Stay Well at your Festival: with tips from the Ancient + Brave Nutrition Team

Festival season is one of summer’s greatest joys. 

Glastonbury, Reading, Isle of Wight, Love Supreme, to name a few - festival season is one of the hotly anticipated parts of summer. 

There is something special about thousands of people coming together to fill their cups with dancing, laughter, great food, music, art and creativity. 

These experiences tap into something deeply human. Long before modern festivals, people gathered around food, music and celebration. It is rooted in us from ancient tribes and can feel like a spiritual experience. 

The only downside? Modern-day festival experiences can be dampened by long days in the sun, disrupted tent sleeps and random meal times - all of which can leave you feeling a little depleted if you’re not prepared. And it doesn't need to be complicated. It’s simply about creating a few gentle foundations so you can feel free to throw yourself into the experience. 

To help you thrive through your summer festival experience, we’ve asked our expert nutrition team to share their top festival wellbeing tips, from hydration and sleep to gut health and nourishing food choices. 

Laying the foundations: How to prepare your body for a festival 

Before you pack your festival bag, think about the foundations that help you feel your best. A little preparation beforehand makes all the difference when you’re navigating long days and late nights. The goal is to support yourself well enough that you can focus on what’s most important: the music, the people, the connection and the memories you’ll make.  

“These moments are meant to be enjoyed - a little preparation means you can be fully present for all of it.’” Faye Murton, Nutritionist

Now’s the perfect time to: 

Support your gut health

New foods, long days on your feet, and let's face it, even longer queues for the toilets, can mean that festivals challenge your gut health. The good news? There’s plenty you can do to support your digestive system for festival season. 

In the lead-up to your festival, focus on simple foundations: a balance of energy sustaining protein, grains and nutritious fruit and vegetables, and supporting your gut lining and microbiome with True Biome- our FODMAP- approved daily ritual that nourishes your gut with triple-action pre- and postbiotic care.

“Our gut is connected to so much of how we feel — it shows up in our mood, our skin and our immune system. Building a thriving microbiome before you go can support your energy and recovery during a festival,” Faye Murton, Nutritionist.

Prioritising sleep

Sleep is an essential foundation for sustained energy and the time when the body recovers. With long festival days ahead, facing noisy campsites and early wake-up calls, a few nights of good sleep beforehand can make all the difference. 

Aiming for seven or eight hours, with a wind-down routine - screens away, some gentle stretching or breathwork can help prepare your body for rest. Taking True Magnesium before sleep can support a feeling of relaxation, helping you wake up feeling ready for festival weekend. 

Staying hydrated

Walking around the festival fields, dancing and being in the sun can all contribute to fluid loss throughout the day. Arriving well-hydrated gives you a head start before the heat, dancing, and long days begin. 

Hydration is essential for our bodies - supporting muscle function, energy levels and overall wellbeing. Aiming for 6-8 glasses of water per day is a great place to start.

“Whilst you’re dancing the nights away, your hydration levels can easily drop - leaving you feeling depleted. Take a small, refillable water bottle that you can also take into the arena empty to fill up as you go.“ Isobel Hartnoll, Nutritionist. 

Our limited-edition Ancient + Brave Ocean Bottle is the perfect way to keep your wellbeing rituals consistent through the busy summer months.  

Building skin resilience 

Late nights, fast food and alcohol can all take their toll on your skin. While your topical festival skincare routine can care for the surface, supporting your skin from within ahead of the festival can make a meaningful difference. 

That’s where True Skin Alchemy can help. An ingestible skincare product, this uses seven science-backed ingredients and supports skin resilience from within. Its active ingredients include Polypodium leucotomos, a remarkable tropical fern extract that has developed unique plant compounds and has been shown to help the skin respond to environmental stress. Pack alongside your daily SPF suncream, and seek shade during the hottest part of the day. 

Find your calm before the festival 

Whatever helps you find your calm - Whether it’s breathwork, gentle yoga, reading a book or getting cosy on the sofa with your favourite series. Taking some time for yourself before the weekend can help recharge your batteries. Going into a festival feeling grounded makes a real difference when the long nights, busy crowds and loud music kick in. Even just 10 minutes of guided breathwork can send a signal to your nervous system to slow down and settle. 

What are the best wellbeing products to bring to a festival?

Festival rehydration sachets 

Festivals are dehydrating by nature — heat, dancing, disrupted sleep — so an electrolyte supplement like True Hydration Sachets will be your best friend.  

“Fill a water bottle at the nearest water station and stir in a sachet of True Hydration for an easy, refreshing electrolyte drink, keeping you hydrated with essential minerals throughout the day.” Faye Murton, Nutritionist 

Gut health support

Delicious, indulgent festival food is to be enjoyed. Whether you’re tucking into a wood-fire pizza, street food favourites, or a late-night snack, consistency with a few simple rituals can help provide balance - especially if you have a sensitive stomach.  Keeping a sachet of True Biome in your bag for your morning ritual helps maintain that consistent foundation. Stir it into your morning coffee or add it to a bottle of water during the day.

“Consistency matters more than perfection. Festivals are about all joy and celebration, and just a few simple rituals woven into the fun can help you feel present throughout,” Jenni Kiddle, Nutritionist

Support rest and recovery  

With many festivals lasting 2-3 nights or more, you’ll want to support your energy. 

When it’s finally time to retreat to your tent,  support sleep with a sachet of True Nightcap. Designed to be enjoyed hot or cold, brings calming magnesium to support a restful night so that you arrive at the stageside feeling your best. 

“Sleep at festivals is very hit and miss! And that’s totally okay. Focus on creating little moments of rest where you can, and give yourself a bit of time to wind down at the end of the day - so you can wake up and feel ready for another day of magic,” Jenni Kiddle, Nutritionist

Sun protection and skin care 

Outdoor events like festivals can expose your skin to prolonged periods of sunlight - even on overcast days. In addition to applying your festival sun protection, try to set your tent up in a shaded spot and seek shade during peak sunlight hours (11 am -3 pm). 

To help you stay consistent with your daily collagen-support skin care rituals, we offer sachet versions of our hero True and Wild Collagen rituals, meaning you never need to miss a day.

Create your festival wellbeing kit 

When space is limited, simplicity matters. 

To make it easy to support your wellbeing wherever summer takes you, we created Loaded Rituals — convenient sachets designed to help you take your favourite daily rituals wherever summer takes you. 

Choose from hydration support to creatine and gut health rituals, mixing and matching your sachets to personalise your stack. Each Loaded Ritual comes in a set of 10 sachets and is posted without bulky box packaging - easy to pack and easy to share. 

 Build your ritual

How to stay nourished throughout the weekend

Festival foods are a big part of the fun, but having a few nourishing options to hand can help keep your energy steady between sets. 

Breakfast Ideas

Start your day with a protein-rich breakfast to help keep you energised and satisfied throughout the morning. Think:

• Protein balls/bars with added Brave Ancestral Protein

• Overnight oats with a sprinkle of nuts and seeds

• Nut butter sachets with oatcakes 

• Avocado and bread

Snack Ideas

Portable snacks can be a lifesaver when queues are long and you’re far from your tent.  Our nutritionist team recommends:

• Apples, oranges and pears 

• Mixed nuts and seeds

• Roasted chickpeas

• Oatcakes

• Protein bars

• Dried fruits

• Biltong

Lunch Ideas

Focus on foods that are practical, portable and satisfying. Some nutritionist team favourites include: 

• Tinned mixed bean salads 

• Tinned fish with crackers or oatcakes

• Wholegrain wraps

• Precooked grains 

“Mixed beans offer a brilliant variety of fibre and protein to keep you refuelled and support your gut health. Oily fish add a hit of high-quality protein alongside omega-3s to keep you feeling nourished and energised between sets. Simply pile them onto oatcakes, crackers or bread for a quick, no-fuss festival meal,” Isobel Hartnoll, Nutritionist.

Find us at the festival: Ancient + Brave and Love Supreme

Heading to Love Supreme this summer? So are we! 

Join us at The Brave Tent, a welcoming space designed to help festivalgoers pause, reset and reconnect amongst the excitement of the weekend.

We’ll be hosting movement sessions, wellbeing experiences and opportunities to discover some of our favourite daily rituals.

Whether you’re stopping by for a moment of calm, a stretch between sets or simply to say hello, we’d love to see you there.

Because sometimes the most memorable festival moments aren’t just found in front of the stage, but in the spaces where we reconnect with ourselves and each other.