Festival hydration

See how much water to drink each day of a festival, allowing for heat, dancing and alcohol.

Your details

Festival days
Hours on your feet a day
Sweat rate
Alcoholic drinks a day
Usual drink
Sex
Last drink on the final night, 24 hour clock (optional)

Wandering about on a mild day might be 0.2 litres an hour; dancing in the sun much more.

3 days, 10.0 hours a day on your feet

5.0 litres

of water and soft drinks a day

  • Everyday drinks (EFSA)2.0 litres
  • Extra for sweat2.0 litres
  • A glass of water with each alcoholic drink1.0 litres
  • Refills of a 500 ml bottle a day10
  • Over the whole festival15.0 litres
  • While you are on your feetabout 425 ml an hour
  • Alcohol a day10.2 units, over the 8 unit session line
  • Alcohol over the festival30.7 units, more than the CMO low risk guide of 14 units for a whole week
  • Typical time for this alcohol to clearabout 10:13 the next day, and often later (10.2 units at about 1 unit an hour from your last drink at 00:00; it varies a lot from person to person)
  • Driving home the next daythis is not a time to drive: there is no reliable way to know you are under the limit, you can still be over it the morning after, and Scotland's limit is lower. If you are driving, the safest choice is no alcohol the night before

Find the free water points early and refill every time you pass. Alternating alcohol with water is the NHS tip for keeping in better shape, and it helps the next morning too. Keep an eye on your friends.

Head to the welfare or medical tent if you or a friend feel very hot, confused or unwell. Call 999 if someone collapses, has a fit or cannot be woken. Never drink and drive. How fast alcohol clears varies a lot from person to person, so there is no reliable way to know you are under the limit, and you can still be over it the morning after. Scotland's limit is lower than the rest of the UK's. If you will drive, the safest choice is no alcohol at all.

The working

3 days, 10 hours a day on your feet, 4 drinks

A man's everyday drinks baseline is about 2.0 litres (EFSA). Ten hours at 0.2 litres an hour adds 2.0 litres, and a glass of water with each of 4 drinks adds 1.0. That is 5.0 litres a day: 10 refills of a 500 ml bottle, and 15 litres across the weekend.

Four pints of 4.5% lager are 4 × 2.56 = 10.2 units a day, over the 8 unit single session line for men (6 for women), and 30.7 units over three days, more than the UK CMO low risk guide of 14 units for a whole week. Cans of 4% bring it down to 7 units a day.

Festival tips

Practical bits

  • Bring a refillable bottle and find the free water points early
  • Alternate alcohol with water or soft drinks
  • Eat proper meals, not just snacks
  • Sun cream, a hat and shade between 11am and 3pm

Look after your mates

Know the signs

Heat exhaustion can bring cramps, a high temperature and feeling very thirsty. Get them somewhere cool with water and find the welfare or medical tent. Call 999 for hot skin that is not sweating, confusion, a fit or someone who is unconscious. Never leave a drunk friend alone.

Driving home

The morning after the last night

Driving home is where festivals catch people out, because alcohol is often still in your blood the morning after the last night. On average the body clears about 1 unit an hour, nothing speeds that up, and it varies a lot from person to person. Add the time of your last drink and we show how long your day's units typically take to clear, counted from then: four pints of 4.5% lager is 10.2 units, so a last drink at 23:30 typically takes until about 09:43 the next morning, and often longer.

That is not a time to drive. There is no reliable way to know you are under the limit, and Scotland's limit (22 micrograms per 100 ml of breath) is lower than the rest of the UK's (35). If you are driving home, the safest choice is no alcohol the night before.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Know the weatherHot sun pushes sweat rates up fast.
  • Make alcohol safeWater helps, but it does not stop alcohol affecting you.
  • Cover drugsIf anyone has taken drugs, tell the medical or welfare team; they are there to help.

Questions

Common questions

How much water should I drink at a festival?

Start with your everyday 1.6 to 2.0 litres, add what you sweat and a glass for each alcoholic drink. On a long active day that can be 4 litres or more.

Does beer count towards hydration?

Alcohol is not a good way to stay hydrated. Have water or soft drinks between alcoholic ones.

Where do I get water at a festival?

Check the festival map or app for water points when you arrive, and bring a refillable bottle.

What should I do if a friend collapses?

Find the nearest steward, welfare or medical tent, and call 999 if they are unconscious, confused or having a fit.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Getting help on site

Festival medical and welfare teams are there to help. Call 999 for heatstroke signs, someone who is unconscious, confused or having a fit. For other worries, call NHS 111.

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