This is really only an issue with first time festival goers, but every year there are plenty of people asking the same question:
“How much alcohol can I take to a music festival?”
It’s not a new question either, people have been asking this exact question for years!
So let’s debunk some myths, answer some questions, and point you towards to more concrete information!
The Origin
This issue arises because most festivals have a caveat that states ‘only enough alcohol for personal consumption will be allowed’
In my own opinion, this specific rule, (however it’s written for the festival you’re attending) is just there to cover the festivals’ back.
If someone was trying to enter the festival carrying crates and crates of bottles of vodka, they would have the right to refuse entry without having to prove anything or get into any legal issues.
For the regular festival attendee, no matter how hard a drinker you consider yourself, it is pretty much guaranteed that you won’t be carrying enough to make the security suspicious, let alone or take any off of you.
Let me be clear on this:
I have never seen anyone turned away from a festival because they had too much alcohol on them.
By the way, I’m talking about the festival campsite here, not the arena.
Most festivals don’t allow any alcohol to be taken into the arena.
Any festivals that do allow it are in the minority and you will need to check their rules more carefully on what is and isn’t allowed.
Specific Rules About Alcohol
Some festivals actually do have strict rules on how much alcohol is allowed (Creamfields).
Now, if I were being cynical, I’d say that’s because they want to encourage other forms of illicit consumption… but thats just me.
The one rule regarding alcohol that I am aware of, is about those mini kegs you can buy that hold around 10 pints.
Usually you are only allowed two of these in the festival campsite.
Again I have never seen someone have a keg taken off them, and I don’t know how it would work if there is a group of people and multiple kegs, but that is what I’ve heard, so be wary of that rule.
However, all this worrying about the amount of alcohol you can take is far less important than another rule, that every year lots of people forget, or just flat-out ignore.
Don’t Take Alcohol in Glass Bottles!
I am sure this is a rule for every music festival nowadays.
You cannot take glass into a festival!
It’s hard, so can be used as a weapon, or it can break and cause cuts and lacerations.
There’s a lot of valid reasons to justify the ban, but just remember that they’re not allowed and that’s that.
This is actually one my my ‘5 Donts for Music Festival‘, it’s that important.
Decant your spirits from glass bottles to plastic bottles before you get to the festival.
Don’t do it in the queue, don’t do in the festival car park, don’t do it outside the supermarket down the road.
Do it well before the festival so that you don’t forget, and don’t even bring glass onto the festival space at all.
If you say “it’s fine, I’ll do it in the queue”, you risk forgetting about it and causing some issues.
If you get to the front of the queue and security finds a glass bottle; they will not just wait until you’ve decanted it.
They will take it off you and throw it away.
Do it beforehand and don’t even risk this!
Conclusion
So this summer, don’t worry about how much alcohol you can take to a music festival.
Just take what you think is the right amount for you, and remember to leave the glass bottles at home!
