Best Food for Festivals (38+ Great Ideas for 2023)
Looking for the best food for festivals? After years of research, let me show you my ways. Here’s the best festival food you can prep in advance.
Light, cheap, can be cooked on a camping stove and hardy to the changing weather elements – that’s what you want from your festival food choices.
Some festivals will have a comprehensive eating area where the food is the star attraction, along with the acts of course. These foodie festivals like to have artisan foods in and keep their vegetarian, gluten-free, pescatarian and meat needers alike all happy together. But you just never know, so when it comes to the best food for festivals it pays to be prepared.
Best food to take to festivals
You’ll also save money at your festival by taking your own scram along. I’ve only ever been to one festival that didn’t let you take food in and that was Field Day. It was sad. Everyone was sat out the front chomping away at their carefully prepared sandwiches. They seemed to have relaxed a bit more the next year, but as I say, best to be prepared when it comes to food for festivals.
If you’re taking your food into the festival with you, here’s what I’d recommend…
Healthy festival food
When you’re packing your food for festivals it’s always a good idea to pack some healthy treats, as generally, festival food isn’t always the best for you. Theses are my favourite festival foods to keep your vitamins up.
1. Cereal – I like to eat Weetabix Minis straight out the box, but feel free to substitute for your cereal of choice. At Glastonbury Festival they sell milk in the mornings, fresh from the farm. Absolute dream!
2. Yogurt drinks – a little heavier to carry than I’d prefer, but at least the bottles are robust and will assist the dried fruit in the digestion. Anything to keep your digestive system on top is a great idea for the best food for festivals.
3. Oranges – now here’s a bit of refreshing health for you, and they come in their own handy packaging too. Bit annoying to carry around though, and kinda messy to eat, so one of those foods for festivals that are best for back at the tent.
4. Dried fruit – great for keeping you regular and getting your 5-a-day in amongst all these sweets, chocolate, bread and crisps you’ll no doubt consume. Dried fruit is also great in the couscous mentioned below.
5. Frozen berries – these can be used for ice as long as they last, and then you can eat them by the handful.
MORE healthy festival food ideas…
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Best food to take to festivals
Most festivals have good festival food nowadays – things have changed. But if you want some food to take to a festival just to save money, or hassle, or so you have the food you like, then I hope you enjoy this list.
Semi-healthy festival food
11. Couscous – cheap, easy to make with hot water and semi healthy, mix with the raisins above.
12. Cereal bars – great for a snack on the go and for carrying around in your bag by day. Try to go for the less sugary versions.
13. Flapjacks – my friend once made a batch of these for Glasto, delicious and went in just a few hours. Transport well and so good to have some home-cooked food at a festival. These would be near the top of my best food for festivals list, for sure!
14. Nuts – full of good fats, filling and easy to carry around, grab yourself a big bag of these hubs of deliciousness. Nuts are great for keeping up with the protein to fill you up for the day.
15. Beef jerky – another great festival food to keep in your bag for an energy perk. Beef jerky is full of protein and fares well in all weathers.
16. Banana bread – YUM. I love banana bread. Second Nature have a great carb free version that will travel well and taste yummy on a morning at a festival.
READ MORE: The Best Food Festivals Around the World
*Buy in advance so you know it’s all ready to go in the morning*
MORE semi-healthy best food for festivals ideas…
Unhealthy festival food
22. Bread rolls – mmm crisp sandwiches, see below.
23. Cheese – depends on the heat but could be delicious for the first day or two with your crisp sandwich.
24. Sweets – yep yep, you need the energy so stick them in the shopping basket.
25. Chocolate – same, go for the Double Deckers, my favourite. If you are taking chocolate to festivals, then just think about what it’s going to be like melted, and how sturdy it is. Chocolate Buttons are definitely among my favourite chocolates, but, they’d be one meltedy mess by the time the festival is over.
26. Crisps – light and cheap, perfect for your festival binge. Definitely among the best food for festivals!
27. Muffins – if you get those prepacked ones they last for ages, but probably won’t provide you with any vits. If you’re bothered!
32. Biscuits – always good with a cup of tea, and definitely needed for energy levels throughout the day. I’d always go for Cadbury’s Fingers, or maybe a digestive?
33. Wraps – more robust than bread and thanks to the hefty packaging on some brands they’ll withstand the epic weather conditions at British festivals.
34. Marshmallows – obviously, needed for the possible campfire opportunities.
If you have a camping stove
If you can take a stove, then the range of food to take to festivals improves greatly. I have this little camping stove, it’s great. Here are a few festival food ideas for you to cook up!
35. Beans – always good to have in storage when you get desperate. Heat them up and stick them in a wrap and they’re well tasty. Beans are definitely among the best food for festivals.
36. Sausages – at Glastonbury the weather was so cold the first few days we loved having sausages to cook on our camping stove. Shame I burnt them, but down the hatch they still went. It was nice not to have the effort of finding food in the morning, and just being able to chill at the campsite. You need to eat these at the start of the trip, obviously.
37. Soup – instant soups are one of the best foods to take to a festival – they’re easy to cook and will keep you warm in the cold evenings. Also, so cheap! If you’re taking a stove and looking for the best food for music festivals, soup is a great shout.
38. Pot Noodles – pretty much lived off these at Reading Festival. We actually took a few trays of them with us and sold them on at a profit. This was back in the day when festival food was really rubbish though, and I was totally skint, not sure I’d take so many now!
Any good festival food recommendations I’ve missed out?
Let me know your best food for festivals in the comments section below
What are the best snacks for festivals?
The best snacks for festivals are portable, easy to carry, won’t melt or spoil, and will last a few days in extreme weathers. Think cereal bars, dried fruit, crisps and noodles.
How do you pack food for a music festival?
Keep food well wrapped and separate in your bag from everything else to ensure freshness, and that it doesn’t touch your clothes etc. If you’re taking a cool box or cooler, then obviously keep it in there. If not, then make sure it’s ok to eat, before you do!
How do I eat healthily at festivals?
It can be difficult to eat healthily at festivals, especially with all the temptation around – but it’s definitely worth a try as you’ll feel better in the long run. I’d recommend you take dried fruit and cereal bars, and maybe some fresh fruit if you can too. If the weight of your possessions isn’t a problem, then maybe you could take some tinned fruit to enjoy while you’re there. As you go round the festival look out for the healthier options too, rather than going for burgers, chips and bacon sandwiches!
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We are going to Glastonbudget and we cant take anything to heat water with how did you go about hot water for your pot noodles
Hi Karen, I used a gas stove to do it but if you’re not allowed that then I’m afraid you’re going to have to stick with the other suggestions. Sounds like they’re cracking down a bit.
Oh nice, any suggestions on how to keep it cool?
i have recently discovered Cider in 5 or 10 litre bag in boxes, The Cambridge Cider Company sell them and they are brilliant for festivals, no glass, no queing, and lots of lovely cider.