How to do a festival on a budget in 2024

With the cost of absolutely everything being through the roof at the moment, loads of people are looking for ways to still have fun and enjoy themselves while not breaking the bank.

Money Saving Expert has put together a guide for people who are going to festivals this summer so they can do just that.

With festival tickets themselves being incredibly expensive, costs can soar when travel, correct clothing and, of course, food and drink including alcohol are added into that.

Here are some useful tips to save some money while still having a great time.

Instead of buying festival tickets, you could always work out who exactly you want to see on a lineup and find out if it's cheaper to go and see who you want at individual shows.

Volunteering at a festival is another option.

A tip is to be absolutely sure you've got everything you need to save buying it from inflated prices at the festivalLeon Neal, Getty Images

Be sure to check you've got absolutely everything before you go, including camping and cooking equipment - while nowadays you can buy pretty much everything at a festival, it will be a lot more expensive than if you bring it yourself.

Food and drink can be really expensive at festivals, so if you're allowed to, take some in with you, including options for meals at all times of the day along with snacks that will last.

Some festivals do free water refills if you take your own bottle too.

Transport can really add a big sum onto the overall cost of the festival, so be sure to plan as far in advance as possible, both getting there and back - some festivals have travel package options included with a ticket.

Plan ahead with clothing, take what you need and try not to get caught up with buying anything at the festival unless you absolutely need it; if there are themes, plan ahead for this, perhaps by looking for preloved items, otherwise be prepared to spend a lot at the festival.

If you want souvenirs or merchandise, it's worth checking online before you go - items bought at festivals directly can be inflated compared to official online stores.

Charging phones can incur a cost too (and let's be honest, at a festival it will be used quite a bit to take loads of great photos, snippets of video of your favourite acts or even to find everyone if you've got lost) so taking a power bank that will last for the whole time you're there is a good option.

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