A Guide To Reading Festival - Your Survival Guide

With record-breaking temperatures and an official drought announced in parts of England, the infamous Reading Festival is shaping up to be extremely eventful. But don't worry, first-time festival-goers, as we're about to go through everything you need to know about the festival and exactly how you and your friends are going to manoeuvre through it and all its challenges!

Packing

Most of your festival experience will be decided before you even leave your house. The weather is always unpredictable, and you need to be prepared for anything. I'd recommend having suitable footwear for comfort, as long periods of standing are almost a guarantee, and also packing some spare shoes suitable for poorer weather conditions would be a good idea! Having a portable charger is also a must for me, not only for convenience but also for safety; at festivals as big as these, the last thing you want to do is to lose contact with your group. Style will obviously be a large factor in what clothes you choose to pack, but make sure you're not going to be sacrificing your health for a better outfit - heat stroke is going to be your worst enemy! Additionally, as I mentioned before, parts of England are in a drought; this, alongside some of the high temperatures we've been having, means that a refillable water bottle may be a good idea, especially considering Reading Fest usually has free water points scattered throughout the area.

To sum up, here are some musts I'd have in my bag:

• Choice of footwear, ranging from comfortable to weather-proof.

• Portable charger so you can stay contactable at all times.

• Outfits that won't wreck you in the expected high temps.

• A refillable water bottle that you can use throughout the festival.

Scheduling & Surviving

With multi-stage gigs like this, there's always a chance of acts you want to see overlapping, so you need to choose who to see wisely. Think about whether you are likely to be able to see them live again and who else is playing on each stage later in the day that you're going to want to see. Additionally, your days are going to be long and tiring; making sure you're eating enough and drinking plenty of water is important! As much as seeing as many performances in one day may seem fun, keeping your body fuelled is going to help in the long run. When buying food, consider prices and queue times to ensure you aren't missing out or spending too much. I'll always recommend getting something you can eat on the go, just in case you are in a rush to see someone perform! Again, to summarise:

• Prioritise ruthlessly - who am I most likely to be able to see again? Who is playing later on the same stage?

• Eat to fuel your body, not just to get by.

• Drink plenty of water - will help with avoiding things like heatstroke.

• Check price and wait times before ordering food; nothing worse than missing out on a performance for some overpriced loaded fries.

• Aim for food you can eat on the go, which means you can save time.

• Don't burn out - it may work for a day, but don't leave yourself with no energy for the rest of the weekend.

Ones To Watch

Obviously the headliners are going to get most of the attention when it comes to Reading Festival, and with good reason; there are some big names this year! Here are some artists I'd recommend you see during your time at the festival; these range from soon-to-blow-up to already-blowing-up. Arthur Hill - despite starting as a YouTuber - has been extremely impressive on the music scene, having sold out the OVO Wembley Arena without even releasing a debut album, a concert that I did attend and can say did not disappoint! Julia Wolf is another artist I have my eye on; her newest single, "Deep End," had a uniquely edgy sound that stood out to me. Additionally, the artist The Guest List is a cool, upcoming band with an album dropping at the end of August! All of these artists are still relatively up and coming, with Arthur Hill probably being the most established; getting on the bandwagon now could mean you have a claim to fame as an OG fan of some superstars in the future!

Safety

As fun and as exciting as Reading Fest is, it's important to make note of how potentially dangerous it is too. I encourage everyone going to have the best time they possibly can, but remember to stay safe, travel in groups, and if you are going to drink, do it responsibly. Don't be the reason another person's experience is ruined; that just makes you a jack-ass. Keep an eye on your drinks and your friends, and don't start any trouble, and I'm sure you and everyone around you will have the best time possible.

So, feeling excited? Reading Festival is now less than a month away, so time to go shopping and start making concrete travel plans. I hope this hasn't made the upcoming gig seem scary or daunting; festivals are made to be fun, but we do also have to talk about the risks to minimise them. If you are feeling nervous at the festival, talk to someone who works there; everyone is there to provide you with the best experience possible and will be happy to help. Good luck to everyone going, have fun, and thanks for reading!