What Food Should I Take To A Music Festival?

Bringing good food to a camping festival is essential to making the most out of the festival camping experience. But if you’ve never been to a camping festival before, it’s important to know that most music festival camping isn’t like traditional camping. You won’t have a firepit or space to set up a grill. Although there is (usually) a huge range of food available at EDM festivals, you’ll find yourself spending much more than you wanted if you rely on food vendors for the entire event.

Bringing your own food and planning your meals ahead of time is the way to do it right. You’ll need lots of nutritious calories to keep you fueled so you can dance all weekend long. Continue reading to hear some of the best foods to bring to a camping music festival. Be sure to add them to your shopping list to help keep you and your rave crew healthy and full! And if you’ve never been to a festival before, head to our blog for more helpful tips and advice such as What To Bring To A Camping Music Festival or What To Bring To A Rave.

Tips For Taking Food To A Camping Festival

Most festival-goers throw a couple of packs of beer and a few boxes of granola bars into their shopping cart and think they are good to go. I highly suggest not doing that. For some, it may be doable. But for many, it is not.

It’s important to be realistic about what food you’re going to bring. Keep in mind that it will probably get squished along the way, too. Be sure to keep these things in mind when food shopping and preparing for the festival:

Bring a variety of different types of food but also keep in mind the size of your cooler.

Try not to bring too many foods that need to be refrigerated at all times.
Bring lots of ice for your cooler. Consider purchasing a solid block of ice because it will melt more slowly in your cooler.
Get a few ice packs to help keep things cold in your cooler for longer. And to be honest, a Yeti cooler really is worth the investment!

Don’t forget utensils, napkins, paper towels, cups, and garbage bags!

Best Food To Take To A Camping Festival That Doesn’t Require A Cooktop

Having a cooktop or grill to cooktop your food gives you a lot more food options to bring. However, there are tons of great meals and snacks to bring if you don’t have one. Some of these foods may not fill you up massively, but you probably don’t want to overeat anyway.

Bread

Bread has endless possibilities whether it be for sandwiches, pb&j’s, or even to be used as buns or rolls. If you’re planning on making sandwiches with fresh foods like cold cuts, be sure to eat them on the first or second day.

Fruit

You can never go wrong with fruit. Bananas, apples (with peanut butter is the best), or grapes are my go-to. Grapes are super refreshing and alwaysss hit the spot on a hot summer day at a festival!

Granola Bars

Granola bars are the perfect snack to have at a festival. They’ll fill you up a bit and give you the energy you need to get through the day!

Chips & Salsa

Chips and salsa are always a good snack to bring to a festival. Having some chips and salsa to share with friends and munch on at the end of the night is always nice. Tostitos salsa con queso is also a game changer.

Yogurt

Yogurt is another great snack to bring to a music festival. You can even make yourself a nice parfait by adding some granola and throwing some fruit on top. Yogurt with or without granola and fruit makes for the perfect snack for breakfast. It’ll give you energy and help satisfy your hunger!

Best Food To Take To A Camping Festival That Requires A Stove

If you’re driving to the festival and are bringing a portable cooktop or stove, I highly recommend making some meals beforehand. One of the best things my friends and I ever did was cook some homemade meals to bring with us. Yes, it might sound like a lot of work. However, there are some really simple meals you can make. We brought a tray of mac n cheese and another tray of mashed potatoes. Kept them in the cooler and when we were ready to eat them, we just threw them in a pan to heat them up. Super simple and easy. Highly recommend! Here are some more good food suggestions to bring to a camping festival:

Pasta/Ramen Noodles

Pasta or ramen noodles are always a good choice because who can say no to either? Instant cups of noodles are an easy choice – as long as you have a portable cooktop to heat some water. And if you’re making pasta, all you need is a jar of sauce and you’re all set!

Soup

You may not think it but soup is actually such a nice thing to bring along. My favorite time to heat up some soup is late at night once the music has stopped. As you head back to your tent you’ll probably realize it’s actually a lot colder than you thought. That can of chicken noodle soup will warm and fill you up before you sleep!

Eggs

Although a bit fragile, eggs are great if you’re able to keep them all in one piece in your cooler. Whether scrambled, poached, or over-easy, a little bit of protein for breakfast is the best way to start your day at a festival.

S’mores Stuff

If you whip out some graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows and start making s’mores I promise everyone will want to be your friend!

Conclusion

Planning ahead and preparing food to bring to a festival will make camping at a music festival a more enjoyable experience. Whether it be in the morning while cooking some scrambled eggs or at the end of the night eating some hot chicken noodle soup, you’ll thank yourself for putting the time and effort into planning ahead! We hope these tips help keep you and your rave crew full and energized for the weekend! Be sure to check out our blog for more information and helpful tips such as How To Become A Vendor At Music Festivals or Top 9 Best EDM Music Venues In U.S.

Juliet Norelli

Juliet Norelli has been a part of the rave community for 10 years. She shares her knowledge through writing to give helpful tips and advice to all ravers.