Festival season is painstakingly close and lucky for us, Skiddle is on hand with its top tips to take with us. 

Whether you're going to be grooving at Glastonbury or rocking out at Reading, you will want to be armed with these handy hacks.

The official festival reporter for event discovery platform Skiddle, Nichita Matei, has rounded up his best advice to get you to the front of the crowd or boogie on a budget.

Top festivals tips and hacks to make the most of your summer

Bournemouth Echo: Skiddle's official festival reporter Nichita Matei. Credit: SkiddleSkiddle's official festival reporter Nichita Matei. Credit: Skiddle

Festival essentials you need to bring 

Before the fun can begin, packing the right stuff - even the boring essentials - is a necessary evil. 

Ultimately, you need to pack for the weather, Nichita advises.

He adds: If it’s looking even remotely sunny ensure you’ve got suncream, sunglasses and a hat because nothing is worse than trying to mosh to your favourite artist with an awful sunburn. Lather up on the cream and enjoy your weekend sunburn free. After being locked inside for so long you’ll need the extra help.

Brits know that our weather is less than reliable and can often take a turn so packing a hoodie is a must and you can't go wrong with a windbreaker either.

Check what your festival's policy is about bringing your own booze too. 

Some festivals let you bring in limited supplies like El Dorado but definitely double-check so that you don't have to throw anything away at the entrance, Nichita says.

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Overnight festival tips

Overnight festivals can be a lot of fun but you also have to be prepared with your packing!

Nichita says: “If you are spending the night at a festival make sure that all the essentials are covered.

"In an overnight bag there should be a toothbrush and toothpaste to start the day with minty breath, hand sanitiser (make sure you have one of these with you throughout the day too as you never know what is going to be missing in the portloos or the state of them)."

Nichita also recommends packing your hairbrush and styling products, deodorant and/or soap and even some tissues or spare loo roll as festivals often run out.

If you are like us and can't survive without your phone, Nichita suggests investing in a power bank as "you don't want to miss catching the headliner on video".

He adds: "Power banks are around £20 on amazon and they will last for at least 4 full charges for most phones.” 

How to keep your festival antics to a budget

Festivals can cost a small fortune but there are things that can help you keep the costs down.

Speaking about alcohol, Nichita says: “Referring back to the festival essentials, BYOB. You’ll automatically save a lot of money over the weekend. On average a pint of beer at a festival is around £6, so it's easy to see how the costs can stack up."

Transport can also be expensive and pre-planning your journey there and back can go a long way.

Nichita says: "Some festivals set up a shuttle bus service which is only a small fee that gets you to and from the festival with the pick up point being in the city centre. Although this service is often the busiest, it is a huge saving on getting a taxi at the end of the night!"

One of the best bits about festivals is the food but it's never going to be cheap.

The Skiddle reporter advises: "Most portions are similar but you need to make sure you are getting a good amount for the price you pay. Take a walk around when you first get there and weigh up the portion sizes in comparison to the price. The amount of food vendors can be quite overwhelming, especially when you are hungry so by going to look first, you know where you are heading when it's time for food.” 

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How to get to the front row of a festival

Getting to the front row, at least once, has to be on the festival check list. 

Nichita shares: "If there is someone that you’d like to see front row over the festival it's important to prioritise getting there early, recommend at least 15 minutes before the set to give you time to wiggle through the crowds-  this depends on the festival and the popularity of the act."

If you need to leave your spot at any point and don't want to lose your space, you should slip out solo and have someone saving your position.

He adds: "This is why it's important to make friends at the festival, they have your back when you need to make an emergency toilet run or a spontaneous bar trip!”