Financing your festival season

Whether you’re a dance diva, metalhead, pop princess or all three, festivals can be a costly way to spend your weekend stomping around a field. We share a few seasoned festivalgoers’ tips for saving money while still having fun.

From tickets, parking and camping, to food, drink and outfits, financing a festival can add up pretty quickly. To help you prepare for your next musical pilgrimage, seasoned festivalgoers share how they maximise the vibes without maxing out their budgets.

Book early

Being organised may not seem fun, but it can save you some cold hard cash. 'Many festivals have early-bird offers, which can save around £50 per ticket', says Dee from Wolverhampton. 'These can go on sale up to a year before, so you need to be on it. Sign up for newsletters, so you get an alert when tickets are released.'

The same approach can help you save on travel. 'We always book our travel early to get the best price,' Dee says.

Make sure to harness coach and rail cards too. 'Coach is generally one of the cheapest options,' Dee says, 'and some providers will take you direct to the site, which saves a lot of hassle. Or carpool with friends to save on petrol and car park passes.'

Festival for free

You might also be able to fund your ticket by working for it. 'Charities may provide opportunities at many festivals,' says Dee. 'Alternatively, you can sign up to work as a steward, doing everything from entry to litter picking.'

Or think about one of the free or cheap festivals. 'The UK hosts some absolute gems of smaller independent festivals,' says Jasmine from Surrey.

'These tend to cost a lot less – sometimes half the price – and prices onsite are often lower too. Or find free events, where you’ll only have to pay for travel, food and drinks.'

Cut your camping costs

'Consider renting your kit', says Rachel from Norfolk. 'You can hire anything from tents to mattresses, sleeping bags, lamps and stoves for a nicer experience on a budget.'

'Or pool your money with friends and invest in a high-spec tent you can take turns using or with enough compartments for you to share.'

There are also inexpensive ways to upgrade. 'You can get a sleeping bag liner for around £10,' says Jasmine. 'These add a lot of warmth and are light to carry.'

Save on your supper

For onsite eats, pack your own provisions and look out for bargains. 'We always take a camping stove and kettle,' says Mark from London.

'You can take a cool box with food, and top up at the markets that some festivals host,' he says. 'Pack ready-to-eat items like croissants, cereal and long-life milk to save around £10 a day.'

Jasmine agrees. 'Some events offer access to water and cordials for a nominal fee, so that can be a great way to save on drinks and mixers.'

A few final tips

You don’t have to empty your wallet to keep your electronic devices fully charged. 'Onsite charging services can be costly, and there’s often a big queue,' Jasmine explains. She swears by 30,000 mAh power banks, available for under £40.

For your festival wardrobe, embrace pre-loved fashion. 'Whether you shop online or hit your local charity shop for vintage tees and retro dresses, you can get cool, unique items for less,' says Rachel. 'Plus, it’s generally much more sustainable.'

Finally, why not combine a festival with your summer holiday? Rachel went to her first festival abroad last year, then booked a week’s break after to save on travel. 'Not only did it mean guaranteed sunshine at the festival,' she says, 'but we also got some lovely R&R afterwards.'

To support customers with actioning their budgets, Chase lets you set up multiple current accounts, up to 20 in total. Since you can spend from these directly, they might help you track your spending at a festival.

18+, UK residents.

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