While you might associate festivals with long alcohol fuelled weekends, minimal sleep and too many hotdogs, the health benefits of the ultimate gatherings are getting more and more attention. While there are many risks that present themselves to those who embrace the excess (too much alcohol consumption, dehydration), if you take on a festival responsibly, you could do your health more good than bad.

Music festivals

Music festivals can be great for improving general wellbeing, as they’re platforms for social engagement and positive stimuli. Australian researchers Packer and Ballantyne (2010) performed a study that showed music festivals to promote a sense of engagement that was not apparent in other social situations. They also discovered that festivals encourage creativity amongst goers due to a positive unstructured environment. Creativity, in-of-itself, has been found to reduce stress, negative emotions, anxiety, and improve flow, spontaneity, positive identity, and social networks (read more here).

The physical benefits of festivals are even more drastic than expected. A three-day music event has been shown to burn an average of 9000 calories and encourage festival goers to walk around 15 miles, and dance around 8 hours a day. That’s a lot of cider thrown to the metabolic furnace!

Isle of Wight festival

But however you choose to live it up this year, the most important practice is staying hydrated. Bring a reusable bottle that you can easily refill, and keep sipping all day. This will increase your energy and ensure the recovery process isn’t as painful. It will also help prevent headaches and muscle fatigue.

Find information and tickets for Isle of Wight 2017 here.