How to keep cool at your summer festivals

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It’s May Bank Holiday and that can only mean one thing for music fans – it’s the start of festival season. And to add to the excitement, it’s set to be a scorcher.

The Queen of Pop Olivia Dean descends on Radio 1 Big Weekend, Sub Focus takes to the decks at Love Saves the Day, and Millennials will be reminiscing to Kate Nash at Bearded Theory.

But with hours of dancing ahead, sweaty tents and questionable hydration choices, here are our expert tips on staying cool so you can make the most of the music.

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Drink, drink and more drink

Excess alcohol consumption can significantly increase the amount of fluids you lose as urine and sweat, leading to dehydration.

On average, for each alcoholic drink you are going to urinate 100ml more than normal.

If you are going to consume alcohol, try having a glass of water between each drink.

Bring your own reusable water bottle so that you can fill up at water points without queuing at a drinks tent.

Keep things breezy

For many, festivals are just as much about the fashion as the music.

As things get hot the temptation is to ditch the layers, get out the shorts and unbutton the flowery shirt.

Leaving parts of your upper body exposed means the sun is directly on your skin, which increases the risk of sunburn.

But if you put sunscreen on, wearing less clothes can help if you’re really struggling. As sweat turns into water vapour it needs heat which it takes from your body helping to cool it – the less clothing the more chance for this heat loss.

Spraying your clothes with water can also help with this.

Wearing tight clothing does not allow the sweat from your body to properly evaporate, which is needed to cool you down.

If you are going tight, opt for lightweight and wear white. Leave the denim at home.

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Avoid the tent sweats

There is nothing like having to crawl out of an overheating tent early in the morning after a long night in search of some cool air.

Tents – particularly polyester tents – act like mini greenhouses trapping heat inside them, from your body and the sun.

If you can, bring a bigger tent, this allows more space for air to circulate and takes longer to heat up.

The flysheet – that extra plastic layer that goes over the top to keep insects out – is not really necessary at a festival, so remove that to reduce heat getting trapped.

A cool breeze is crucial, orientate the door of your tent towards the wind and add a battery-powered fan to keep air moving.

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Store your meds in a shady spot

Drugs can be affected by heat – in particular medicines like insulin, inhalers and EpiPens – and may not work properly if left outside under the sun.

Try and keep them in a shaded place to stop this happening. If they start to smell different or have changed colour they could be damaged.

Drugs also affect your body’s ability to regulate its temperature or increase sweating.

“Some medicines can make you more likely to burn in the sun, feel dizzy, or get dehydrated, especially if you’re taking diuretics or have a condition like asthma, heart disease, or diabetes,” said Alison Cave, Chief Safety Officer at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

You can set alarms on your phone to remind yourself to top up on sunscreen and drink some water.

Worried about a friend?

A cool sponge or piece of clothing soaked in water and placed under the armpits or on the neck can help to cool someone.

John Rostron, CEO of the Association for Independent Festivals (AIF), said that because of climate change festivals are having to be much more prepared for unpredictable extreme weather.

“You’ll find lots more of covered spaces, so there is your inside and outside tents and spaces that will protect you in shade, and welfare tents. Free water and water standpipes are now common across festivals,” he said.

He recommended to check your festival website on what they have available on site.

NHS Heat exhaustion