Thousands of festivals take place around the world every year, celebrating almost every imaginable social, musical, or sporting niche. Choosing a campsite is the first step when you arrive. Most festivals provide camping space on site, so you just have to pick your spot (away from the toilets). The next step is pitching your tent. Choosing the right tent to take to a festival is crucial. You don’t want to spend hours of stress trying to pitch it up, but you also want a tent that is sturdy and comfortable for a good night’s sleep. Check out our recommendations for camping tents here on our tent page.
Often, it's best to avoid a genuine high-end mountain tent at festivals, but also, getting a cheap tent is a recipe for discomfort. Choosing a low-cost tent and leaving it onsite, or even setting it on fire, is probably the worst sin there is, wasting a lot of resources along with your hard-earned money. Those of you who have been to a festival before will know how many people chose to do this.
So, what should you want from a festival tent? You should aim for more space, decent quality, at a mid-range cost - all characteristics which will give you a decent weekend and be able to use the tent for different festivals or camping throughout the year.
What features do festival camping tents have, what does their design look like, and how much should you expect to spend on one? Well, that depends on what types of festivals you attend, how many of you will be sleeping in the tent, and a few other things you need to consider. Let's examine them more closely below...
• Tired of poles? Check out these pop-up tents
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Blackout tents offer superb protection if you intend to stay awake until the wee hours of the morning - and even if you don't! Getting enough sleep in a tent requires blocking out the unexpected brightness and heat of sunrise (after 5 am). If you get a good night’s sleep, you'll feel better during the festival and will have more energy for taking part in any activities (there is no shame in investing in one of the best camping beds... you might think you don't need one, but you will regret it).
In addition, consider the kind of festival you intend to attend. The further away from the location (and the distance from the nearest parking lot), the smaller and lighter the tent you will want to carry. The situation can get complicated if you have to transport sleeping bags, clothing, as well as a camping cooler filled with beverages along with your tent. Additionally, extra space in the tent is handy throughout an extended festival (especially if the weather turns). In the case of rain or intense sun, a porch can provide a dry, comfortable place to relax.
The last requirement is that a festival tent needs to be waterproof enough to withstand rain during festival season, which can be quite intense (even in British summer). A good groundsheet serves this purpose as well as good ventilation so that your clothes do not smell like wet dogs. When it comes to weather, don't listen to the weatherman, and always pack a waterproof jacket. Storms love festivals just as much as you do.
There are a couple of things you should keep in mind before reading our top picks. Choosing the best festival tent for your needs is impossible without considering the amount of space it will take, as well as the fact that you will have to carry your tent - UK music festivals are always tight on pitch space, especially in the best locations.
Be sure to check your festival's website for information on the tent size they will allow. This will give you a better understanding of what you need to buy.
Increasing numbers of festivals around the world have led to the broader availability of festival tents. It can be difficult to distinguish between the good and the bad ones. Here's a list of the best festival tents for summer, so you don't have to spend time researching other issues - like how to buy body glitter or LED wellies - instead of spending time researching festival tents...
Mosodo Pop Up offers a lot for the money and is the go-to tent for a great festival experience. It takes you less than 30 seconds to set up the tents in the double-layer model and vice versa. If you want to split up the tents and use both of them at the same time, you can do so in 5 minutes. This gives you plenty of time for drinking beer after set-up.
Mosodo offers an experience that caters to everyone's needs – not just festival goers. Couples and groups can use space to create a ludicrously luxurious home away from home.
Benefiting by the tents’ other key features of lightning protection, fire resistance, UV400 protection and scratch resistance, you can rely on them in most types of weathers and landforms. The 4 specially designed doors and rooftop windows also allow you to enjoy sufficient fresh air and light by adjusting the mesh and curtain easily inside.
The tents are made of high quality 190T silver polyester fabric and 210D oxford fabric, qualifying for PU 3000mm water resistant rating. The reinforced fiberglass poles skeleton, metal ground anchor, and extra strong nylon rope helps the tent to survive if you are unlucky enough to have a storm on festival weekend.
Both tents together only weight less than 4kg, but they are durable enough to comfortably sleep 3 to 4 persons. The thickened insect-free groundsheet not only prevents water leaking and insect interference, but also provide a comfortable protection from the hard floor.
All in all, the Mosodo pop up tent is a great option for a festival tent.
Due to its lightning-quick pitch time of two seconds, this tent is a great choice for anyone who wants to get to the festival late. The tent can even be pitched without pegs if you're in a hurry, but we wouldn't suggest it since the tent may blow over if there's a breeze.
The tent comes with one door and three windows, which provide good ventilation. The mesh yarn on the door keeps you mosquitoes and insects away whilst maintaining optimal air circulation in the tent.
The high-end fiberglass rods also help to keep the tent stable in windy conditions. The tent is also very high quality, thick, waterproof and windproof, perfect for a typical British summer weekend!
However, this tent is quite expensive. It is a good investment if you’re planning on going to multiple festivals.
Active Era's instant tent utilizes an advanced pop-up system that allows for instantaneous pitching of the tent and packing up in minutes.
This 2-person pop-up tent also features their most advanced waterproofing technology including double-sewn, taped seams and an advanced waterproof outer layer. Rest easy after a heavy night of drinking, as this tent is certified to withstand twice as much rain as a typical European storm.
Measuring 2.3m long, 1.5m wide and 1m tall, there is plenty of room for two adults to enjoy a comfortable night’s sleep. The two windows and rear air vent allow for air circulation and temperature control whilst the anti-insect netting keeps unwanted bugs out.
Overall, a quick a easy to set up tent, that will comfortably fit you and a mate and provide a comfortable and dry night’s sleep.
In recent years, I have chosen this as my first choice for festivals. It can easily accommodate three people for sleeping and sleeps four if necessary, but is small and light enough to carry, build, and pack up on your own.
If you go to multiple festivals every year, or if you go camping, this is a well-known product worth spending a little more on. You may notice a few luxuries when you're used to cheaper tents, such as zips that don't get stuck and color-coded poles. If you get tired of the view, you can look the other way and use the second door.
A perfect tent for festivals, the Qian Dome Tent is ideal for your weekend experience.
If you are planning a festival, there is no doubt that the right tent is an essential and probably the most important item, but with so many options out there. selecting the best one can be quite difficult. Festive Gear offers recommendations for the best tents for summer at an affordable price.
Now is the perfect time to get your tent and start planning your festival.