Gifts for festival and gig goers

Festival gifts split neatly into two piles: things that make a field survivable, and things that mark having been there. Both are good presents. Anything that has to be carried for three days and isn't either is a burden.

Here's a UK list for 2026, from things to buy in January for a summer ticket to the small stuff that fits in a card.

We don't sell instruments or records - we make pin badges, prints, postcards and cards in house, printed in the UK. Everything below is an honest list, with our own bits only where they actually fit.

Kit that survives a field

• A proper poncho, not a rain jacket. Ponchos go over a bag and that's the whole game.
• A power bank with two ports, charged before it's wrapped.
• A self-inflating mat. Sleep is the difference between day three being fun or grim.
• Dry bags in two sizes, for phone and for clothes.

Small and genuinely used

• Reusable ear plugs with a case. Musicians' plugs cut volume without muffling the sound.
• A refillable water bottle that clips to a bag.
• Blister plasters and a tiny first aid pouch, which sounds dull until day two.
• A head torch, so the tent is findable at 2am.

Keepsakes after the gig

• Pin badges to build a jacket or bag collection over a season of shows.
• A frame for ticket stubs and wristbands, which otherwise live in a drawer.
• A lyric print from the set closer they still talk about.
• Postcards to send from the campsite, if the festival has a postbox - plenty do.

Skip these

• Anything glass, which is banned at most UK festivals.
• Novelty hats. One wear, then carried for two days.
• Cheap disposable ponchos as the whole gift - fine as a stocking filler, not a present.
• Anything that needs charging more than once a day.

Shop pin badges

Music prints and postcards

Lyric prints and A6 postcards, ready to frame or pin up.

How to write it so it lands

• Buy kit in spring, not the week before - the good stuff sells out.
• Check the festival's banned items list before wrapping anything.
• Pin badges are the easiest small gift for someone who goes to lots of gigs.
• A ticket frame turns a stub into something that stays on a wall.

Where to shop next

• Gifts for music lovers
• Gifts for guitarists and musicians
• Gifts for vinyl lovers
• Gifts for singers and karaoke fans
• Gifts for music teachers
• Music gift ideas
• Music and song guides
• Pin badges
• Posters and prints
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas

Frequently asked questions

What do you buy someone going to a festival?

Weather and sleep kit first - poncho, mat, power bank, ear plugs. They all get used within hours and none of them are things people remember to buy themselves.

Are ear plugs a good festival gift?

Yes. Reusable musicians' ear plugs lower the volume without dulling the sound, they cost around £15 to £25, and they protect hearing across a whole season of gigs.

How do you gift a festival ticket?

Print the confirmation, put it in a card and add the travel money. Tickets on their own often go unused because the getting-there cost lands later.