Nothing compares to the thrill of seeing your favorite artists alongside tons of game-changing newcomers in one epic weekend. While you can't put a price tag on the awesome experiences you'll have to, but you can take some simple steps to avoid your bank balance taking a pounding.
Save your hard-earned cash with a few of my favourite insider tips...
Take an old phone.
If you lose it, like many many people do at music festivals, it will be much cheaper to replace than a brand-new smartphone!
Volunteer of course!
It might sound strange to volunteer at an event that you are trying to attend for fun, but hear me out because it is possibly one of the easiest ways to earn your way into the festival. Usually, larger festivals need all the extra hands they can get. You will save yourself an average of £150 right off the bat, not to mention usually get a meal or two thrown in. Check out companies like Festaff, who are offering 30+ UK music festivals in 2017.
Buy your merch on the last day.
You get some amazing deals on festival t-shirts at the end of the show. Be careful though, if everyone is wearing the one you want - it's probably close to selling out!
Split travel with a friend.
It's more fun than getting the coach and can save you a fortune in petrol. Car pool with some mates and split the costs or check out the festival's forum and see who else is travelling from your area. Who knows, you might even make some new friends
A trip to the supermarket.
As we all know, food and drink costs can add up quick. Your average takeaway meal at a festival will cost anywhere between six or 10 pounds meaning you could be spending over £50 a day just on food. Save a small fortune by picking up plenty of snacks, fruitpots, cereal bars & other high energy foods before you get to the festival, then you can just buy one or two meals a day.
Print off set list and map beforehand.
It can be tempting to pay for a festival programme, but it really isn't necessary and they tend to be majorly overpriced. Don't pay ten pounds at the door for something you can get for free online with a teeny bit of forward planning you can save yourself a pretty penny - print off the map and set list before you go or check out the app for all key information.
Recycle cups for cash.
As more and more festivals are striving to become greener, earning cash for recycling is fast becoming one of the easiest ways to help fund your festival weekend! Many are going in hard at promoting recycling, offering keen litter-pickers cash rewards if they return their used cups. It's only something in the region of 10p per cup, but every little helps! You could find yourself buying a couple of extra drinks simply from picking up some leftovers, and they are everywhere at festivals. Think of the possibilities!
Stash up on bottle lids.
An increasing trend at gigs and festivals is to only give you bottles without the lid, which is all fine and dandy until you want to put your bottle away and save some water for later. A sneaky bottle lid at the bottom of your bag can save you downing your drinks, only to have to buy more later! This rule is only put in place to get more money out of people, in which case it deserves to be broken!
Don't waste money on pricey kit.
You can easily spend hundreds on all your camping gear, but it isn't necessary and the chances of it getting damaged are (let's be honest) pretty high. Most of the kit you take to a festival ends up going in the bin afterwards, as you can always rely on a British summer to completely wreck your tent... if you can actually find it in amongst the mud, that is! Keep a close eye out for deals online, as well as places like your local supermarket. You'll be able to pick up all the essentials and still have plenty of change left over to stock up on some beer!
So there you have it! Follow these simple tips and you could end up having an amazing festival experience, minus the massive money-shaped hole burned into your pocket.