Music festivals are about freedom, community and creating unforgettable moments. For many years, alcohol and drugs have been present at festivals, from a few innocent drinks to more hardcore drugs and addictive substances.
However, in 2025 the story is changing. More and more people are choosing to remain sober when they attend festivals, whether they’re in recovery from addiction, exploring life after alcohol detox, or simply just curious about living a life free of addictive substances and alcohol. Staying sober at a festival for many people is transformative, especially for people who have undergone alcohol rehab or alcohol detox.
This article discusses what it is like to navigate addiction recovery, rehab or detox. Likewise, it is also for friends and family members who want to support sober festival goers. Alongside practical advice, we will also discuss real life stories from people who have attended festivals without alcohol or drugs and found the experience to be a positive one.
Why are Sober Festivals on the Rise?
There are a whole host of reasons why sober festivals are on the rise. In recent years, conversations surrounding addiction, mental health, rehab and detox have become more open. Many people who attend festivals might have already experienced addiction, alcohol rehab, drug rehab, or periods of detox, and are determined not to lose their progress and relapse.
At the same time, festival culture itself is changing. Many major UK festivals now offer wellness areas, a number of sober spaces, alcohol-free bars and mindfulness sessions. This includes events such as Glastonbury, Boomtown and Latitude.
According to numerous studies, more adults are now reducing their alcohol intake or quitting abusing alcohol altogether, as they are now recognising the link between alcohol addiction and declining mental wellbeing. As a result of this, numerous festivals are now reflecting this change in behaviour.
Whether you are new to the festival scene or simply planning your first sober event, browsing guides on thefestivals.uk festival guides page can help you spot which events are most supportive and might be worth attending if you are trying to remain sober.
Tips and Tricks on How to Remain Sober at a Festival
When it comes to remaining sober at an event such as a festival, preparation is really important, this is especially the case if you’re managing addiction recovery or fresh out of attending a medical detox. Below are some practical tips and tricks that can make a huge difference to your experience.
Do your research and choose the right festival
When looking into festivals, it is incredibly important to do your research and choose the right festival. It is important to understand that not all festivals will feel the same whilst experiencing them sober. This is because some festivals lean heavily into binge drinking culture, whereas others offer more of a low key scene and balance.
When booking onto a festival, research is key. You should look for festivals that promote wellbeing, diversity of experiences and inclusive spaces rather than just a good time.
Know your triggers
Everyone has different triggers when it comes to addiction. For some, crowds, late nights, and certain music scenes might be triggering. When looking into which festival might be best for you, it is important to be honest with yourself and what you might find triggering.
If you’ve been through rehab or detox, you will likely have strategies already, which you should bring with you to the festival or event.
Pack the right stuff
You should also make sure that you pack the right stuff with you. When packing, you should bring your own alcohol free drinks which you know you like the taste of, so that you do not feel tempted to drink alcohol provided for you at the festival.
You should also bring your own comfort items with you that help you with your anxiety or mental health struggles, including any books or medication. You might also want to bring any earplugs to make sure that you get a good night’s sleep to help you with your wellbeing, or even to use when you feel sensory overload.
You might also want to bring a journal and pen with you, to help you to write down and process your thoughts each evening or each morning. Having familiar, grounding items can make all the difference when the inevitable cravings hit.
Navigating Alcohol and Drugs at Festivals
Unfortunately, there will most likely be alcohol and drugs present if you choose to attend a festival. Whilst at the festival, you will see people drinking from early in the morning, taking drugs in tents and openly talking about drugs and other addictive substances.
For many people recovering from addiction issues, this can be incredibly confronting and triggering. Below are some tips and tricks on what you can do when you are being exposed to drugs or alcohol whilst at a festival.
Set your boundaries early on
Whilst at the festival, you should try to set your boundaries early on. For example, you should tell your friends you are sober before you arrive and lay down your boundaries in terms of drinking alcohol or taking drugs in front of you. Good friends will respect your boundaries and listen, and anyone who does not you should try to avoid them where possible.
Have an exit plan
Likewise, it is important to have an exit plan if everything gets too much. For example, an area might get too crowded or friends might start to ignore the boundaries you have put in place. When this happens, give yourself full permission to leave. This might mean simply going back to your tent, finding a quiet space, stepping into a wellness area or leaving the festival altogether.
Find sober friendly wellness areas
Thankfully, many festivals now have a number of wellness-focussed areas which are often sober. This might include things such as alcohol free bars, yoga or meditation areas, mental health support tents, neurodiverse friendly spaces and sensory tents and even addiction recovery meet ups. These spaces are not about avoiding fun. Instead, they are about supporting people who want a different experience.
Real Stories from People who have remained Sober at UK Festivals
Below are some stories from real people who have chosen to remain sober at a UK festival.
Olivia – First festival after detox
Jess has recently undergone a detox for an alcohol addiction that she’s suffered from since she was a teenager. Whilst she was hesitant to go at first, she’s always been passionate about music and one of her favourite artists was playing.
“If you want to try sober ‘festival’ling’, tell your friends what you’re doing (if they object, they’re not your friends) and find a replacement treat for the evening. Trust your instincts and don’t fret about going to bed when you’re done, regardless of what everyone else is doing. Your drunk friends will plead with you to stay but forget you’ve gone within minutes: I speak from experience as the drunk pleader.”
Cat – First sober festival
Cat decided to quit alcohol 10 months before attending her first sober festival and now regularly attends festivals and other events sober.
“Great music is so much better when you’re sober. If you’re going to see an act that you like, being sober doesn’t stop you from feeling the electricity and buzz of epic music, being in the crowd still feels amazing and you just remember so much more of it.”
Shaun – attended Glastonbury sober
In 2015, Shaun’s drinking was a problem. He attended Glastonbury back then and failed to remember most of it due to the amount he had drunk. This has played a huge role in his choice to go sober.
“For the most part what we watched were communal choices. There was one period when we were going to see the Chemical Brothers, we’d decided to get to the front and I could feel people coming around me and it get tighter, so I was like ‘listen, I’m gonna have to get off for this’. I’m not great with big crowds. You can go anywhere when you’ve had a few pints but I just dipped to the back for a bit. One of the lads was like ‘I’ll go with you Lloydy, grab something to eat.”
Handling Social Pressure at a Festival
Social pressure will evidently come, especially if the people you are spending your time with do not know that you are suffering from addiction issues or trying to avoid alcohol or drugs.
You cannot avoid the fact that someone will most probably ask why you are not drinking or taking drugs. Some people might even joke about it. For someone already struggling, this can feel incredibly uncomfortable and even triggering.
As this will likely happen, it is helpful to prepare a few responses in advance. For example, you might want to make a rule that you always reply with “I am not drinking at the moment” or “Thank you, but I feel better when I am sober.” People often find that being open and honest about why you are choosing to remain sober is better than simply lying.
Interestingly, many people who attend sober festivals often report that their choice to remain sober sometimes even inspires others to remain sober too.
The Unexpected Benefits of Remaining Sober at a Festival
Believe it or not, there are numerous benefits to attending a festival and remaining sober for the duration. Below are just some of these benefits which might be worth considering.
You can create better memories
When you attend a festival and remain sober, you are able to better remember the music, the conversations, the sunsets and the experience overall. In essence, you create better memories with your loved ones.
You are physically safer
When you remain sober at a festival you are more likely to have your wits about you and remain safe. You’re less likely to get lost, injured or become vulnerable. This is particularly true for women who attend festivals.
A deeper connection to music
Lots of people who attend music festivals do so because they are passionate about music and the artists who are performing. Many sober attendees describe feeling music more intensely when they remain sober. Without addictive substances ruining the moment, live music can feel more emotional and powerful.
Supporting a Sober Friend at a Music Festival
If you are attending a music festival with someone who is in addiction recovery, then your role matters. There are a number of things that you can do to support your friend, some of which are explained below.
You should avoid placing any pressure on them to have a drink, even if it’s just one drink. This creates a huge amount of stress and pressure for them and could seriously damage your relationship with them, both in the long and short term.
Likewise, you should avoid treating them like they are broken or fragile. Your friend is there to have fun, so make sure that you are not being overly bearing. At the same time, you should keep an eye out for them and make sure that you are checking up on them on a regular basis.
You should also be willing to adapt to plans. If they are finding an environment too overly bearing, then they might want to leave. If this happens, then it is important that you leave with them so that they are not alone whilst they are feeling vulnerable.
It might be a good idea to ask them beforehand how you can support them prior to arriving at the festival. An open and honest conversation with them about how you might be able to help and support them during the event will likely go a long way.
It is important to understand that sober people do not need babysitting, but they do appreciate respect and regular check-ins.
What Festivals Can do Better to Support People in Recovery
While progress has been made over recent years, there is still work to do to help people with their recovery. For example, festival organisers can continue to include more alcohol free bars and spaces, use clear signposting for mental health support and include better training for staff and volunteers to notice the signs and symptoms of someone struggling.
Change often happens when people speak up and ask for help. If you have had a good experience staying sober, then you should tell the festival via email or social media afterwards. You should be clear on what worked well and also make a note of what might have been more useful.
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