hydration Bladder Bag, at £6.99. 

Looks like it’s got some pretty good reviews and would be easier to hide under your clothes.

I reckon you’d need to not fill it to the top so it could feel a bit more like a fat belly, rather than an overloaded bag, but could be a goer.

12. Crotch bottle

Boys will probably have a few troubles with the above, so why not take the idea and shove it down your crotch instead?

Pretty sure if anyone felt a saggy bag in that area they wouldn’t investigate any further…

13. Novelty-shaped hip flasks

These Iggi hip flask binoculars are really cool and I want them, and this lipstick-shaped hip flask could come in handy too. Not sure if trying to take a pair of binoculars into a festival is more obvious than a welly mini bar, but it’s another option.

You could also try the paddle brush secret hip flask, or even one shaped like a digital camera.

Secret hip flasks. Sneaky!

14. Sippin seat

Check this out. I think they must be big in the USA, but I’ve never actually seen them before. It’s a Sippin Seat; a handy soft pillow you can use as a chair and that where can also store 750ml – more commonly known as a bottle of wine – inside.

Definitely number one on my Christmas list to keep me hydrated at festivals around the world… 

If you’ve drank a lot of booze then you’ll be needing my top tips on how to avoid the toilets at festivals – you’re welcome.

15. Inject vodka into oranges

Or any fruit.

Just get yourself a syringe and you can make most innocent of foods super alcoholic.

If you do resort to this, have a little word with yourself to check everything’s ok and life is heading the way you want it. Also check if you’re actually even allowed to bring fruit in, and that it’s not weird. As you could just get it taken off you anyway – that would be sad.

16. Double use colostomy bag

If you can get your hands on a colostomy bag and tube you can fill it with whisky and lemonade so it looks like wee on the way in, and then get your doctor mate to fix it up to use it properly when you’re watching the bands and it’ll save you some time there too…

17. More tampons

Just what we’ve all been waiting for! New for this year Shot Tubes & Tampon Wrappers to help you get your booze into the festivals.

You get 5 ‘shot tubes of party fun’. They’re easy to fill – just peel the adhesive strip and fill the leak proof booze tube with your liquor of choice.

I want!

18. Lads? In the Lynx

These Lynx shaped deodorant bottles are perfect for ensuring you have boozey supplies as the night goes on. They’ll make for a great summer time present for your friend!

20. All in the wrist

And then, another new one, the rose gold bangle. Simply fill with booze and when you’re ready you can access it easily as it’s already on your wrist.

21. Bury it at the festival

There’s a festival where I live, in Portsmouth, called Victorious. And I know of people who will go down there the day before and bury their booze in the bushes, so they can retrieve in when they’re in there. Risky, but what a thrill!

22. Hidden as sunglasses

So, along with the sneaky fake camera, the sneaky fake lipstick and the sneaky fake umbrella, we have the sneaky fake sunglasses. Buy this drinks holder and you can smuggle a decent amount of booze, all under the guise of sunnies. Genius!

23. Hidden as a banana

How about sneaking alcohol into a festival hidden as fruit?

Not quite as crafty as some of the other options, but still worth a go, is this whisky flask banana. Ever heard of the phrase, hidden in plain sight? Well this banana is the epitome of that. You can fit 5oz / 150ml of liquid in here. Three shots! Nice.

24. In the nappy

And I don’t want to get too dark here, but if you have a baby, their nappies are wonderful places for a cheeky little miniature. I’m sure when they’re older they’ll be proud to say they helped you sneak drink into the fest!

*I haven’t done this!