Looking for the ultimate Glastonbury packing list? 

I’ve had a few people across the internet and in real life ask me what they need to take to Glastonbury. Backpack space is tight for festivals and your kit list for Glastonbury needs to be precise and carefully thought about.

– I wouldn’t put a bean bag on the Glastonbury essentials list, per se, but those trousers. Yes.

Trust me, if you make the same Glasto mistake I did  and arrive at peak time, all those ‘essentials’ you decided to bring won’t seem so essential any more.

In theory, the easiest thing to do is to make the decision now that you’re just going to wear the same thing all week, but if you’re like me and don’t really see that as an option, check out my Glastonbury packing tips below.

What to bring to Glastonbury

I’ve gone into depth here, but if you just want a straightforward and to the point Glastonbury checklist, scroll to the end. 

Remember that Glastonbury Festival is in a field, you will need to carry everything you need with you. 

– This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase, I will earn a tiny commission, at no cost to you. 

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Glastonbury essentials

What to take to Glastonbury

Your ticket – there is absolutely no way you’ll be allowed in to Glastonbury without your photo imprinted ticket. This needs to be the absolute number one on your list of Glastonbury essentials. Also, ID. 

Money and bank card – if you feel happy enough bringing all the money you need for Glastonbury in in one, go ahead. I prefer to work in hundreds and just bring my bank card too. There are ATMs all over the site and unlike other festivals, you don’t have to queue ages for one at Glastonbury.

Light and nifty tent – try this light pop up tent from Amazon. Every year there’ll be a reminder to not bring too big a tent, but you need a decent one for the bad weather.

There are tents for sale at Glastonbury, if you don’t want to carry one, or if you have a problem with yours but I’d say a good, strong tent should be pretty high on your Glastonbury packing list. Make sure you choose one with a good amount of positive reviews on Amazon as it’s impossible to test the best tent for Glastonbury, without trying it out for a few nights. 

– These tops are one way to keep the Glastonbury packing list to a minimum. Let it all out!

Cosy sleeping bag – this cosy Mummy one is great value at only £10.74 and 4/5 stars from 330 people on Amazon. If it’s going to rain on your way in to Glastonbury then make sure to cover it in plastic so you know you have somewhere nice and dry to retreat at the end of the day. 

Bags of wine – they’re the cheapest and lightest way to get your fix in. Saves hundreds. And yes, it’s definitely a Glastonbury essential.

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Read more on The Best Alcohol for Festivals

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Essentially you could get by on the above for Glastonbury, if you really had to. But that’s no fun. Here are a few more things creeping up into the ‘essentials for Glastonbury’ list. 

Glastonbury festival packing list

Summer clothes – check out my cheap festival fashion tips for help. I’ve been at Glastonbury when it’s been absolutely scorching, and also, rain. Lots and lots of rain. Although, it’s never been cold (touchwood). Not in the day anyway. Make sure to pack some shorts and dresses to deal with the heat. 

And winter clothes – you need to have nice, cosy jumpers for the evening and night. Glastonbury is a 24-hour festival and you don’t want to be the party pooper who goes home cold, do you? Warm tights and leggings are a great day to night warm up – so add that to your festival checklist girls! 

Comfy wellies – it’s Glasto, you need some wellies! Get a cool design like these Joules Molly Welly Mid-Calf Boots to really stand out – there are a few designs to choose from.

Or, if you want to really look like you’re at Glasto, you’re going to need some Hunter wellies to properly fit in. 

If wellies aren’t really your thing, or it’s too hot. Try hiking boots. There are loads of great priced hiking boots on Amazon to choose from. 

More on the Best Footwear for Glastonbury

Toothbrush and paste – one of the very few ways to stay fresh, and the easiest. There is a kind of ‘corner shop’ at Glastonbury, so you can pick up a few essentials, but it’s always best to take them with you, and bring home again. 

Enamel mug – enamel mugs are great for festivals. You can use them to help clean your teeth, to drink out of, and to eat cereal and soup of too. Definitely stick one of them on your Glastonbury packing list. Take a look at the many, many enamel mug designs they have on Amazon.

Sun cream – standing out in the June sun every day can give you a red face. Pack a little tube of sun cream and take it round with you. 

Rain mac that fits in your bag – these ones start at just £2.99 each from Amazon. Stick em in your bag! Or, take a better quality one that will also keep you warm. I love my yellow one. Lovely pic of it keeping me warm in the rain at Victorious Festival last year. 

More on the Best Ponchos for Glastonbury – a must for your festival checklist!

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READ MORE: The 10 Best Things to Do at Glastonbury Festival 

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More essentials for Glastonbury

Toilet roll – possibly the most essential item, after your ticket. You will need to carry your own toilet roll at Glastonbury. Occasionally you’ll be lucky and find some in there but no one wants to take that risk. If you don’t want to carry a big roll around then these little packets of tissues are great. Absolutely essential for your Glastonbury packing list!

Baby wipes – too many reasons, but you definitely need some baby wipes. Great for the toilet, for cleaning your tent, yourself, your face, and just to have around. 

Hand sanitiser – Glastonbury = grime – This one is a spray too so you can give the toilets a quick going over before you park your bum. And it’s not as gloopy as some of the others. Please take hand sanitiser. I kind of blame my lack of sanitiser for my getting ill at Glastonbury 2017. 

More on How to Stay Fresh at Glastonbury and Avoid Those Festival Toilets

Driving license – if you’re one of those young looking people, or you actually are just young then you will be challenged. Don’t your baby face get in the way of you and your cider! 

As long as you have the above on your Glastonbury kit list, you’re pretty much sorted for a good time. But of course, there’s always more…

Not so essential Glasto packing list

Lilo or blow up bed – got mine from Poundland last year but you could be prepared with this this single blow up mattress for less than a tenner from Amazon. I can guarantee it will be worth every penny, especially if it rains and the ground is cold and wet.

Definitely a good one for your Glastonbury packing list. 

Lots of socks – back in Glastonbury 2011 it rained, and rained, a lot. Every time we came back to the tent it was so nice to be able to put on a new and fresh pair of socks. I felt like a new woman. 

Groundsheet – another perfect Poundland purchase to keep you dry. Or get this 6 x 4ft one from Amazon for just £2.99. Groundsheets are actually a great thing to pack in your day pack for Glastonbury as you can sit on them around the festival. 

Beer trolley – a beer trolley could be the best money you ever spend. They have loads of designs on Amazon, and you can always give it to your nan afterwards.

These can really help you in getting your stuff into the festival, which can always be a challenge. I am definitely getting one of these this year. 

Trolleys and festival wagons are also a great idea if you have kids. You can check out our list of the best festival trolleys on the market here.

Spare carrier bags – to keep all your rubbish in order, and to separate filthy clothes from not so filthy during the fest. Also, good for sitting on if the ground is a bit wet. 

Torch – believe me, you need to check out those toilet seats before you get your skin anywhere near them. Try and get a head torch for Glastonbury, perfect for in the tent when you’re rooting around, or just rooting. It’s less than £3 too!

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Even less Glastonbury essentials kit

Walkie talkies – excellent for communication when you have no reception or battery.

Hat – to cover your skanky hair, for warmth, and to protect from the sun.

Flip flops – instant regret at not taking these in 2011 and now they’re a definite Glastonbury essential for me. In 2011 the sun came out and there was no way to release my feet from their welly boot dungeon. Also great for late night / early morning runs to the bathroom. 

Onesie – perfect for getting into the spirit of things, and for warmth.

Compact mirror – great for checking for boogers or spots without having to spend a second longer in the skanky Portaloo than you have to. Here’s a a pretty one for £3.02 or here’s the most basic little mirror for just £2.40. Also, essential festival packing for all the glitter you’re going to apply. 

Reusable plastic cups – can help for alcohol consumption at the tent. These pop up beer cups are also a good idea, so you’re ready at a moment’s notice, and don’t damage the environment. This year Glastonbury are doing a metal cup so you don’t need to use so much plastic. A great idea IMO. 

Things you might need at Glastonbury

Make up – you’ll probably sack it off after a while, but check out my Glastonbury beauty tips anyway.

Face cleaning stuff – get that Micellar water packed to get the dust and grime off!

A variety of sunglasses – sunglasses cover all kinds of sins so make sure you pack a few different looks to shield your eyes and face from the sun. 

Solar powered shower – I paid a fortune to use one a shower at a stall, see My First Time at Glastonbury. Which seems very silly when you could just group together and get this for £6.53.

Glitter – a festival must have in my eyes. There are glitter fairies doing all sorts of creations around Glastonbury but you will pay quite a bit for it. Best to just take your own glitter and enjoy using it as much as possible.

Make sure to stick to the biodegradable types of glitter though as glitter off of 170,000 people in the grounds and streams of a farm are not good for the animals. 

Cooking stove – yes, we made filtered coffee when I was there the first year. Deelish. Admittedly we sacked it off for year two, as we didn’t want to carry it from the car. But I will be well back on board the camping stove idea for this, my third year at Glastonbury.

I’ve found this neat little number that I think I’ll be able to carry easily from the car. Can’t wait to try it out. 

Moisturiser – shine those pasty legs up for the sun!

Lip balm – you’ll be weak and broken by the end and my lips always go dry when this happens. Make sure to pack a good lip balm to keep your lips moist. 

Vitamins – I like those disposable ones that make water taste like orange juice. I’d definitely recommend packing vitamins for Glastonbury. It’s a long week and your immune system will be attacked. Stay strong! 

Paracetamol – obviously. 

Pillow – a rolled up hoody can have the same effect but depends how much you value your sleep. I’ve done that in the past, and tried camping pillows too, but this year I’ll be taking a proper pillow to ensure the best chance at getting a good sleep as possible. 

Bed sheet – getting fancy now but this is definitely something I’ll be taking to Glastonbury this year. I don’t like touching the inflatable bed with my skin, because it’s either hot or cold. I like to bring an elasticated bed sheet to put on top, and maybe, even a blanket in between too. That bed can get cold!  

– Yeah, a tent should be pretty high on your Glastonbury essentials list, tbh.

Swimsuit – for showers? I’ve never done this, but might help you to stay clean at Glastonbury. I haven’t actually used the Glastonbury showers but by all accounts they’re high up on a hill somewhere. Last year I did wash my hair in a basin which made me feel about a million times better. That was joyful. 

Portable phone charger – way better to buy this now than have to queue at the big chargers at a festival and waste time waiting to pick it up again. I will actually be taking a few of these, because I love them. And I love my phone. Here are the best festival phone chargers compared.

Shitty phone – when I went in 2011 I bought a little £10 phone as I was so worried about losing my phone. I didn’t, which was great. So the next year I chanced it and now I’m all grown up and think I’ll be ok. Do look after your phone though, there are so many opportunities to lose your phone and not many to find it again. 

String for a washing line – can help if the weather is unpredictable and you need to wash your wet things from the day before in the sun. 

Ear plugs (20 Pairs for £3.26!) and an eye mask – Glastonbury can get the better of even the wildest of party animals.

Check out 11 Top Tips for Sleeping at Festivals and the Best Ear Plugs for Festivals

Camping chairs – if you can be bothered to carry these around,camping chairs will make you a lot comfier at Glastonbury. Or, you can take them and just leave at the campsite. Definitely one of the more luxurious items on your Glastonbury kit list.

A specially bagged clean set of clothes to go home in – they will feel amazing. So fresh and so clean. 

What to pack for Glastonbury

The shops at Glastonbury sell pretty much anything you could ever want. Even if you forget your tent you can buy it there – they’re all geared up for providing the essentials at top price rates – don’t you worry.

If you forget anything on this Glastonbury list, I can pretty much guarantee they’ll have it at the shop. But don’t test them, or me! 

As long as you have the Glastonbury essentials and a great attitude to mud, people and exhaustion, you are literally going to have the best week of your life!

Glastonbury what to take, in short

Money

Bank card

Tent

Sleeping bag

Bags of wine / booze

Summer clothes

Winter clothes

Comfy wellies / hiking boots

Toothbrush and paste

Enamel mug

Sun cream

Rain mac

Toilet roll

Baby wipes

Hand sanitiser

• Driving license
• Lilo or blow up bed
• Socks
• Groundsheet
• Beer trolley
• Spare carrier bags
• Torch
• Walkie talkies
• Hat
• Flip flops
• Onesie
• Compact mirror
• Reusable plastic cups
• Make up
• Face cleaning stuff
• Sunglasses
• Solar powered shower
• Glitter
• Cooking stove
• Moisturiser
• Lip balm
• Vitamins
• Paracetamol
• Pillow
• Bed sheet / blanket
• Swimsuit
• Portable phone charger
• Shitty phone
• String
• Ear plugs and eye mask
• Camping chairs
• Separate bag of clothes to go home in

You can buy pretty much all of this on Amazon. Click here to go through!

Questions about packing for Glastonbury 

If you have any questions about your Glastonbury packing list, let me know in the comments below. I’ll answer the most popular Glasto packing questions here. 

– Definitely add a reusable cup in your Glastonbury packing list, so we can stop with these blummin plastic cups. 

How can I cope with the Glastonbury mud? 

The Glastonbury mud is iconic and inevitable. I’d recommend wearing hiking boots, or wellies if it’s really bad. Don’t wear clothes you’d be upset to ruin. Accept that it will happen, and avoid popular areas if it’s really muddy. 

Remember, it’s only mud. You will survive. 

What can you not bring to Glastonbury? 

You can’t bring any glass into Glastonbury. Make sure to decant your alcohol, and don’t pack glass perfume. It might get taken off you and then you’ll be really annoyed. 

Also, straight from the Glastonbury website: 

“No generators. No sky lanterns or kites, unauthorised fireworks, or wax flares. No nitrous oxide (laughing gas). As a contraband good, under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 this substance is banned at Glastonbury.”

Can you BBQ at Glastonbury? 

BBQing at Glastonbury is not allowed. There are just too many tents and too many food vendors for this to be even worth it. You’ll have any BBQ equipment taken off you if it’s found, and if you set it up and use it the stewards will be on you in minutes. Don’t risk your hard earned ticket! 

What’s the bag search like to get into Glastonbury? 

– Maybe you need to add a swimsuit to your Glastonbury checklist?

I’ve been to Glastonbury three times now, and my bag has never been searched. I went in 2017, a month after the Manchester bombing and they gave all this about how the bag search would be strict, yet despite a huge queue, it wasn’t at all. 

However, anything could change, and maybe it was just me. 

What are the absolute top 5 things to pack for Glastonbury? 

• 1. Money
• 2. Ticket 
• 3. Tent 
• 4. Booze 
• 5. Phone 

(and a sleeping bag)

If you have that, you’ll be alright. 

Which bag to take to Glastonbury?

Put some serious thought into what bag you want to use for Glastonbury as you’re going to carry that bag a long way, over what can be difficult terrain. Depending on the weather you might be able to drag / push it, but I’d advise taking one you can put on your back. However, if you’re not used to carrying 20kg on your back, that’s going to hurt.

You need to be prepared for the fact that you’re going to have to stand around to get your wristband, especially this year. There’ll be increased security which could mean more time in the queue – depending on what time you arrive, and which gate.

You need to be able to comfortably hold everything you’re taking in, for an indefinite amount of time. Could be hours. When I went in 2012 we were in the queue for 3 hours, meaning that we had to keep putting the bags on the floor. Cue, mud ruined. Be prepared for that when you’re thinking about how you want to pack.

My Glastonbury bag of choice is the Osprey Meridien, thanks to the fact I used it around the world for over a year so I know it’s good. And that it opens from the front rather than the top. This helps immensely when it comes to trying to stay tidy and organised. The other reason I’m choosing to take this bag is because you can either have it as a wheely, or as a backpack. Meaning I’ve got the best of both worlds. Weirdly that Amazon listing doesn’t show off that functionality, but you can unzip the back to get the straps out.

I will make sure to fit everything in here, or strapped onto here, with a spare arm to help carry the tent. Have you seen my post about the best festival backpacks?

How to make the most of your bag space

I’d strongly recommend having some sort of method to packing your bag for Glastonbury Festival. Use packing cubes, or at least different bags. For most of us space is tight in the tent and so you need to stay tidy, especially if you’re sharing with someone. Having some sort of bag or packing system will also help you to keep dirty stuff away from the clean.

Strap your roll mat and sleeping bag to your bag on the outside. Make sure they’re covered in case it rains.

Items that can double up

I don’t use a pillow in bed so taking one to Glastonbury isn’t essential for me. But, of course, I don’t want my face to sweat the night away against the foam roll mat. I’ll just use a hoody for a pillow and be fine.

Take a sarong in place of a towel. Towels are heavy, wet and cumbersome, even if you have one of those travel ones. I’d definitely recommend swapping it out for a sarong – more malleable and can be used as a picnic blanket, a cover, a pillow, for warmth or for privacy as you need.

Plastic bags are always a good thing to pack. You can use them to sit on, for rubbish, to organise your backpack and for protecting your food / drink or anything you don’t want to mix in.

How to stay organised in your tent

Before you leave your tent for the day lay out the things you’ll need at night. Line up your toothbrush, toothpaste, a bottle of water, PJs, cleanser, moisturiser – all that good stuff.

Hang a torch on the inside from the top of the tent, and make sure that everyone knows they’re not allowed to move it. Brilliant when you come back from your big night out and can actually see what you’re doing.

Have toilet roll in an easy access place. If you’re busting you don’t want to be faffing around in the tent trying to find it.

Before you leave your tent for the first time, make sure you know how to get back to it. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in talking to friends, or looking around, that you don’t pay attention to your route. If, for one of the billion reasons it could happen, you end up by yourself later, you don’t want to not be able to find your way back.

If you don’t want to camp, here are some great places to stay near the festival, with functioning bathrooms and beds.

What to pack for the day

Think carefully about what to have in your day pack. Take items like long sleeved tops and hats to keep warm, ponchos for the rain and maybe a cereal bar or two so you don’t get hangry while you wait for your friends to do whatever the hell it is they’re doing this time.

How to pack your food and drink

You’re allowed food and drink for personal consumption so don’t worry about trying to hide it when you come in.

Keep your festival food in a separate bag and double bag it. Keeps the sun, rain, and critters off it. If you have the urge and strength to take a cool box, go for it, I don’t.

You will need to decant any booze into a plastic bottle before you enter the grounds, as glass isn’t allowed.

Just make sure it’s all tidied away before you leave your tent, and that whatever you’re putting the food in it’s not touching the sides of the tent. Otherwise, pure sogginess.

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What to pack back at the tent

Leaving stuff in the tent might be a worry, but I know a lot of people who’ve been to festivals and can honestly say I don’t know any of them who’s had anything stolen from their tent. Glastonbury is a cool festival, chilled and happy. You shouldn’t need to worry.

Personally I won’t be leaving anything of any value in my tent. Nothing I’m not prepared to lose. I’ll be taking my phone, camera and purse, but everything else can stay. When I sleep I’ll simply put them all in the sleeping bag with me.

What can you buy there?

You can buy almost everything you could possibly need there. There’s a farm shop for eggs, bread and milk. There are camping shops with sleeping bags, air beds, festival tents and wellies. And there are boutiquey shops full of things for your hair, face and body. You can even buy clothes, shewees to avoid using the festival toilets and of course, loads of booze.

What more do you need?

Don’t worry too much about packing – just take a look at my list of what you should take to Glastonbury, and make it your own.

The best thing to bring is the best attitude possible, and everything else will fall into place.

And your ticket, of course.

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