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.
This post is here to help.
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 smuggle alcohol 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. Sneaking alcohol into festivals like these becomes a necessity.
How to Sneak Drink into Festivals and Concerts
Here I’m going to take you through a few ways to sneak alcohol into festivals, cruises, parties and events to save on money and time, so you can spend more on having fun.
- READ MORE: My Advice on the Best Alcohol for Festivals
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.
This is how to sneak alcohol into a festival on the cheap, and you get to eat some tasty Pringles too.
TOP TIP: All these tips and tricks for smuggling alcohol into festivals can totally be used to sneak alcohol into a concert and to sneak booze into a club.
All you need to do is keep that alcohol hidden and discrete.
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. Simply stuff in your bra or down your pants and your guaranteed to smuggle your alcohol in.
This is one of the top hacks for alcohol smuggling.
Top Tip
How to Sneak Alcohol on a Cruise
All these tips will work to sneak alcohol on a cruise too. Ditch the glass and put the alcohol in cruise drink bags, or tightened tetra packs, and you’ll get past the security easily.
Sneaking alcohol on a cruise is easy when you have secret flasks, alcoholic capri suns and cruise alcohol bags. Most cruises charge an absolute fortune for alcohol packages, so sneaking the booze in, is the best way to get around it.
Don’t pay over the odds for alcohol when you can just smuggle it in!
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. See, this is how you sneak alcohol!
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!
The secret umbrella flask is perfect for sneaking alcohol into festivals, smuggling drink into sports events, and for saving money on alcohol on any night out. 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
It’s worth a shot.
Slip a few cans in your hood and act casual as you walk by. Let me know how you get on with this one. Sometimes just being totally casual and blatant is the best way to hide alcohol at festivals.
You can also smuggle the alcohol in under your hat.
9. The Boozey Bladder
Check out the Boozey Bladder. It’s the best way to sneak alcohol into any event. Perfect for smuggling booze into festivals, sports events and any night out. It’s an undetectable hidden flask which holds a huge 1 litre of your favourite alcohol!
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.
TOP TIP: Try to smuggle more alcohol into the festival / concert / club / cruise than you need. Get your friends involved. That way you don’t put all your eggs in one basket and at least one of you will get it in, if not all. The price of alcohol on the outside is way cheaper than the inside, so invest! Even if it gets taken off you, it won’t break the bank. But if you get it through – woo!
11. Camelbak
Something like this Hydrobak 1.5 Litre Camelbak is perfect for smuggling alcohol in under your jumper. Strap 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. So many trixty ways to get your alcohol into the festival!
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…
TOP TIP: If you get told off trying to conceal the alcohol, and get it in, just go with it. Let them be annoyed and give it up. There is no way you want to risk your ticket for the sake of a few drinks!
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…
TOP TIP: Once you’ve passed security don’t whip out your contraband out straight away. Just keep walking and wait until you are in a bit of a crowd to get your alcohol stash out.
- Glastonbury Advice: How to Survive the Best Festival in the World
- 12 Reasons Why You Have to Go to Latitude Festival
- My Review of Sziget Festival in Budapest
17. In your 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!
TOP TIP: Getting alcohol into festivals really isn’t that hard. You just need to act confident, keep it concealed and get out of the way when you’ve got it through!
Don’t go whipping it out before you’re safe!
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 in the festival, 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!
Quick alcohol smuggling Q&A
How do you sneak alcohol into events?
Try all the suggestions above, but also….
- – Hide it in your hair
- – Be confident
- – Casually walk in with it in your hand
- – Drink vodka from a water bottle as you go in
- – Just get drunk before you go
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How can I hide alcohol in my bag?
Cut yourself a little hole in the bottom of the bag and then insert alcohol bags in, but make sure the material of your bag is thick, or they’ll be able to squidge it.
Try those tampon alcohol smugglers I mention above too. No one’s going to want to investigate those!
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Can you bring alcohol on a cruise?
No. Thats why I have all the 22 suggestions above – enjoy!
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Have you got any more tips for smuggling alcohol into festivals?
Let us know in the comments box below…
And remember, drink alcohol responsibly. If you feel as though you are drinking too much, then don’t feel embarrassed about reaching out for help, including seeking out alcohol addiction treatment if necessary.
PIN THESE WAYS TO SMUGGLE ALCOHOL FOR LATER
More on my love for festivals
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You left out Smuggle Mug’s products. Umbrella Flask is the best.
Water bottles don’t work anymore 🙁 I steamed off the caps and refilled water bottles with vodka for my Sasquatch trip, but they shake the bottles now and know from the bubbles whether or not it’s alcohol. They tossed 22 ounces of my rather expensive vodka,don’t let yours go to waste!
Ah noooo! Trouble is, I guess they can read this article too. They’re getting craftier. We must win the fight!
Thanks for the advise guys I know what to look for and tell my colleagues what to look out for come festival season
Security!
Every year for a tech festival I bury some booze under a tree and then uncover it during the event. If you know the venue well enough and enough people to cover you while you dig you’re golden
Ha, good one! Surprised they didn’t take that off you. Which festival was that?
In Canada many festivals allow you to bring whatever you want to the campsite (including a car) so there are minimal space/weight issues. They only restrict what you can bring into the festival grounds which may be a 1 or 2 km walk. The standard rules are that you can bring in an EMPTY bottle for water but no other fluids. What we usually do is use those soft plastic collapsable water bottles that you normally use for canoing or hiking. You put in 4 oz of hard liquor and push all the air out so it looks empty. Then fill it with tap water which most decent festivals provide for free.
That gives you a bit of juice to keep you going between refueling stops at the campsite. Not very classy but it works.
Ah that’s pretty good. I really want to go to Osheaga – is that the same? Loving the festival hacks here!
I’ve never been to Osheaga (or any outdoor festival in Québec for that matter).
It’s next week… now you have me thinking.
Darn sold out “non-transferable” tickets put an end to that dream quickly.
The liquor laws are very different province to province so I wouldn’t know what to expect.
My experience is just in Ontario and New York State (where they take security seriously).
You seem extremely resourceful and I am sure you could figure it out. Vivre le rève, Thanks for the tips.
Buy a case of soda, remove all of the soda cans except for the ones that appear in the handle holes, and replace them with cans of beer. Glue the flaps back shut, so it looks unopened .
Saw Manson/Pumpkins tonight. A combination of the above worked! 3 beers in a big italian loaf of bread. https://scontent-atl1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t34.0-12/11733518_10155725691195705_1979682949_n.jpg
For wine, I put half a bottle of Cabernet into a pomegranate Vitamin Water Bottle, but then threw in extra orange and mango Vitwater bottles to blend it in. Threw in the sandwiches..then naughty me got 2 tubes of pringles, filled each with 2 beers with pringles ontop. glued/resealed. Got it all through check..but my friends and I almost puked out when we ate the pringles because I sealed them with shoeglue. lol, but it worked. I’d be careful with italian loaf of bread thing, its a heavy loaf..so you must leverage it in a bag by throwing in bottles of water, sandwiches, other stuff to explain the “extra weight” of your bag, and then they may not notice. Other tip, pick the right line. Some bag checkers are more “on it” than others, and you can easily tell by how they deal with people. Look at their faces. If they smile at attenders, those are the lines you want, not the asshole types.
Amazing, thanks for the advice Warner B! Love that you resealed the Pringles. I managed to sneak a bottle of rum into Bilbao BBK Live this weekend by confidently walking up to the bag checkers and letting them look in my carrier bag I was holding, which just had a sleeping bag for a friend in it, and then storming on so he didn’t look in my rucksack. Just gotta act confident!
Amazing! I shall be trying out the some of these for Leeds Fest this year 😀
The most ingenius one I’ve heard of sofar (and will try next month) is carving out a big loaf of italian bread. insert bottle of wine. bag it over. hehee..now if security notices it’s heavy, you just say “it’s the REAL Italian bread.”
Ha, brilliant idea! Let me know how you get on with that. I’m planning on trying a few more of these this summer. 🙂
Any word on false bottomed coolers? I want to sneak beer into an even that allows coolers but not alcohol. I was thinking of one that has a low false bottom and holds 12 or so beers. Is there anything like that?
Ooo that’s a good idea – gap in the market?! I reckon 12 beers is quite a lot though!
In Oz we often sneak bottles of booze in to events in a loaf of bread.
Inside a watermelon was another way but people cottoned onto that (and they’re dangerous throwing implements, supposedly)
Ha, they don’t think it’s weird you want a whole load of bread? The trouble is, in England they’ve started to not let food in either. So annoying. Yeah, a watermelon would be pretty tough to take!
Thanks for sharing this awesome idea for carry favorite alcohol secretly. The idea of sunscreen bottle is really nice. I had no idea about hidden flask before. Two months before one of my friends bought Bev-Bag Secret Handbag Flask from Binocktails. It can hold over 28 oz. It has a hidden flask built into its base. This is a very nice product for ladies who want to enjoy their favorite drinks.
Bookmarked for next year for sure!
Great post. Really made me laugh and had some great ideas!
Thanks Karen!
This is awesome. Thank you so much to share it. The idea of sunscreen bottle is really nice. I also know a secret flask about the Bev-Bag is a FULLY FUNCTIONAL secret handbag flask for women that holds over 28 Oz. The Bev-Bag has a hidden flask built into its base.
Haha, love them!
Got a few of these ready for Bestival tomorrow – wish me luck!