Whether you’re a festival newbie or a veteran attendee, we can all agree that there are parts of the experience that aren’t perfect. If you’ve ever found yourself dashing from one end of the site to the other to see your favourite act while the rain is pouring down, the mud is rising past your knees, your friends have all vanished and you’re weighed down by a backpack full of things, you might have wondered if there was a better way. With technology, there is!

From devices and apps to accessories and festival services, there are plenty of ways to use technology to improve your festival experience. Below, we’ve provided six ways you can incorporate technology into your next festival trip to make it smoother, safer, and calmer.

Be App Happy

Apps can be a great way to keep on top of all aspects of the festival. To make the most of the festival, consider using the following:

• Official festival apps: many established festivals publish their own free app for visitors. These bring together the event’s official schedule and map, allowing users to navigate the grounds and attend the acts they want to see. Some also offer features such as digital passes, weather updates, food guides, live updates and interactive content. To see if your festival has an app, you should check the official festival website and follow the links to your device’s app store.
• Messaging apps: creating a group chat can be a great way of organising your festival visits with your friends and keeping in touch throughout it. Apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Signal are free to use, but your ability to chat may be impacted by the strength of the local signal in remote or crowded areas.
• Location sharing apps: even if you’re in touch with your friends at a festival, it can be hard to work out where everyone is. Apple’s Find My, Samsung SmartThings Find and location sharing in Google Maps all allow you to share your location with friends and family in real time, making it easy to work out where everyone is at the festival and the best place to meet.
• Payment apps: thanks to your smartphone, you can keep your wallet safe at home. Payment apps like Samsung Wallet, Apple Pay, and Google Pay let you load your cards onto your phone (or smartwatch) and secure them with a password, PIN, or biometrics.

Keep your Stuff Charged

Without power, any tech you bring to a festival will just be dead weight. There are a couple of options available to keep your devices going while you're away from convenient plug sockets:

• Charging stations: some festivals may provide charging stations where you can power up your devices. However, there may be a fee to use them, and you will have to stay at the charging station to use it, so you might miss out on acts or events.
• Power banks: bringing your own portable power bank to the festival means you can charge your devices on the go. Just make sure to charge the power bank fully before you leave, and bring the right charging cables for your devices. To lighten the load even further, consider devices with built-in power banks, such as portable speakers like the JBL Charge range.

Be Prepared for the Elements

Image courtesy of JBL.

No matter where in the world your festival is taking place, unpredictable weather is guaranteed. To avoid disaster, choose tech and accessories that can withstand the elements:

• IP-rated devices: the best way to tell if a device can withstand bad weather is if it has an IP rating. This is short for Ingress Protection, and will be followed by two units: an X or a number. The first indicates protection against particulates and solid objects, like sand, and the latter indicates protection against liquids. If either has an X, it means the device is not protected against that material. A device with an IP67 rating will have better protection against the elements than one with an IPX4 rating. Many different devices feature IP ratings, from computers and smartphones to speakers and wearables. 
• Rugged cases: adding a case to your smartphone is always a good idea, and in the outdoor environment of the festival, it can make the difference between a minor accident and a major disaster. Rugged cases feature improved shock and knock resistance for your devices, meaning they are protected from drops and other kinds of damage. A case that covers the screen or that works with a screen protector will provide even more protection for your smartphone.
• Waterproof pouches: If your phone doesn’t have a high IP rating or you don’t want to risk it getting wet, place it in a waterproof pouch for an extra layer of security. Most waterproof pouches will fit most phone models, and you can still use your phone's touchscreen without having to remove it.

Track Your Stuff

At a busy festival, it can be easy to lose your way back to your tent – not to mention the belongings you’ve left inside it! Tracking apps and electronic tags are a great way to keep tabs on everything you bring with you:

• Samsung, Apple and beyond: Galaxy devotees can use Samsung’s SmartTags and the SmartThings Find app to track their belongings, while Apple fans can do the same with AirTags and the Find My app. Other options, such as Tile, can be used by both Android and iOS devices.
• How the apps work: SmartThings Find and Find My both utilise a network of other users’ devices to anonymously pinpoint a tag’s location. So, depending on your device, every Apple or Samsung device at the festival will help find your tag.
• How the tags work: simply follow the instructions in the app to pair the tag, give it a name and place it where it’ll stay put – in a safe corner of a tent, a bag, a wallet, or even your pocket – and the app will do the rest.

Seek Peace of Mind

Image courtesy of Philips.

There’s so much more than acts and events to think about when you’re at a festival. Will you get enough sleep? Will you get too much sun? Will your ears ring for weeks afterwards? To keep yourself healthy and happy while you have fun, consider the following tech hacks:

• Apple wearables with health features: does an apple a day keep the doctor away? Not really, but Apple wearables can help keep your skin and ears healthy during those long, loud hours in the festival sun. The AirPod Pro 2 comes with Loud Sound Reduction in Transparency mode, which reduces the loudness of live music while keeping it sounding fantastic. All Apple Watches running watchOS 10 and newer let you see the amount of time you spend in daylight, which you can use to decide if you need to get in the shade.
• Sleep earbuds: settling down for the night while the people in the next tent over are still partying? Earbuds designed for sleeping, such as the Ozlo Sleepbuds or Philips Sleep Headphones, block out disruptive noises while allowing you to select music or ambient noise to help you drift off to sleep. Unlike regular earbuds or headphones, these are made for use while sleeping, with ergonomic designs and automatic switch-off timers. This means that the earbuds won't fall out during the night, cause earache from being laid on, or drain the battery while you sleep.
• Secure your phone: if you bring your smartphone, you probably won’t have your eyes on it at all times. To keep prying eyes and fingers away, use a strong PIN or passcode, or turn on biometric security to unlock your phone with your fingerprint or face.

Leave Your Phone at Home

If you’re afraid of losing or damaging your smartphone or just want to live in the moment without checking your apps, there are options for you:

• LTE smartwatches: if your device and network provider are compatible, you can pair your smartphone with an LTE smartwatch and get calls and messages while your phone is at home. Some models also come with payment apps, such as Samsung Pay and Garmin Pay, allowing you to leave even more of your valuable belongings safe at home.
• Swap your SIM to a dumbphone: if you need to text and call but want to avoid apps, you can move the physical SIM card from your smartphone to a dumbphone – an inexpensive handset with no smart features.
• Alternative cameras: if you want to save precious memories without your smartphone’s camera, an instant camera is a fun retro option, and some models come with incredible smart features. New Polaroid cameras have the same analogue printing technology as their 70s ancestors, now updated with the Polaroid app for scanning and saving digital copies. Fujifilm models like the Instax Mini Evo cut out the scanning phase altogether by taking digital copies that automatically save to your smartphone with the Instax Mini Evo app.

Staying connected isn’t necessary to the festival experience – many will argue you can’t enjoy it properly unless you switch off – but using devices and features that support the festival experience can help you have a safer and more enjoyable time. If you decide on a high-tech festival experience, you should use apps to keep on schedule, in touch and light on your feet, bring a power bank to top up battery life, take precautions against bad weather, and use tracking tags so nothing goes missing. If you want to unplug and focus on the festival, consider an alternative like an LTE smartwatch or dumbphone to avoid being totally cut off. Whatever you choose to do, stay safe, drink plenty of water and have fun!