A dead phone at a festival is more than an inconvenience. It is your ticket, your camera, your map, your torch, and your only way to find your friends. Losing all of that because your battery died at 3pm on a Saturday is a problem that ruins people's festivals every single year.
Here is how to keep your phone going from Friday arrival to Monday morning departure.
Power banks: the essential investment
A portable power bank is the single most useful piece of kit you can take to a festival, after the ticket itself. They have come down in price significantly and even a basic model will extend your phone's battery life by several days.
What capacity do you need?
Power bank capacity is measured in milliamp hours (mAh). A typical modern smartphone has a battery between 3,000 and 5,000 mAh. Here is a rough guide:
- 5,000 mAh -- One full charge. Good for a single-day event but not enough for a weekend festival.
- 10,000 mAh -- Two to three full charges. Sufficient for a weekend festival if you are careful with battery usage.
- 20,000 mAh -- Four to six full charges. Comfortably covers a four or five-day festival with normal usage.
- 30,000+ mAh -- Overkill for most people, but useful if you are also charging speakers, torches, or multiple devices.
A 10,000 mAh power bank costs between £15 and £25 from reputable brands like Anker, Belkin, or RAVPower. A 20,000 mAh model runs between £25 and £40. Either is a solid investment that you will use beyond festivals.
Choosing the right power bank
Look for the following features:
- Fast charging output -- Power Delivery (PD) or Quick Charge (QC) means your phone charges faster, which matters when you are trying to get enough battery during a quick break between acts.
- Multiple ports -- At least two USB outputs means you can charge your phone and a friend's simultaneously.
- Robust build -- Festivals involve dust, mud, rain, and the occasional drop. A power bank with some weather resistance or a protective case will last longer.
- Weight -- A 20,000 mAh power bank weighs approximately 350 to 500 grams. That is noticeable in a pocket all day but manageable in a bag.
Charge your power bank fully before leaving home. This sounds obvious but the number of people who arrive at festivals with a half-charged power bank is surprisingly high.
Festival charging stations
Most large UK festivals now offer phone charging services. These typically come in two forms:
Locker-style charging
You lock your phone in a small locker that charges it while you are away. This usually costs £5 to £10 per charge session and takes 30 to 60 minutes to get a decent charge. The downside is that you do not have your phone while it charges, which means you cannot take photos, contact friends, or use maps during that time.
Sit-and-charge stations
Some festivals provide communal charging stations where you plug in your phone and wait. These are often free or sponsored by brands. The downside is sitting in one place while your phone charges, and theft risk if you are not paying attention.
Charging tents or power hubs
Some festivals have dedicated charging tents with multiple outlets. These can get very busy during peak hours. Arriving early in the morning or during headliner sets (when everyone else is at the main stage) gives you the best chance of getting a spot.
Charging stations are a useful backup but should not be your primary strategy. Relying on them means queuing, waiting, and being without your phone for chunks of the day.
Battery-saving tips
Making your existing battery last longer is just as important as carrying extra power. These settings and habits can double or triple your phone's battery life at a festival:
Reduce screen brightness
Your screen is the single biggest battery drain. Turn brightness down to 30 to 40% or use auto-brightness. In daylight you may need higher brightness to see the screen, but indoors or after dark, keep it low.
Use aeroplane mode selectively
When you are watching a band and do not need to communicate, switch to aeroplane mode. Your phone uses enormous amounts of battery searching for signal at crowded events where networks are overloaded. Aeroplane mode eliminates this drain entirely. Turn it off when you need to contact friends or check the schedule.
Turn off background app refresh
Apps updating in the background eat battery without you knowing. Go to settings and disable background refresh for everything except essential apps. Social media apps are particularly bad for this.
Disable location services
GPS is a significant battery drain. Turn off location services for all apps except the ones you actually need for navigation at the festival.
Close unused apps
Apps running in the background consume processing power and battery. Close everything you are not actively using.
Use Wi-Fi instead of mobile data
If the festival offers Wi-Fi, connecting to it can use less battery than your phone struggling with weak mobile signal. Check whether any free Wi-Fi networks are available in communal areas.
Alternative and backup options
- Solar chargers -- Portable solar panels have improved significantly but remain slow and weather-dependent. In British conditions, they are unreliable as a primary charging method but can provide a trickle charge on sunny days. Consider them a supplement to a power bank, not a replacement.
- Car charger -- If you drove to the festival, your car is a large battery. A car charger cable lets you top up your phone during trips back to the car park. Be aware that running your phone charger from the car battery for extended periods without the engine running can drain the car battery.
- Second phone -- Some festival veterans bring an old phone with a fresh SIM as a backup. It does not need to be smart; even a basic phone for texts and calls as a backup to your main smartphone can be invaluable.
- Hand-crank chargers -- These exist but are painfully slow. Several minutes of cranking produces only a tiny amount of charge. Not practical for serious use.
Protecting your power bank
Keep your power bank in a waterproof bag or ziplock bag to protect it from rain and mud. If it gets wet, dry it thoroughly before using it. Store it out of direct sunlight as excessive heat reduces battery efficiency and lifespan.
Do not lend your power bank to strangers. It sounds ungenerous but you need that charge to last the weekend. If friends need power, share by all means, but treat your power bank as a personal essential item.
For more festival preparation advice, check out our essential festival packing list and our guide to staying safe at large events.
A charged phone means you can capture memories, stay connected to friends, navigate the site, and get home safely. Spend £25 on a decent power bank, follow the battery-saving tips above, and you will never be the person desperately searching for a charging point while the headliner plays.