Day festival season has started in London with a bang! No, seriously, the residents of Brockwell Park are banging on the fences trying to get us all to shut up, but we can’t hear them, we’re too busy having a good time.
That being said — partying in London’s parks does come with some unwritten rules. I’m not here to tell you about where to put your litter, or why you shouldn’t have sex in a portaloo, you should have the wherewithal to know that yourself. I’m here to tell you what not to wear, say, and do, for the good of yourself and other festival-goers.
From football shirts to phone bans, here are some of the biggest dos and don’ts for London day festivals in 2025.
DON’T: Bring a backpack, grandad!
Crossbody bags exist for a reason, and festivals are that reason. They tuck nicely into the crook of your snatched little waist, instead of jutting out for a Hunchback of Notre Dame effect, and getting in everyone else’s face. Plus, it’s a literal day festival, why the hell do you have a backpack? Did you hike to Brockwell Park? What’s even in there? Bricks?
Samuel Regan Asante
DO: Pack a little supply of loo roll before you leave the house
I rarely do things that benefit Future Me™, usually it’s more a case of Past Me™ acting as a direct antagonist to Future Me™, no matter how much Past Me™ should know better. But one thing I will do for my future self is steal loo roll from the last non-portaloo toilet I use before entering the festival, whether that be a pub, my own house, or whatever pre-party I’m at, like a squirrel storing nuts for winter.
You will thank yourself so much when the day festival toilet roll supply inevitably runs out around 8pm. Yeah, you could also buy a packet of tissues, but thieving is easy.
DON’T: Spend loads of time on your devices like an iPad baby
I’m still reeling from the news that came out of last year’s All Points East, where young Mitski fans were pictured watching Netflix on their phones while they sat at the barrier for their beloved headliner. This is ejection-worthy, in my opinion.
Why deny yourself an expanded mind? A new experience? Same goes for any kind of phone usage at festivals, whether it be filming or excessive texting to try and meet up with mates. Let the wind take you where it takes you.
There is no law that prohibits drinking on London’s streets generally. So, I want you to make like Diane Abbott and whack that G&T can out in public! I want you to be so fiscally responsible that it would make Martin Lewis proud! Pints at day festivals are expensive, even more than regular London pints, and it’s very preferable to only buy a few, so you need to prep. That means you’ve got to be can-in-hand from the moment you leave your house to the moment where security has to pry the can out of your little, claw-like hands.
DON’T: Wear an unbranded football shirt
Not to sound like a “name five Led Zeppelin songs” kinda guy but if you don’t like football enough to have an actual team, maybe football shirts just aren’t for you! Also, chances are, twenty other people in the crowd have that ASOS own brand football top. I’m saving you from yourself.
Kaytranada at All Points East
Sharon Lopez
DO: Take a disposable camera
Everyone knows that people look hotter on film, so really it’s just common courtesy for at least one member of the group to bring a film or disposable camera instead of taking iPhone pics. Even at your messiest, you somehow end up looking a little chic.
DON’T: Be afraid to talk to strangers
London is facing a dwindling sense of community, and we need all the positive interactions with strangers we can get. Talk to people in queues, ask to borrow peoples’ lighters and rizlas and filters, buy pints for people you barely know, give back.
One of the best parts about day festivals in London is stumbling about with your mates afterwards, trying to put enough distance between yourself and the festival that you can successfully get on a non-rammed bus, or call an Uber.
If you’re feeling strong and uh… jovial… enough, try and go the whole distance and walk home. It’s good for the environment, good for the soul, and you wont have to listen to any d**kheads pick apart the headliner’s setlist on the bus.
Equally, you save the eardrums of some poor people just trying to get home. That’s one less festival-goer they have to listen to.
