What's The Best Festival Tent 2026?

(This post contains Amazon Affiliate links)

Having a decent tent can make the difference between the best time ever and the worst. Heading back to a cosy space with everything you need to unwind and get ready for the next day is the dream, and this post is here to help you realise that at your next festival or camping trip!

With nearly 15 summers under canvas, I've tried out lots of tents. Whether purchased, borrowed, hijacked or tatted, I've tried almost every mid-range tent on the market, so I'm going to share my top three picks, covering every festival situation and need.

What Do I Need From A Festival Tent?

First, ask yourself these questions:

• How many people need to fit inside?
• Are you going to have a large amount of luggage or any valuable items that you may want to leave at the campsite? 
• Are you going to a small festival where you will be able to come back to the tent regularly or are you headed to something huge where you may not see your camp for days? (Boomtown, I'm looking at you)
• How much space do you have in the car for a tent, or are you travelling by coach and foot? The weight of your tent is going to be extremely important if you are taking a greener travel option than driving!
• What is your budget?

For festivals or camping that doesn't involve simply driving a car up to a pitch, you'll want something that's easy to carry, so unless you are going for a one person pop-up, keep an eye on the weight and overall size of the packed tent.

Even the most rustic of campers can benefit from a porch area. You'll use it for muddy clothes and boots, storing rubbish, staying out of the sun and lots more, it's the one thing I really miss if I end up in a basic tent!

Easy to put up and down, come rain or sun. If you've ever had to put a tent down in the driving rain you'll know this is a need, not a want.

1. 2-3 Man Pop Up Dome Tent, £39.99

This is a total bargain and if you have to go with a cheap pop-up, spend the extra fiver for one that's double layered. It will make a huge difference to the warmth and protection for your sleeping body and precious festival outfits. With great reviews and the latest pop-up tech, this is a sturdy little tent perfect for one person (we all know to take one person off the recommended occupancy right?). Although it doesn't really have the porch area we like, it does convert into a gazebo for the daytime, a perfect place to gather and plan the evening.

Go for if: It's just you, you aren't taking lots of stuff and it's not going to be consistently terrible weather.

2.  3 Man Octogo Tent (currently reduced to £128.99 from £239.99!)

There so many great features to this tent, it will definitely last a full season if not more. It's got big, real-style doors for easy ventilation and welcoming people in to shelter from the sun, rain or party. There are windows on each panel that you can uncover for more ventilation and sunshine in the day and it's surprisingly easy to pitch as well as one of the lightest larger tents our crew has tried out. It's also super easy to spot across a field as it's taller than most 3 man tents, you can easily stand up inside!

Go for if: You like your tent being the place everyone gathers

3. Vango Scafell, £119.99

Okay so it isn't the cutest tent around, but if you are looking for something that will do for actual camping trips as well as festivals, I can't recommend this version of the Vango Scafell enough. I've had both this and the older version, which I've looked for and haven't been able to find, but if you come across a Vango Mambo second-hand, it's also a great tent! which is no longer available and the large porch with side door, double walled bedroom and multiple pockets and hooks really does elevate your camping experience. I know, it's not a pop up, but it's really quick and easy to put up and down and will hold you, all your things and several pals in a rainstorm, as well as keeping everything safe and dry.

Go for if: You want something sensible, good value and solid.

These are all tried-and-tested products that will last for much longer than just one weekend - but please let me know your recommendation in the comments.

Leave No Trace!

Please don't buy a tent just to leave it in the fields, you might convince yourself it will be collected by charity but the vast majority are broken, vandalised, not suitable or simply not collected by charities at all, so there are a huge number than end up in landfill - around 250,000 each year. 

If you only want a tent for one event, consider buying second-hand, many second-hand tents have only ever been used once for an event and are then got rid of. There's also lots of tent recycling and repatriation schemes in the UK, Decathlon usually run a great project where you can return your tent after an event and receive it's full value back on a gift card - keep an eye out here to see if they run this in 2026!

What's Download Festival Like?

 It's been a while since I was here writing about festivals. Covid took away a lot from the events industry, which I plan on covering in later blogs, in particular what it meant for festival production to have lost so many long-timers. Since events were basically off for two years, with the exception of a few that pushed through the trials of a late summer 2021 event, many individuals with expert knowledge of putting on festivals and events had to find other ways to make a living - which has left big gaps in production teams across the festival circuit. 

Which brings me nicely to Download 2022. There's so much to say about how it came about that I was even attending, but I'll keep it simple. A friend of mine was looking for some help towing a trailer and setting up her cake and tea stall. I'd worked with her before, at Illusive a few years ago, and I know that her usual team was quite a laugh, so I agreed. What's that? I agreed to drive a long-wheelbase van and janky old trailer over 100 miles? I'm not sure what possessed me to do that, to be honest. I've never driven a van. I don't know anything about trailers. I don't even know my left and right.

With quite a bit of help, I got the thing there, and after a rather sudden reminder of why festival accreditation is a pain in the butt when you aren't going in with a band, we managed to site the trailer in the right spot and batton down the hatches for the first night.

I'd studied the line-up pretty hard before setting off. Mostly bands in the 'I know I should want to see them but I don't' catagory. Iron Maiden, Steel Panther, Biffy Clyro, Korn Kiss, The Darkness...the list of rock bands was long and I'm not going to sugarcoat it, not massively appealing to my more upbeat and less deathy musical taste, but, we move.

If you are thinking of attending Download 2023, here's my top tips:

• Fashion was black, black and more black. Vintage Iron Maiden shirts and leather waistcoats were the most-spotted sartorial choice. Bring your ripped tights and fedoras, everything you own that's black leather and a vape. Honestly, finding anyone with a lighter was nigh-on impossible.
• The site is large and set around a racing circuit. At some point, you might even find yourself walking along it. Some of the camping is a very long trek from the car park. It's not as bad as many of the larger festivals, but you'll definitely be putting the steps in. Staff camping is way up on yonder hill, so if you are working at the festival, camping in the main arena next to your stall is the better option if you plan to get to work on time. 
• The Village is the best party after hours. It took us three full days to find, as you have to walk quite a long way and it almost seems like you are leaving the site and walking into a totally different area, but once you see the unmistakeable shape of stacked containers looming in the distance, you are nearly there. 24-food vendors, fairground rides and banging music draw revellers all night long.
• Be prepared for things to get wild. I don't know if it was just because it was the first big festival in a while for people, or if it's always like that, but some serious partying went down at Download this year. From a viral snap of a gentleman receiving a bj in broad daylight in a main throughfare to rumours of outrageous parties in staff camping, there was a lot going on - 
• Book quiet camping for a curfew on noise or go all out and try one of the many luxury camping options - we saw everything from Gypsy caravans to mini container homes. Most regular Download goers book RIP which gives you some extra bits like posh toilets and warm showers and secret things that I didn't quite find out about! 

Since it's been a while that I've written about festivals, I'm going to cover some of the things that I know I have looked for when researching upcoming events, which I know others are often looking for too. Sorry if you find talking about toilets boring :)

TOILETS

Download had plenty of toilets in each arena and they were cleaned every single night that we were there, we also got our own toilet as part of our stall which stayed spotless and stocked the whole time. Bit sad they didn't bother with using anything but the cheapest chemical toilet but as I camped in the main arena, I'm not sure what the campsite facilities were like. It was a bit of a mess by the late evening, but generally, reasonably good - I don't have experience of the disabled facilities, so if you do, let me know and I will add that information.

ECO 

Was Download eco-friendly? Well, the mess didn't make the headlines as at some other events this year. To be honest, at that point in the summer, I didn't know how important festival's ability to manage their waste properly was going to become, and it did really become more apparent over the season that some festivals really had this down, and others struggled with implementing even the most basic principles. I do know that litter was well dealt with at Download, whether that was the clientele or the production, probably both. One big problem which became apparent here and for the rest of the summer was disposable vape pens, one use, non-rechargable flavoured vape devices with a lithium battery that get thrown after a hundred puffs, all solid plastic. Festivals need to do something about this!

WORKING 

There's a couple of dedicated staff camping areas but for reasons that I cannot fathom, they are MILES from the main arena, which makes no sense if they want people to get to their stalls on time, but there we go. We discovered this extremely long walk one night looking for the staff showers, because despite allowing camping in the main arena there were no staff showers there, not great for hygiene because I honestly wondered who bothered with that huge trek every day, you'd be covered in dust and whatever else by the time you walked back. As far as I discovered, having a staff wristband made very little difference, except being allowed in the main arena past midnight.

So, a week before we set off for Download 2023 I've finally posted this! Let me know in the comments of over on Instagram if you are heading for Donnington Park next week!!

Ultimate Festival Inspiration - Tassels, Sequins & Metallics

All I want in life is sequins, biodegradable glitter and my friends in a field - four weeks until HOGSOZZLE!! (buy your ticket here)

We can't wait and I'm starting to try and put together some outfits for the occasion that I can add to the ridiculous amount of festival clothes I bought last year and create some super-memorable ensembles. I've put together a wishlist which I'll add to and edit over the next month and hopefully beyond - I hope you will find something that you love...

Amazing right?  Bookmark this page as I'll be adding lots more items as I find them online and these sell out.  I'd love to know what you think, if you make a purchase from my list or your favourite online destinations for festival garms, please leave a comment below, or hook up with me on Instagram here.

Katy xx

- This post contains affiliate links

Camping Essentials For Sleeping And Comfort at Festivals (or on holiday!)

I struggled with what to call this post. Sleeping Bag Information Post? Camping Essentials For Sleeping With Some Comfort In A Bony Field?

Check out my Festival Tent Shopping Guide Here for lots of tent options.

You probably already have a sleeping bag tucked away in a cupboard, but just in case yours (like mine) ended up with four chocolate bars in the bottom stashed in the airing cupboard for a year, here's a guide to some of the best sleeping bags and other extras you can buy at every price range to give your weekend a little bit of extra comfort.

Worst case scenario, we once had a short notice opportunity come up to camp at a festival that we thought we were only going to for the day, although we had a tent we didn't bring anything to sleep on. Here is an actually photo of my trying to sleep on this occasion using our other supplies as a makeshift nest - the neck pain was real.

I don't recommend this set-up.

First things first, do not underestimate the chill of a summer morning in the UK. You WILL need a sleeping bag and something to lay underneath it so the chill in the ground doesn't give you a cold.

1. Trespass Seista (click here for reviews, info and to purchase) - £24.74

This is the sleeping bags that we have currently. They are super lightweight and pack down into a tiny bag the size of your hand but I've never been cold whilst inside mine!

2. MultiWare 3/4 Season Sleeping Bag - £9.59

When buying a sleeping bag, you'll often see how many seasons it's suitable for out of 4. This bag is thicker than the Trespass one but rolls up quite a lot bigger. My son has one of these for his school trips and it's pretty effective, the best thing about it is that you can open the whole thing out flat like a blanket or if you felt so inclined you could also zip two of them together to make a double.

3. Mountain Warehouse Apex 250 Sleeping Sack - £15.99

Suitable for two seasons, which I kind of assume are Spring and Summer although that isn't immediately clear. It's useful to have a distinctive pattern so when you come to pack away you don't pick up the wrong bag - this also packs down into a tiny little sack so it's ideal for longer walks to your campsite.

A sleeping bag alone won't give you a huge amount of support for your back. If you are anything like me (by which I mean, if you are over 25 and have ever hurt your back) you'll know that sleeping on freezing cold, rock hard ground isn't the best. I'd strongly recommend some kind of airbed or 'lino' type mat to prevent cold transfer and give you a little bit of extra comfort. Most of the mats around now are significantly better than those awful blue airbeds that your Mum used to have for sleepovers. We tried to take one of those once and it got popped within about an hour. We dragged it out the tent and used it as a sort of communal picnic blanket but it ended up abandoned in the field, soaked in wine and regret.

1. Trail Extra Thick Self Inflating Camping Mat  - £24.99

Self-inflating camping mats are the future. You simply unroll, undo the valve, put your tent up and then your mat should be full inflated although you may need to blow a few breathes into it the first few times to inflate the cells properly. It's a clever vacuum system that means you don't need to carry and heavy air pump and the relevant batteries around with you. This extra-thick one looks cosy, we have the Vango version (below) but if I had seen this I would have gone for it.

2. Hikenture Inflatable Sleeping Mat with Pillow - £30.88

This looks amazingly comfortable, I can just imagine flooping down on it after a hard night dancing and it's a self-inflater too. Buying a mat with a built in pillow means you don't have to bring one from home, although I always do as I like to sit on something soft when I'm sitting around camp.

3. Vango Self-Inflating Camping Mat - £28.10

This is the mats that we have and they have lasted 12 festivals so far and haven't succumbed to cigarette burns or punctures. They roll up and come with bags but they are slightly heavier than the sleeping bags, yet I always forget that they need to be factored into the weight of our belongings when we are loading up cars and trolleys. Definitely worth a buy, I've recommended them to so many people.

Once your essentials are sorted, see if your budget stretches to a few extra bits to make your campsite comfortable and welcoming.  Here are some other bits and pieces that we have either used or really want to add to our kit this year.

1. Sunncamp Inflatable Chair - £11.95

What a bargain! Although you probably need a pump to inflate it, this style of inflatable chair has been my favourite the last few years and I'm chuffed to have scored this for our kit. I've usually found that someone else on the campsite will be happy to lend a pump if one is needed so I'm crossing my fingers and taking this along.

2. Chill Out Wedge - £14.99

I can't wait to bust this out! We got this as a gift last Christmas and it literally looks like a dream for lounging around camp getting ready for the night ahead. One of the main issues I have with camping is there is never anything to lean against to relax #firstworldproblems

3. iRegro Inflatable Sofa - £24.65

I have a love/hate relationship with these things. They look great, you sink into them like you are floating on a giant cloud and they are weirdly easy to inflate, you just wave the opening about like you are trying to put on a duvet cover. But they are thin and they seem to be the thing I see abandoned most after tents at the end of a festival so I get the impression they pop quite easily. Keep away from cigarettes and sharp sequins!

I hope this has helped! Please do comment below with any links to your own essential camping kit :)

What Tent Is Best For A Festival - Choosing a Festival Tent For Keeps

Happy Spring! I'm excited to introduce the first in a new series of Festival Essential guides that I am going to be posting over the next few weeks.

I've pulled together some of the best tent options I can find at every price point - please do leave me a comment if you have any questions or want to recommend a tent to add to the list. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase a tent after clicking one of my links I get paid a small commission but there's no change in cost to you.

Whether you are a seasoned UK festival goer or have your first tickets booked for this year, the main piece of kit you are going to need is a tent. There are a huge range of options out there, as long as you don't leave it to the last minute you should be able to pick up an amazing tent at a really reasonable price that fits all of your needs and more.

First, establish the basics:

• How many people need to fit inside?
• Are you going to have a large amount of luggage or any valuable items that you may want to leave at the campsite? 
• Are you going to a small festival where you will be able to come back to the tent regularly or are you headed to something huge where you may not see your camp for days? (Boomtown, I'm looking at you)
• How much space do you have in the car for a tent, or are you travelling by coach and foot? The weight of your tent is going to be extremely important if you are taking a greener travel option than driving!
• What is your budget?

Let's start with something ridiculously affordable. Unlike regular camping, at a festival you may find your tent crammed with sweaty people you have just met, poking through your stuff and trying to borrow your glitter - and they are all drunk. This combination at any time of the day or night means people rubbing their body up against the interior layer of the tent and just in case you weren't a Girl Guide, that means condensation will be able to penetrate the outer skin of the tent. Once you have touched the skin, water will continue to come through in that spot until you completely dry out the tent. British mornings, even in summer, are dewy and damp and there is no chance of keeping any of your stuff dry with a single layer tent. Most cheap tents tend to be single layer but I've found this amazing bargain for £24.99.

Check out the full specifications and reviews by clicking here

Bonus features include mosquito netting across the vents (because bugs love your unwashed festival skin and high-alchohol blood) and taped seamed - you don't usually get this in a cheaper tent and it means that water can't seem in through badly sewn seams. Honestly, this tent is a total bargain if you don't need something for heavy use.

I hate pop-up tents. They are unstable and usually only have one layer (see above). If they make it through a festival weekend, they probably won't go back in the bag quite right and next time you try and get it out you'll get poked in the eye by a sharp piece of metal. I've hunted high and low for an option that won't get left behind in the camping field - because that's really uncool - and this is probably the best one I could find. A friend has something similar and it's so far lasted 2 years and 7 festivals but it's only ever used for one person.

Read the full description and reviews of the Ancheer Pop Up Tent here

If you want something that is going to last for several trips as well as 'regular' camping, and have room for everything you might want to take with you, you should look to spend a little more. As we sometimes have to store instruments and equipment in a tent, when it came time to upgrade from our trusty blue Eurohike 2-man, I knew I was going to be looking for something with a bigger porch. The Eurohike (linked here) did us well for two seasons and eight festivals but the zips on the porch finally gave way meaning we couldn't seal off the inner compartment from moisture or bugs and some of the poles were starting to poke through their casings. 

We upgraded to this beauty:

It might not look like much but after struggling hunched over in dome tent with a tiny, unsealed porch area for two years it was pure luxury.

It has all the features that I knew we needed and quite a few more - you have no idea how gleeful I was over having large pockets on both sides. I can kneel with a straight back in the porch and at the beginning of the sleeping area and the whole thing is sealed off from the elements, which made a real difference on the side of a Welsh mountain at the end of last summer in the torrential rain, let me tell you. If you want something waterproof, big enough to have a late night gathering of festival souls and easy to carry, pitch and pack away for under £150, make this tent your bitch.

Link to read reviews and see more images is here.

If we had a little more in the budget, I would have pushed for a bell-style tent. There are so many amazing polyester versions of the classic festival tent. I've found the one below which has some great reviews and seems to offer everything that you could need in term of waterproofing and ease of pitch. Having a tent like this means most of your possessions will become communal as people gather in the only tent with any standing room, but the payoff is worth it. All the space you could want and you won't get a hunchback like the rest of us dome-tent peasants. It's not double layered, but the extra room means that you are much less likely to rub up against the sides and there is an option to add an interior section as well.

Check out the 'Grand Canyon Indiana' here, along with reviews and sizing options.

If money was no object, I would go for something fun and traditional. All the tents I've included so far are made of polyester which is lighter and more waterproof than traditional canvas but I would cast those features aside in exchange for a rainbow bell tent from Boutique Camping. Check this beauty out:

Whilst definitely not as practical as some of the other options (you'll probably need some sort of trolley device to get it from the car park to the campsite!) you can't beat a bell tent for drawing you home after an evening of dancing. More room means you can bring things like foldaway beds, pop-up storage and even stuff to cook on. You can really pimp these out with flooring and flags, lighting and storage. If you know you are going to be going to quite a few festivals and you have the budget, one of these will last you forever if you care for it properly and it will feel like a home away from home with some personal touches. Don't underestimate the benefit of having a full length mirror if you can carry one as well!

Check out all of the reviews and options for these beautiful tent by clicking here.

Finally, I want to include possibly the very best tent I have seen online. I want this tent so much that I regularly trawl the Lotus Belle Facebook and other social media looking for competitions to enter to try and win one. It's wildly out of my price range, but the features are off the scale. I can dream, right? Lotus Belle tents are inflatable, fully waterproof and huge, they would be such an amazing basecamp for a weekend at a music festival or just to take all of your friends camping in luxury. Not going to lie, they are pricey, but if you end up buying one, please do invite me along for a glamping weekend!! You can check out their website by clicking this link. The lovely people at Lotus Belle got in touch to offer my readers a special discount code KATYCLOUDFD for free UK delivery on any of their amazing tents. You can also follow them on Facebook by clicking here.