FAQs

Before you take a look through our FAQs, you may want to read our full Bestival terms and conditions which might answer any questions you have.

Where’s my ticket/wristband?
Tickets will be sent out in batches from early August. All tickets will be exchanged for a wristband at the entrances to the festival. If you haven’t received your tickets by Thursday 29th August, or you have any other ticket enquiries, please contact your point of purchase:

Ticketline: 0844 888 4420 (Monday to Friday 10am-6pm or Saturday 10am-1pm)

Are there any age limits?
All persons under the age of 18 MUST be accompanied at the festival by a parent, legal guardian or nominated guardian over the age of 30. No more than two Teens (age 13-17) are allowed per parent or guardian. Please ensure you read our terms & conditions in full.

Anyone under 18 trying to enter the festival with an adult or student ticket will not be permitted to enter the festival under any circumstances.

If you are lucky enough to look under 25 you might be asked for ID at the entrance and at bars as part of the Challenge 25 initiative – so please bring valid photo ID with you.

I have a student ticket but I don’t have a valid NUS or ISIC card – will I get turned away at the entrance?
If you have a student ticket then in order to use it, you do need to have a valid NUS or ISIC card – no other student ID accepted.

If you don’t have the valid ID then you can pay £10 at the box office (before you start to queue for a wristband), to upgrade your ticket from a student ticket to an adult ticket.

I want to bring my children who are aged 12 & under – do they need a ticket?
All children aged 12 & under on 05/09/2013 will need a free child ticket and must be accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or nominated guardian. Please ensure you read our terms & conditions in full.

I’ve signed up for the Weekly Payment Plan – when do my payments come out of my bank account?
On the same day each week – for example, if you buy your Payment Plan ticket and make your first payment on a Thursday, then the next payment will come out on the following Thursday, then the Thursday after that until the plan is complete.

I might miss a payment on my Weekly Payment Plan – what should I do?
Please contact Ticketline as soon as possible and they will be able to re-arrange your missed payment : Ticketline: 0844 888 4420 (Monday to Friday 10am-6pm or Saturday 10am-1pm)

Where can I get a Site Map?
The Bestival site map will be available from late August via www.bestival.net. The camping areas will be similar to those in 2012 with any changes due to entertainment moving or being added. If you’d like to see how the site was laid out last year then please download the Bestival 2012 map here.

You will need Adobe Reader to view it. If you don’t have it, it’s available to download for free from here.

This map will also be available in the programme and laminate that you can buy when you arrive at the festival so please avoid printing it if you can. We like to save trees and it’d be great if you could help save them to.

When can I get a timetable/line-up/programme?
Programmes are sold separately and are available to buy when you arrive at the festival. Artist line-up timings will not be published on this website prior to the event. Please be careful to only buy from authorised vendors, they are likely to be wrong and are a waste of your money.

Is there a Bestival Phone App?
If we develop a Bestival 2013 mobile app then we will post details on this website later this year.

When can I arrive / when do I have to leave?
Thursday 5th Sept: The car parks are expected to open from 9am and the campsites and box offices from midday as per previous years. If any timings change then we will update in the Info section.

Fri/Sat/Sun: Car parks & box offices are expected to open at 9am.

Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun: No entry into the site after midnight on any night.

Monday 10th September: Campsites are expected to close at 2pm and car parks at 4pm.

I’m arriving by shuttle bus/car/coach/campervan/taxi – where will I arrive on site?
Exact details for Bestival 2013 will be confirmed later this year, meanwhile the following are guides based on travel info for 2012:

Shuttle Buses: Shuttle Buses (from the ferry ports and island towns) will be dropping off and picking up at the Shuttle Bus Depot very near to the main entrance to the campsites.

Taxi & Drop Off/Pick Up: You will be dropped off at the Robin Hill Entrance and will have a short walk through the Tomorrow’s World and The Magic Meadow fields towards the campsites.

Coaches: All Big Green Coaches will also drop off (& pick up) from the Robin Hill entrance as above.

Cars: Please follow our directions from the ferry ports to the Bestival site and car parks on this page.

We work very closely with both Red Funnel and Wightlink ferry companies to try and help reduce congestion at the ports on Monday. You must help to play your part by turning up for your scheduled ferry on time – THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!

NB. There are local road closures and diversions in place, please turn off your SAT NAV and follow event routing and signage, once you are on the IOW, you will not need SAT NAV to get you to Bestival.

When you are arriving and, more importantly, when you are leaving Bestival, please stay tuned in to Bestival FM on 87.7FM to get the latest traffic and travel info.

Campervans: Please follow sign for ‘Campervans’.

Boutique and Wild Copse Campers: Please look out for and follow the ‘Boutique / Wild Copse Camping’ signs so you know where to park for easiest access.

How much is the car park?
Car Parking Tickets are available for £10 in advance from our ticket outlets. You only need to buy a ticket once and it will be valid for the whole weekend, no matter how many times you come and go.

Where can I buy a ticket for the Shuttle Buses and how much do they cost?
We will be announcing details and prices of our Shuttle Bus service for Bestival 2013 later this year. The service will provide easy transportation between ferry ports and the festival site on the island.

Meanwhile, please check this page for 2012’s information on the service plus details on other on island bus services operating during the festival.

When I arrive, can I set up camp anywhere?
Yes you can set up camp in any of the colour-coded campsites but not in any of the main music arenas.

You can only camp in the Boutique campsite, Wild Copse and Tangerine Fields if you have booked to stay in those areas prior to the event.

There is small family campsite which you can only gain access to if you are with children. You will be given a wristband when you first enter the family campsite and will need them for the rest of the weekend to gain further access.

Check out more info on the Campsite Hubs here.

Disability access camping is available and needs to be applied for prior to the event. More info here.

Please note that Bestival’s entertainment goes until the early hours of the morning and campsites may be close to loud music, earplugs may be handy.

Is it possible to reserve/allocate a specific space for me in general camping or the campervan fields?

The only areas that it is possible to reserve a specific camping space at Bestival are in Boutique Camping or Tangerine Fields where you pay a supplier for a pre-pitched structure.

The general camping areas are an open space where you find a free space to camp when you arrive. These areas have plenty of space and facilities and the majority of people attending the festival stay in general camping.

Campervans are lined-up by our staff when they arrive; the first in will be the closest to the entrance to the festival, the last in will be furthest away. We can’t pre-allocate spaces in this area.

My friends are staying in the Boutique Campsite – can we camp with them?
Unfortunately not. No tents are allowed in the Boutique Camping Field.

My friends are staying in the new premium camping area The Wild Copse – can we camp with them?
If you do not have a Wild Copse ticket then you can’t camp in that area – however for those of you that have already purchased a Bestival ticket you can pay the difference and upgrade to The Wild Copse by calling Ticketline on 0844 888 4420 (or by contacing your point of purchase if not Ticketline).

My friends are staying in the Campervan field – can we camp with them?
Each campervan is allocated 9 × 6 metres of space, usually enough for an additional awning and/or a small tent. As long as you remain within their allocated pitch you can camp with them.

Can I bring my own alcohol?
Yes, you can bring in a reasonable amount of alcohol per person into the campsites for your own personal consumption. To save on having to carry all your stuff in one trip you will be allowed to re-enter the festival site with alcohol on Thursday and Friday but only with a reasonable amount for personal consumption. You’ll be asked to leave any excess alcohol outside the event.

Alcohol cannot be brought into any of the main arenas/fields from the campsites. There are fully licensed bars available for you.

Please remember that glass is not allowed anywhere at Bestival so please make sure to decant anything you are planning to bring into the campsites into plastic containers before you arrive.

Are Chinese lanterns, flares, fireworks or campfires allowed?
No, we have a no naked flame policy at the festival and in the campsite. Fires, flares, fireworks etc will be extinguished by the Isle of Wight fire service. HOWEVER, there will be designated areas in the campsite where you’ll be able to go to use small BBQs and stoves to cook food.

Can I bring a small BBQs or stove to cook food
Yes you can bring these however you are only permitted to use them in the designated cooking areas which will be signposted in the campsites. Do not use cookers or disposable BBQs inside your tent, awning or campervan. Carbon monoxide can kill.

Is there phone charging available on site?
Yes we always have several options for charging mobile phones at the festival in the campsite areas; these are provided for you by independent traders and not by Bestival. Full details to be announced in 2013. Last year we had Childreach providing free pedal powered charging plus services available from Charge & Store and Giglocker.

Are there showers on site?
Yes there are showers available to use for campers at Bestival. Do be prepared for a queue (in all areas including Boutique and Wild Copse) though as unfortunately we can’t increase the amount of showers on site due to the island’s shortage of water. It’s probably best to do at off-peak times such as the afternoon when they are quieter.

Are there water points on site?
Yes there are plenty free water points located around the main arenas, fields and campsites. These will all be marked on the Bestival 2013 site map.

I’m coming to Bestival alone and am worried…
Don’t worry. Bestival is ‘the’ friendliest festival out there. Also if you’re worried about camping alone then perhaps join in some of the fun on our forum and camp with the forum campsite, organised by ace ventura and rseamer. More info here.

Can I leave the festival site and then come back in?
Yes you will be allowed to re-enter the festival site as long as you have a valid wristband on. Please note there is no re-entry after midnight on any nights (no exceptions).

What’s happening on the Thursday?
In 2012 we opened more fields than ever before on Thursday with Tomorrow’s World, Magic Meadow, Grassy Hill, Wishing Tree, Stardust Field and Arcadia all open for action on the Thursday night. This year we will be hosting an opening night Bestival Classics 10th year anniversary party on the Thursday – more details and line-up to follow soon.

If security confiscates something from me, what should I do?
If it’s not illegal (this is a whole different ballgame), make sure you get the ID and name of the security guard and perhaps go with them to a lost property point run by Welfare where you can collect your item at the end of the festival or pay for it to be returned to you.

Are there lockers on site?
Yes there will be. Leaving valuables in your tent can be risky so please make use of the lockers we’ll have available at Bestival 2013 – more details to follow later this year meanwhile check out Charge & Store and Giglocker which were at Bestival 2012.

Can I bring my dog/cat/rabbit/gruffalo?
No pets or animals are allowed on site with the exception of registered guide dogs.

Please also check our full Bestival terms and conditions here.