You can get into festivals for free by offering to work during the event. Websites such as Festaff offer easy ways to volunteer for roles such as stewarding.
Oxfam, which often has a campaigning presence at festivals, also sells goods in shops. Volunteer and you can get crew camping, a meal voucher for every shift, hot showers, free tea and coffee, and phone charging.
At the time of writing, there were still festivals you could sign up for this year, including Glastonbury on 26-30 June.
You will typically have to find money upfront for a deposit, which will be refunded once the event is over, as long as you have fulfilled your volunteering obligations.
Book travel in advance
Vix Leyton, a consumer expert and host of the False Economy podcast, recommends booking train or coach tickets in advance, which means “you can work out the cheapest times to travel, and use railcards to save even more”.
She adds: “You also get train discounts if you book for three or more people, so booking as a squad can save you money.”
If you want to travel like a VIP on a budget, she says, you can upgrade your trip with Seatfrog, an app that allows you to bid as little as £12 for same-day travel in first class and which, depending on the line, includes everything from snacks to a full catering service and bar.
Leyton also recommends carsharing, which is not only great for saving money but also better for the environment than some other options. Website Liftshare connects passengers with car drivers so that you can find someone travelling from your area.
If you opt for a coach, Big Green Coach has good deals for lots of festivals, including Leeds and Reading on 21-25 August. A return ticket to Leeds festival from Chester – just over 80 miles – will (at the time of writing) cost you £68. You can split the payment into instalments.
The four-day Shambala festival in Northamptonshire on 22-25 August encourages guests to travel in many ways, including cycling. It partners with Red Fox Cycling to offer guided bike rides to the festival site from London, Bristol and Birmingham.