Steelhouse Festival is almost ready to unleash another weekend of riffs, pints, questionable shirts and gloriously out-of-tune singing โ but before everyone storms the arena like a denim-clad invasion force, there are a few important rules to remember. ๐ค
Thankfully, Steelhouse doesnโt do dull.
Even the official arena guidance comes with personality, humour and a reminder that Monday is still miles away. Proper job, mun.
So, before you head through the gates, hereโs The Riff Report guide to the Steelhouse Festival arena doโs and donโts.
โ DO: Have Your Bags Ready for Checking
Security checks are part of festival life, so help keep the queues moving by having your bags ready before you reach the front.
Open the zips, move the emergency crisps out of the way and avoid becoming the person holding up the entire queue while searching beneath three hoodies, a waterproof and a packet of Welsh cakes.
The quicker security can check your bag, the quicker everyone gets inside for the riffs. Simple. ๐๐ธ
โ DO: Bring Your Own Food
Steelhouse allows festival-goers to bring their own food into the arena.
Thatโs brilliant news for anyone with dietary requirements, families trying to keep the weekend affordable or fans who have packed enough sandwiches to survive a minor mountain emergency.
Bring your snacks, cereal bars, fruit, crisps and whatever else keeps you fuelled between bands.
Of course, the festival traders will also be serving plenty of burgers, pizza and other delicious field-based goodness, but itโs always handy to have emergency supplies nearby. ๐๐๐ฅช
โ DO: Bring Unopened Soft Drinks or Water
Youโre allowed to bring your own unopened bottles of water or soft drinks into the arena.
The key word is unopened.
That means no suspicious half-empty bottles containing something that smells like it could power a lawnmower. Security staff have seen every trick in the festival handbook, butt. ๐
Staying hydrated is incredibly important, especially if the Welsh weather decides to surprise everyone by producing actual sunshine.
Drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen and take a breather when you need one. Nobody wants to miss the headline act because theyโve been transformed into a dehydrated festival raisin. โ๏ธ๐ง
โ DO: Bring Your Medication
Anyone who requires personal medication can bring it into the arena.
Keep everything clearly labelled and, where possible, in its original packaging. Make sure essential medication stays with you throughout the day rather than being left miles away in a tent.
Whether itโs an inhaler, allergy medication or anything else you may need, looking after yourself is always the priority.
The mountain will still be loud, even if you take five minutes to sit down and recharge. โค๏ธ
โ DO: Wear a Ridiculous Shirt
Now weโre getting to the serious stuff.
Steelhouse Festival actively encourages ridiculous shirts, and we fully support this essential piece of mountain law. ๐๐ฅ
The louder the pattern, the better.
We want flamingos, palm trees, neon colours, questionable holiday prints and shirts so visually aggressive they can be spotted from the bottom of the mountain.
With Shit Shirt Friday firmly established as one of Steelhouseโs greatest traditions, there is no excuse for arriving dressed sensibly.
Raid the wardrobe. Visit the charity shops. Borrow something from an uncle who still thinks itโs 1987.
Just make it gloriously awful.
โ DONโT: Bring Alcohol into the Arena
Steelhouse Festival is a licensed premises, so you cannot bring your own alcohol into the arena.
Your campsite drinks must remain at camp.
There will be bars inside the arena serving plenty of cold refreshments, so you wonโt be expected to watch a full day of rock completely pintless. ๐บ
Enjoy yourself, pace your drinks and remember that the Steelhouse site is built on an actual mountain.
Walking uphill is difficult enough without trying to do it after treating the bar like a personal challenge.
โ DONโT: Bring Glass Bottles
Glass bottles of any kind are not permitted inside the arena.
Broken glass and festival fields are a terrible combination, especially when thousands of people are walking around in trainers, sandals and wellies that have already survived several years of mud-based warfare.
Leave the glass behind and use suitable festival-friendly containers instead.
It keeps the arena safer for everyone and saves security from having to confiscate your favourite bottle before you even reach the stage.
โ DONโT: Bring Sharp Objects
Sharp objects are also prohibited inside the festival arena.
That includes knives, tools and anything else that could potentially cause an injury.
Pack the essentials: sunglasses, sunscreen, waterproofs, medication, snacks and perhaps a portable charger.
Leave the swords, axes and medieval battle equipment at home.
Yes, even if your outfit looks significantly less metal without them. โ๏ธ๐
โ DONโT: Forget to Sing Loudly and Out of Tune
This may be the most important Steelhouse rule of them all:
Do not forget to sing along loudly and completely out of tune.
Nobody comes to a rock festival to stand silently with their arms folded while the chorus kicks in.
When your favourite song starts, throw an arm around your mates, lift your drink and belt out every word as though the band personally invited you onto backing vocals.
Will you hit the correct notes?
Probably not.
Will anyone else hit them?
Also probably not.
But when thousands of festival-goers join together beneath the Welsh sky, it becomes one of the greatest sounds in the world. ๐ค๐ค
โ DONโT: Worry About Monday
Monday will arrive eventually.
The tent will need packing away. The car will need loading. The washing machine will face clothing covered in dust, grass and mysterious festival substances.
Your legs will hurt.
Your voice will be missing.
Your bank account may be quietly sobbing in the corner.
But none of that matters yet.
Monday is a long way off, butt.
Right now, there are bands to watch, pints to drink, friendships to make and riffs to absorb directly into your soul. ๐๐ฅ
๐ค Look After Each Other and Rock the Mountain
Steelhouse Festival has always felt like one massive rock โnโ roll family, and these simple arena rules help keep the weekend safe, relaxed and enjoyable for everyone.
Have your bags ready, bring suitable food and unopened drinks, keep essential medication with you and leave the alcohol, glass and sharp objects outside the arena.
Most importantly, wear something ridiculous, sing every chorus at maximum volume and enjoy every second of being back on the mountain.
Because the bands will finish, the lights will eventually go down and Monday will finally appear โ but the memories, the friendships and the ringing ears will stay with us for much longer.
See you up the mountain, mun. Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Zero Apologies. ๐๐ธ๐ฅ
