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Whether you’re a dedicated music buff already planning out the rest of your gigs for the year ahead, or a first-time festivalgoer travelling for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the arrival of summer means only one thing – festival season is here!
No matter your preferred taste in music or where you live in the world, it’s safe to say that summer music festivals are the peak musical event of the year for many. But we’d be lying if we said that most people going were getting anything close to proper sleep.
Running around on your feet all day can be tiring at the best of times, but when you’re also boogying down to your favourite acts and staying up into the wee hours of morning, it’s no wonder that the vast majority of festivalgoers report feeling utterly exhausted by the end of the final day.
With this in mind, we wanted to find out which festivals in the UK, EU, and US are the worst for sleep, and whether or not recent trends in wellness have started to make their way into the festival scene.
By compiling a survey of essential festival sleep questions, such as how many hours festivalgoers sleep on average, how many times festivalgoers report waking up in the night, how many people rely on sleep aids, and more, we can now highlight the top sleepless festivals around the world.
Not only that, but we’ve also provided our expert tips and insights on how to sleep at a festival properly so that you’re brimming with energy when your favourite acts hit the stage!
What are the sleep habits of UK and US festival goers?
Starting off with the general sleep habits of UK and US festivalgoers, just how bad are we for sleeping at festivals?
UK festival sleeping trends
First off, when it comes to the UK, the good news is that a large portion of festivalgoers appear to be prioritising at least getting some rest each night, though 18% of those we surveyed admitted to going almost 36 hours without sleep at the favourite festivals.
And when it comes to falling asleep in general, a shocking 57% of UK festivalgoers said they’d switched off somewhere unexpected (i.e., not in their tent), with another 54% saying they missed acts they really wanted to see due to lack of sleep.
Add to this the fact that just 40% of UK festivalgoers say they take comfy bedding with them, and noisy campers tend to be more disruptive for rest than loud music, and it’s no wonder that 53% of respondents said it takes them at least 1-2 days to get back to their normal sleeping routine once a festival finishes.
Interestingly, though, despite these high numbers, roughly 26% of people said they wouldn’t trade these sorts of festival experiences for better sleep, showing just how impactful musical events like these can be for making lasting memories!
US festival sleeping trends
Turning to the US next, on the surface, it appears that US festivalgoers are slightly more sensible when it comes to sleep than here in the UK, with the average individual at a US festival only going up to 19 hours without sleep.
However, when we take a closer look, plenty of US festival attendees are staying up well past the 24-hour mark – something admitted by 22% of those we reached out to – while a further 58% said they had fallen asleep somewhere that’s not their tent.
Also, similarly to UK festivalgoers, 49% of US respondents reported missing acts due to lack of sleep, with 29% missing late evening events, 24% sleeping through the main headliners they came for, and only 31% powering through to the end. In fact, getting sleep is so important to some that 45% admitted to calling it quits early to get a proper night’s sleep.
And while 51% of people attending festivals in the US remember to bring earplugs with them, it still takes the average US festivalgoer around 2 days to get back to a normal sleep routine, hinting that earplugs are only useful for getting better rest if you actually put the bedtime hours in.
Which festivals have the worst sleeping experiences?
Based on our survey data, it’s clear that a large number of festival attendees in the UK and US are all for staying up late and neglecting their sleep in a bid to maximise their festival enjoyment – most aren’t even willing to put time aside for a quick powernap.
But if you’re looking to put your head down, does the type of festival you attend play a role in how well you sleep? Well, according to our stats, some festivals absolutely offer a worse sleeping experience than others:
UK festivals with the worst sleep experiences
When it comes to UK-specific festivals, by far the worst for sleep is Green Man Festival. Hosted in the heart of the Brecon Beacons, Green Man is a multi-genre music and arts festival attended by people of all ages and genders with a specific focus on celebrating nature and promoting good vibes in general.
But these vibes clearly don’t extend to sleep, with the average Green Man festivalgoer getting just 4.07 on average, per night, over the festival’s four days, suggesting the atmosphere at Green Man is just too good to go to bed for!
As for UK festivals where attendees are most likely to fall asleep in random places, Boomtown, the UK’s premier electronic, dance, drum and bass festival, sees roughly 35% of people falling asleep on their feet in crowds. Meanwhile, Lost Village, known for its house and techno beats, has around 23% of festivalgoers napping in portaloos.
Finally, when it comes to people getting their freak a little too loudly, 21% of people attending Download – the home of UK metal music – as well as the Isle of Wight Fest and Parklife, reported being kept awake at night by noisy sex from nearby campers.
Download is also the worst festival for general noise disturbances, with as many as 65% of attendees being kept awake by other festivalgoers chatting and partying into the early hours of the morning.
Interestingly, although it’s perhaps the most famous music festival in the UK, attendees of Glastonbury have some of the best rates of sleep, possibly because as many as 67% of festivalgoers bring earplugs with them, with a further 47% investing in eye masks to ensure they’re not woken up by an early sunrise.
European festivals with the worst sleep experiences
Moving onto the continent, when it comes to European festivals, those going to Primavera Sound, one of the biggest pop music festivals in Europe, and Hellfest, France’s major heavy metal festival, stay awake the longest on average at 20.45 hours and 20.9 hours each day, respectively.
Perhaps more shockingly, however, those at Dekmantel – Amsterdam’s best-known techno festival – are the most likely to fall asleep in a random location, with a staggering 90% of festivalgoers saying they’ve accidentally started napping mid rave!
As for noisy campers slipping into bed with each other, Open’er, Poland’s main pop, alternative, and electronic music festival, sees a full quarter (25%) of people being kept awake in the evening by other people’s tent-based escapades.
Much to our surprise, though, despite being one of the European festivals where people stay awake for the longest, those at Primavera Sound are also the best equipped to get some rest afterwards, with upwards of 73% of festivalgoers bringing earplugs – which at least helps them to make the most of what few hours’ sleep they do get.
US festivals with the worst sleep experiences
Lastly, when looking at US festivals, Stagecoach, the United States' top-tier country music festival, is by far the worst for sleep, with attendees getting just 4.58 hours on average over the 3 days.
On top of this, campers at Camp Bisco, famed for its electronic music, also seem to be the type who fall asleep anywhere, with 78% napping away from their tents, while an impressive 35% of festivalgoers at Newport Folk Festival (which, shockingly, plays a lot of folk music), have the impressive ability to fall asleep besides live speakers!
Meanwhile, those into indie alternative rock music and heading to Pitchfork should note that there’s a good chance that the fanfare of other people’s sleeping bag shenanigans might disturb their sleep, with as many as 30% of previous attendees saying this kept them awake in the past.
Still, it’s not all bad news. In terms of festivals where sleep is the most promising, Snowglobe, a hub for EDM music, sees as many as 70% of people bringing earplugs with them to help get to sleep afterwards, while 54% of people at Rolling Loud festival at least manage to get back to their tent before switching off for the day.
Tips for how to sleep at festivals
So, it’s clear that, even if you want to prioritise sleep, the chances of you getting a full, uninterrupted night’s rest each day are slim to none. Still, our Senior Sleep Expert, Martin Seeley, points out that there’s plenty you can be doing to make what sleep you do get as restful as possible:
- Invest in earplugs and eye masks – given that noisy neighbours seem to be the main thing stopping people from getting good sleep at festivals, a good pair of earplugs is a must to block out unwanted sounds, as well as a reliable sleep mask to stop the sun waking you up. They’re also ideal if you want to nap properly in between acts.
- Opt for quiet camping – while earplugs can help block unwanted sounds, if you want to minimise the potential for disturbances entirely, then consider choosing quiet camping if available; you can still party hard away from your tent if you plan on staying up late.
- Stick to a wind-down routine – although it might be a bit tricky, sticking to a partial wind-down bedtime routine each night, even when you’re knackered, will go a long way to getting you in the right frame of mind for going straight to sleep.
- Stay hydrated – staying hydrated is important at the best of times, but being extra conscious of this at festivals and remembering to grab a drink between acts will keep you feeling awake, energised, and ready to go until it’s time to turn in.
- Bring quality bedding – it might not be a four-poster bed in a 5-star hotel, but if you want to get the best rest possible when sleeping at a festival, then you should absolutely bring a soft pillow, a fresh duvet you don’t mind getting dirty, and ca omfortable airbed to so you’re not sleeping on a hard floor for three or more days.
- Try a sleep aid or two – just because you use sleep aids at home doesn’t mean you can’t bring them with you to a festival. White noise headphones can block out disturbances in the same way as earplugs, and sleep-friendly teas can be just what the doctor ordered as you relax back in camp post-headliner.
Prioritise your sleep with MattressNextDay
There you have it; those are the worst festivals in the UK and around the world when it comes to getting sleep, as well as some top tips for how to sleep at a festival so you're as fresh as you can be until the very last minute.
Of course, all the sleep tricks in the world probably won’t help you get a full 8 hours of rest at a festival, which is why you should make getting good sleep your highest priority once you get back home – and the best way to do that is with a high-quality mattress and bed frame!
From standard double beds and spacious king-sized mattresses to dream-inducing memory foam options, there’s something for everyone in our range. Take a look at our collection today and make sure you take advantage of our next-day, free delivery service.
