So, you’ve bagged your ticket, found your wellies, and you’re ready for a weekend of craic. But as any Irish festival-goer knows, you’re only ever one downpour away from a mud bath! Whether you’re heading to Stradbally or a field in the back of beyond, surviving the weekend without feeling (and smelling) like you’ve been dragged through a bog is the real challenge.
Keeping clean and healthy isn’t just about looking grand for your social posts; it’s about making sure you’ve the energy to catch the last act and heading home without the dreaded festival flu. Here’s how to conquer the grime, embrace the unpredictable Irish weather, and have a brilliant, hygienic-ish time. This guide covers:
- Take a festival cleaning toolkit
- Water is your best friend
- Pack towels and tissues for the inevitable Irish drizzle
- The festival loo survival guide
- Hand hygiene: Your secret weapon against the festival flu
- How to spot a dodgy food stall before it spots you
- Keep some basic campsite kitchen rules
- Happy feet are festival feet
- Avoiding the local festival pests
1. Take a festival cleaning toolkit
Forget about queuing for ages for a lukewarm shower that’s seen better days. The legendary “tent wash” is your best friend here. It’s quick, it’s handy, and it’ll have you back in the crowd at the main stage in no time. Here’s how to stock your hygiene arsenal:
- Wet wipes: The absolute MVP (most valuable player!) of any Irish festival. You’ll need a big pack for the “full body refresh” and a smaller one to keep in your pocket for your hands and face throughout the day.
- Hand sanitiser: Go for the alcohol-based stuff as it’s more effective at germ control. Give your hands a good, proper rub all over, making sure you get right into the fingertips and between the fingers before you even think about tucking into a spice bag. But remember, alcohol rubs won’t work through physical mud or dirt, so you need to wash off the dirt first.
- A flannel and a bar of soap: If you want a deeper clean, a damp facecloth (flannel) and a bit of soap is the business. Bar soap rinses off more easily when you’re working with limited water in the tent.
- The rest of your kit: Toss in your toothbrush, toothpaste and a roll or two of your own loo paper. Most importantly, bring a load of plastic bags to keep your clean clothes dry and to quarantine those muddy wellie socks.
2. Water is your best friend
Water is your absolute lifesaver, and we don’t just mean the stuff falling from the sky! Between the dancing, the walking and the odd pint or two, you’ll be parched before you know it. Staying hydrated and keeping the worst of the grime off your gear is the difference between feeling like a legend and feeling like you’ve been dragged through a bush backwards.
- Hydration is key: Always keep a reusable water bottle with you and use the free refill stations. If it’s a rare hot sunny day, or if you’ve been making the most of the beer tent, you need to be double-jobbing on the H2O.
- Dual-use water bottle: Having water on you means you can clean your hands or other things of mud or sticky food wherever you are on the festival site.
- Bring a large water container: Bring a collapsible water carrier and keep it topped up at your tent. Having a supply on hand means you can brush your teeth, wash your face, and rinse the worst of the grime off your hands and legs without having to trek across a muddy field in your pyjamas at night or first thing in the morning.
3. Pack towels and tissues for the inevitable Irish drizzle
Staying dry isn’t just about comfort; it’s about making sure you don’t end up with a nasty fungal infection or a dose of the shivers. Since we all know the Irish summer can go from sun-splitting the stones to a torrential downpour in a few minutes, you need gear that works hard for you:
- Microfibre towels: These are absolute game-changers. They’re light, they fold down to nothing, and they dry in a flash. A decent-sized one can save your life as an extra blanket when the temperature drops at night, a portable sunshade if we’re lucky enough to get a heatwave, or even a dry spot to sit on the grass.
- Paper kitchen towels: Don’t rely on flimsy toilet tissue that turns to mush the second it sees a raindrop. A roll of kitchen paper is far more durable for drying your face, mopping up a spilt drink in the tent, or getting the worst of the Stradbally mud off your boots before you step inside.
4. The festival loo survival guide
Let’s be honest, festival portaloos aren’t exactly a trip to the spa, and they can be a bit of a shock to the system after a day or two. Since they’re a hotspot for germs, a bit of extra caution goes a long way. Treat every surface, from the door latch to the seat, with a healthy dose of suspicion, and you’ll be grand.
- Be your own supplier: Don’t get caught short! The onsite loos will inevitably run out of the essentials when you’re in a hurry. Keep a bit of loo roll and a bottle of hand gel on you at all times. Flushable wet wipes are a gift from above in these situations, and disposable seat covers can give you that extra bit of peace of mind. Keep wipes with you, but always dispose of them in the bin; never drop wipes into portaloo chemical tanks, as they can jam servicing pumps.
- Master the no-touch wash: While sanitiser is handy, good old soap and water is still the champion for shifting tougher germs like norovirus. If you’re using the communal taps, try the “elbow manoeuvre” or use a bit of paper towel to turn them off so you don’t pick up anything new on your way out.
- Mind the land (and the locals): We know the queues can be massive, but please don’t be tempted to use the ditch. Peeing on the ground pollutes the site, which is often a working farm for the rest of the year. Festivals like Electric Picnic work hard to protect the local wildlife and soil, so sticking to the actual loos keeps the fields healthy for everyone.
5. Hand hygiene: Your secret weapon against the festival flu
There’s nothing like a dose of the runs or a nasty stomach bug to ruin your weekend. Most of these “festival bugs” are spread simply because hands haven’t been washed properly before eating or after a trip to the loo. Don’t let a tiny germ stand between you and your favourite band.
Get into the habit of a quick scrub or sanitise:
- Before you eat: Whether it’s a quick burger or a bag of chips, make sure your hands are clean before they touch your food.
- After the portaloo: This is the big one. Always use your sanitiser or the soap provided as soon as you step out.
- After handling rubbish: Bins are hotspots for bacteria, so give your hands a rub after getting rid of your empties.
- Tending to scrapes: If you’ve taken a tumble in the mud, clean your hands before and after touching any cuts to prevent infection.
Top tip: Sanitiser is great for on-the-go, but it won’t shift actual mud. If your hands are visibly caked in dirt, find a tap and use good old-fashioned soap and water to get them truly clean.
6. How to spot a dodgy food stall before it spots you
Most festival vendors in Ireland are top-notch, but you don’t want to spend the headline act in a portaloo because of a questionable taco. Here’s how to do a quick “vibe check” on your dinner:
- The state of the place: Does the stall look like it’s seen better days? If the bins are overflowing with flies and the counters are covered in mystery spills, keep walking. A tidy stall usually means tidy chefs.
- Watch the staff: Keep an eye on how they’re working. Are they grabbing your burger bun or handling other foods with their bare hands? If they’re using the same grey-looking cloth to wipe every surface, it’s a hard pass.
- Is the food actually hot? Hot food should be served piping hot; properly cooked dishes should reach at least 75°C at their core, and be held above 63°C if on display. If there’s a big queue, it’s usually a good sign that the food is being cooked fresh and hasn’t been sitting in a serving tray since the gates opened. For salads or cold fillings, make sure they’re straight from a proper fridge.
- Trust your gut: If that “chicken” tastes a bit funny or smells like it’s off, stop eating! It’s better to lose the price of a pint than to spend your weekend in a heap. If you do end up feeling peaky, let the festival medical team know so they can check out the vendor.
7. Keep some basic campsite kitchen rules
There’s nothing like waking up in a field and smelling rashers (or a veggie alternative) wafting through the campsite. Cooking your own bits is a great way to save a few euros for the bar, but let’s be honest, your tent isn’t exactly a Michelin-star kitchen. To avoid a weekend spent in the portaloo, follow these simple campsite rules.
- Pick your battles (and your snacks): Stick to the festival legends: tinned goods, UHT milk and dry stuff like cereal or noodles. Fruit will survive a couple of days, but fresh meat and dairy are risky business in a warm tent. If in doubt, leave it out. (Remember that once a full carton of UHT milk is opened, it spoils rapidly without a fridge.)
- Keep it chilled: If you are bringing fresh foods like sausages or milk, you’ve got to keep them in a proper cool box. Remember to top up the ice regularly; once it turns into a lukewarm bath, the party’s over for your perishables.
- Don’t mix the meat: Keep raw meat far away from your ready-to-eat snacks. Use separate forks and give your hands a proper scrub after touching raw burgers. A pro tip: Use pre-cooked or pre-chopped meat so you can just tip it straight into the pan without the mess.
- The post-feast tidy: Don’t leave your plates and pots sitting out like a modern art installation. Wash them with soap and water straight away and keep everything in sealed containers to stop the soil (or worse) getting in.
- Lock it down: Your leftovers are a five-star buffet for flies, wasps and unwanted furry visitors. Keep your food zipped up and bin your waste ASAP. Nobody wants to share their tent with a local rat looking for a midnight snack!
8. Happy feet are festival feet
You’ll be doing a serious amount of traipsing from stage to stage, so if you don’t look after your poor feet, you could be hobbling around before the Sunday night headliner.
Here’s how to keep your toes happy in the thick of it:
- Wellies are your best friends: Don’t be an optimist and think trainers will do. In an Irish field, wellies or sturdy waterproof boots are non-negotiable for when the grass inevitably turns into a swamp.
- The spare sock strategy: Wet feet are the fastest way to blisters and nasty fungal infections. Pack twice as many socks as you think you’ll need. Make sure your feet are clean and bone-dry before you crawl into your sleeping bag to give them a chance to recover overnight.
- Watch the mud: Festival field soil and mud can be a playground for bacteria that thrive in cuts, tiny skin nicks or on damp skin. Wash cuts, dry them, and keep them covered with a plaster to aid healing.
9. Avoiding the local festival pests
Ireland’s green fields are lovely, but they’re also home to a few critters that’d love to join your party. Here’s what to watch out for:
- Midges, mozzies and horseflies: These thrive in the damp Irish humidity and leave behind itchy souvenirs.
- Wasps and flies: Attracted to your cider and spice bags. Keep your food covered to avoid an unwanted sting or dose of germs.
- Ticks: Hiding in long grass, these can carry Lyme disease. Be vigilant if you’re taking a shortcut through wild areas with low vegetation.
Your insect defence strategy
A bit of savvy camping and the right gear will keep the bugs at bay.
Pick the right pitch
- Go for the breeze: Open, breezy spots are harder for flying insects to navigate. Avoid stagnant water or ponds where midges breed.
- Dodge the bins: Stay well back from toilets and rubbish areas to avoid the wasp and fly “commuter routes”.
Personal protection
- Repel them: Use DEET for high-strength protection, or natural oils like citronella or lavender if you prefer. Keep your tent zipped tight at all times!
- Cover up: Light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing is less attractive to bugs. If you’re in long grass, tuck your trousers into your socks (not the most stylish look, but better than a tick).
- Bite treatment: Wash any bites immediately with soap and water to prevent secondary infection. For persistent swelling, check official advice on treating insect bites on the HSE website.
- Check for hitchhikers: Do a quick tick-check on your skin every evening. If you find one, don’t squash it — use tweezers to pull it straight out by the head and wash the area well. Check the HSE for more advice if you’re worried.
After all that, remember to have a good time!
FAQs
How can I keep clean if the festival showers are too crowded?
The “tent wash” is your best alternative. Pack a large supply of wet wipes and a flannel with bar soap. A collapsible water carrier at your campsite allows you to wash your face and freshen up without the long queues.
What’s the best way to handle the unpredictable Irish weather?
Prepare for the “four seasons in one day” by bringing microfibre towels and sturdy wellies. Use kitchen paper to dry off gear and keep spare dry socks in plastic bags to avoid trench foot or fungal infections if it gets boggy.
How do I avoid getting a stomach bug from festival food?
Always sanitise your hands before eating. Look for food stalls that appear tidy and have a high turnover of customers, ensuring the food is cooked fresh and served piping hot.
Is it okay to use the fields as a toilet if the portaloo queues are too long?
No, please use the actual loos. Urinating in ditches pollutes the soil and local water sources, which is particularly harmful as many Irish festival sites are working farms for the rest of the year.
What should I do about midges and other Irish festival pests?
Pitch your tent in a breezy spot away from stagnant water and bins. Use a high-strength DEET repellent and do a daily “tick-check” if you’ve been walking through long grass or wild vegetation.
