June, July and August don’t just mean summer holidays for pupils and students – they also mean festival season! Open-air events like these can recharge your batteries for the whole year, and they’re a great excuse for a trip with friends, as a couple or even solo. Getting ready for your first festival this year? We’ve put together a guide with everything you need to know about what to pack and where to go.
Which music festivals are taking place in Poland this year?
There’s plenty going on this spring and summer! Below is a list of the music festivals planned in Poland.
Festivals in June:
- 2–3 June – Orange Warsaw Festival – Warsaw.
- 4 June – Od Nowa Festiwal – Sopot.
- 5 June – Metal Hammer Festival – Łódź.
- 7–10 June – Mystic Festival – Gdańsk.
- 8–10 June – Tauron Nowa Muzyka – Katowice.
- 10 June – Od Nowa Festiwal – Płock.
- 25 June – Od Nowa Festiwal – Koszalin.
- 28 June – 1 July – Open’er Festival – Gdynia.
- 30 June – Rock Na Bagnie XIII – Goniądz.
Festivals in July:
- 5–9 July – Ostróda Reggae Festival – Ostróda.
- 6–8 July – Polish Hip-Hop Festival & Music Awards – Płock.
- 8 July – CLOUT Festival 2.0. – Warsaw.
- 21–23 July – Sunrise Festival – Kołobrzeg.
- 28 July – Sun Festival – Kołobrzeg.
- 28–30 July – Audioriver Festival – Płock.
Festivals in August:
- 3–5 August – Pol’and’Rock Festival – Czaplinek-Broczyno airfield (West Pomerania).
- 4–6 August – OFF Festival – Katowice.
- 15 August – Od Nowa Festiwal – Kielce.
- 17 August – CieszFanów Festiwal – Cieszanów.
- 18–19 August – Rockowizna Festiwal – Poznań.
- 25–26 August – Rockowizna Festiwal – Kraków.
- 25–26 August – Rockowa Noc – Rzeszów.
Festivals in September:
- 2 September – Od Nowa Festiwal – Opole.
- 8–9 September – ON AIR Festival – Warsaw.
How do you prepare for your first festival?
Your first festival is a big deal! Be warned: these events are addictive, and after your first trip you’ll already be looking for the next one.
Before you head off to your first spring or summer festival, check the organiser’s website, which often includes a so-called festival list – a checklist of the things worth bringing with you.
You’ll usually also find a map there showing all the stages, food outlets, toilets, showers, camping areas and so on. We recommend printing the map out too. It’s also worth buying a map of the town where the festival takes place – you might manage to see some sights between concerts!
It’s also a good idea to download the concert schedule from the organiser’s website so you know who’s playing, when and where. Mark the concerts you want to go to in advance.
Travelling to the festival
Before you set off for the venue, make sure you know how you can get there – not every site is reachable by train or coach. If you’re going by car, be sure to check where the car parks are and what the parking fees are.
What to pack for a festival?
When heading to a summer festival, make sure you take the following with you:
A large backpack and a small one – one big enough to hold all your things, such as clothes, toiletries and other accessories, plus a small backpack for the essentials you’ll carry while moving around the festival site.
A bum bag or neck pouch – it’s a good idea to also bring a bum bag or a pouch on a cord for your documents and money. This greatly reduces the risk of theft.
A power bank and phone charger – an absolute must-have among festival accessories. It’s worth investing in a good power bank that charges your phone quickly and has enough capacity for more than one charge.
A notiOne go! tracker – you can attach it to your keys or backpack, or carry it in your bum bag with your documents. This little key fob lets you check where your lost item is. It works thanks to Bluetooth technology and the notiOne community (finders’ network) of participating phones. The Bluetooth tracker’s signal is picked up by nearby phones and passed on to a server, from where it goes straight to the app on the owner’s phone.
Glasses and sunglasses – useful even for people who wear contact lenses. Remember that hygiene conditions at festivals are more challenging, so glasses are a better option than lenses.
Earplugs – worth having, especially when the campsite gets noisy at night.
A small first-aid kit – festivals usually have first-aid tents, but so you don’t have to run to the medics every 5 minutes with minor complaints, it’s worth carrying a kit with basic medicines: painkillers, electrolytes and anti-diarrhoea tablets, plasters, warming and pain-relief ointment, sore throat lozenges and saline nasal spray. If you have allergies or take specific medication, remember to bring it with you!
Bite spray and mosquito repellent – especially useful in the evening, when mosquitoes like to ambush unsuspecting festival-goers.
Toiletries and hygiene products – best to bring travel-size versions of your favourite toiletries, like the ones you’d take on a plane. It’s also worth packing toilet paper, tissues and wet wipes, as well as feminine hygiene products. An antibacterial spray for a quick “wash” of your hands will come in handy too. And don’t forget sun cream with an SPF!
An emergency kit – you never know when it might come in useful! Put one together yourself and include: scissors, a penknife or multitool, string, a lighter, a needle and thread, adhesive tape and a safety pin.
A rain poncho – extremely useful when the weather turns. Buy a reusable poncho made of thicker material – you’ll find them in outdoor and sports clothing shops.
High boots – useful in mud, but also on sand; they’ll make walking around much more comfortable.
A cap or hat – don’t be shy about wearing headgear! The sun can be merciless, and nobody wants to end up with heatstroke at a festival.
A scarf/bandana – you can use it to cover your head or your mouth and nose. Festival fields get very dusty.
Water – remember to stay hydrated, especially in hot weather.
Ear defenders for children – if you’re taking a small child to a festival, this is an essential accessory that will protect your little one from excessive noise. Children’s ears are more sensitive than adults’.
A wearable tracker – great for children, but also for adults. The notiOne wristband lets you check your child’s location or your teenager’s in the app on your phone, so you can stay calm and be sure everything is fine.
What to pack for a festival if you’re camping?
If you’re going to a multi-day festival and sleeping in a tent, you’ll also need:
A tent – choose one you’ll be able to sleep in comfortably; for two people it’s sometimes worth going for a three-person tent. Pop-up models are a good idea, but they can be a hassle to transport because of their larger size.
A sleeping mat – there are now several types of mat on the market that are far better than the classic foam ones. If you’re going to a multi-day festival, it’s worth choosing a self-inflating mat, which insulates much better and is more comfortable to rest on.
A sleeping bag – while summer days are very warm, nights can get chilly, so a good-quality sleeping bag that retains heat, is lightweight and can be packed away or strapped to your backpack will come in handy at a festival.
A torch – you’ll need it at night when you want to find something in your tent, or simply to find your way back to your tent across the festival field.
Plastic sheeting – if your tent gets damaged or simply starts leaking in the rain, you can cover it with a sheet of decorator’s plastic to stop everything getting soaked.
Bin bags – both during the festival and after it ends, remember to clean up after yourself and not leave any rubbish behind.
Washing kit and toiletries – shampoo, shower gel and deodorant, plus a towel, flip-flops, a hairbrush, a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Food and drink – it’s worth bringing your own food and drink, but only the kind that won’t melt or go off in your tent during a warm day!
A camping stove – check the festival organiser’s rules beforehand to see whether camping stoves are allowed.
Crockery and cutlery – a mug, fork, knife, teaspoon, small plate and bowl – everything you’ll need to eat your meals at the campsite.
A portable cool box – a luxury festival gadget, but worth having if you like your drinks cold. If you’re parking your car in the organiser’s designated car park but don’t want to worry about whether it’s still there, hide a notiOne GPS tracker in the car – it will help you pinpoint the vehicle’s position using a satellite signal. You’ll be able to check on your phone whether the car is still in its parking space.
