Festival driving tips

2025 is already being described as the ‘second summer of Britpop’ with the Oasis reunion taking place and many other ‘90s bands on tour. But have you thought about how you’re going to get to and from these shows, and how to stay safe while doing so?

With Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, Wireless, Reading and Leeds also taking place over the next few weeks, festival season is in full swing. Here, we take a look at the rules for driving at these kinds of events.

Driving to a festival

Is driving the best option for getting to the festival? It’s worth weighing up the pros and cons of taking your own car vs public transport.

Some festivals put on coaches or encourage public transport as it helps with crowd management and cuts down on carbon footprint, but driving also has advantages:

• You’re in control - You can plan your route and leave at the time you want.
• You can pack more - We’ll talk about overpacking and overloading your car a little later, but when you drive you can take more than you can hold - unlike on a train.
• It can be cost-effective - Many festivals charge substantial amounts to park in a field but this can often be cheaper than taking a train or other public transport, especially if you split the cost.
• You can share the drive - Heading to a festival with some buddies? Instant insurance lets you take turns driving on both the way there and back. Don’t charge for anything other than petrol costs. If you’re found to be profiting, you could get eight licence points, a fine of up to £2,500 or possibly even an invalidation of your insurance.

As excitement takes hold, remember how important car care and maintenance is. Check your fluids and lubricants (oil, coolant, water etc) before setting off and make sure your battery and clutch are in full working order. Pack an emergency breakdown kit with a torch and reflective clothing in case the worst happens.

You should also ensure your tyres have the legal minimum tread depth as there could be some uneven surfaces, divots and obstacles once you arrive onsite.

Although it will be tempting to pack the car to its brim, you should avoid overloading (with both people and bags). Not only could too much weight cause damage to the vehicle but it could also land you with a fixed penalty of at least £100.

With potentially thousands of people heading to the same site to set up camp for the weekend, you should prepare for travel disruption when driving. Pack some easy-to-reach water and snacks and stay patient. You will get there and just think of that first drink or ice cream once you’ve pitched your tent.

Can you sleep in your car at a festival?

In some circumstances, it is legal to sleep in your car. But if you’re found sleeping and are over the legal limit, you could face:

• A £2,500 fine
• 10 points on your licence
• Potentially even a prison sentence

The majority of UK music festivals will not let you sleep in your car due to fire safety and licensing regulations. They will often have stewards and security checking and moving on anyone found asleep. Of course, if you have a campervan and are pitched in a specific, ticketed area, you will be more than welcome to get some shut-eye.

Driving after a festival

You'll have seen the signs on the roads on the way to the festival: ‘Don’t drive tired’. After a weekend of dancing and drinks, you may well be exhausted when it’s time to pack up and head home.

You could be facing a long walk back to the car with heavy equipment (Glastonbury Festival, for example, has a walk of over a mile to some of its campsites) before even turning on the engine. If you have the chance to pop back during the weekend and check everything is in working order, it could be worth your time.

Once it is time to leave the site, make sure you’re not over the drink-driving limit:

Level of alcohol

• Micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath – 35 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), 22 (Scotland).
• Milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood – 80 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), 50 (Scotland).
• Milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine – 107 (England, Wales and Northern Ireland), 67 (Scotland).

Bear in mind that, according to UK road safety charity Brake, 10–20% of all crashes are estimated to be caused by driver fatigue. Make sure you feel alert enough to drive back and remember there might be a queue to get out of the car park. We’ve all heard horror stories of people spending hours trying to leave mass events.

You’ve probably seen videos or maybe even know of people who have been towed out of muddy fields by local farmers in their tractors. As fun as this sounds, it could cause an extra level of frustration as you wait even longer to return to the real world.

If you find yourself driving in mud, ask the passengers to leave and stand away from the car in a safe space. This will help reduce the weight of the vehicle and make it easier to drive without the wheel spinning. You’ll need to accelerate slowly to get out of the mud.

If you’re struggling, turn the engine off and carefully place car mats under the wheel as you drive. This may offer the traction you need to get moving. Again, ensure it is safe to do this and you are not going to cause a danger to any other festival-goers.

Once you’re back on a public road, you might want to take a rest stop at a services station. This gives you the chance to get some rest, have some food and drink and enjoy a comfort break in relative luxury…

What else do I need to be aware of?

• When packing your car, don’t block the rear-view mirror.
• Consider the weather forecast before setting off, and how this could affect your journey - high temperatures could find your vehicle overheating; torrential rain could increase your time spent on the road.
• Get your playlist ready - but bear in mind that singing too loudly could be classed as a distraction or even be considered as ‘driving without due care and attention’. This charge can lead to a driving ban and up to £5,000 in fines!
• Don’t drive in wellies. Not only would it be very uncomfortable but you could be in violation of Rule 97 of the Highway Code, which states that clothing and footwear should not prevent you from using controls in the correct manner.If you’re in an accident and your wellies are thought to have reduced your control over the pedals, you could face an unlimited fine and up to nine penalty points under careless and inconsiderate driving. This rule also means you should be saving bucket hats (blocking your vision) and fancy dress for the festival.
• If your number plate is caked in mud, it’s important you wipe this off and ensure it is visible as it’s illegal to drive with a dirty or obscured number plate. If your plate is not visible to police officers and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, you could receive a fine ranging from £100 to £1,000.
• All that standing in the great outdoors affecting your hay fever? Make sure you’re in a fit enough state to drive. Read our ‘Can you drive with hay fever?’ blog post to find out more.

Get on song with instant insurance

Temporary car insurance solves some of the issues of festival driving… Want to borrow a bigger car so you can fit more stuff in? Tempcover it. Heading somewhere far away and looking to share the driving with your festival friends? We’ve got you covered.

It’s important to practise patience while driving to and from your event. Take plenty of breaks, stay calm and enjoy the music and entertainment once you get there, all with the peace of mind that comes with comprehensive cover.

Don’t forget to check your breakdown cover before setting off, and pack a physical map in case of any charging or connectivity issues.