If youโre heading to Plumpton Festival this weekend, stop packing the tent, put the warm cans down for two minutes and give this a proper read. ๐๐บ
Thereโs some very important information for campers and campervan ticket holders, including strict fire regulations, campsite rules and โ crucially โ a correction regarding the campervan entrance.
You definitely donโt want to rock up at the wrong gate with a campervan full of camping chairs, crisps and questionable festival supplies. ๐
Hereโs what you need to know.
๐ช PLUMPTON FESTIVAL 2026
๐ Plumpton Racecourse
๐ Saturday 8th โ Sunday 9th August 2026
โบ Campsite opens midday Friday
๐ No dogs are permitted on site, except service dogs.
And before setting offโฆ
๐ MAKE SURE YOU ARRIVE AT THE RIGHT GATE!
Festival organisers have issued an important correction after the campervan entrance was listed incorrectly in a previous mail-out.
If youโre travelling in a campervan, make sure you check your latest festival information and follow the correct campervan gate instructions rather than relying on the earlier email.
Nobody wants to start festival weekend doing seventeen laps of Plumpton Racecourse while somebody in the passenger seat repeatedly says:
โI told you we shouldโve turned left.โ ๐๐
Check before travelling, follow the latest directions and make sure youโre heading for the right entrance.
๐ฅ FIRE SAFETY โ THIS BIT IS SERIOUS
Right, gang.
Put the jokes aside for a moment because this one genuinely matters.
It has been a hot and dry summer, meaning the grass around the festival site is extremely dry.
In other words, conditions are perfect for a tiny ember to become a very big problem very quickly.
Because of that, Plumpton Festival is operating strict fire regulations across the site, and organisers have made it clear that these rules will be enforced.
๐ซ THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT ALLOWED ANYWHERE ON SITE:
- Disposable barbecues
- Anything burning coal
- Anything burning charcoal
- Anything burning wood
- Open fires
- Fire pits
- Anything producing embers
- Anything producing hot ash
Basically, if your cooking method looks like something you could use to summon Iron Maidenโs Eddie from another dimensionโฆ
Leave it at home. ๐ฅ๐
๐ณ WHAT CAN YOU USE?
The rule is essentially:
๐ฅ CLEAN FLAME ONLY.
Gas burners, camping stoves and suitable built-in cooking equipment are permitted.
Anything that smoulders, produces embers or leaves hot ash isnโt allowed.
Thereโs another massive rule too:
๐จ NOTHING BURNS ON THE GROUND.
All permitted burners must be raised off the grass.
No exceptions.
Dry grass and festival flames are not mates, mun.
โบ GENERAL CAMPING โ WHERE CAN YOU COOK?
If youโre staying in general camping, cooking must take place in the:
๐ณ DESIGNATED COOKING AREA
There should be no cooking or naked flames around tents.
Yes, we know.
Making bacon outside the tent while looking like youโve slept inside a wheelie bin is practically a sacred British festival tradition. ๐๐ฅ
But this year the conditions mean everyone needs to be particularly careful.
Take the stove to the designated cooking area and keep flames well away from tents and dry grass.
๐ CAMPERVANS โ COOKING RULES
Campervan campers have slightly different arrangements.
You can cook:
๐๏ธ On your own pitch
or
๐ Inside your vehicle
Built-in cooking facilities and campervan gas hookups are permitted.
Gas bottles of up to 10kg are allowed.
Anything larger?
Leave it at home.
๐จ BREAK THE FIRE RULES AND YOU COULD BE REMOVED
Festival organisers arenโt messing about with this one.
Any breach of the fire regulations may result in removal from the site.
Nobody wants that.
Youโve bought the ticket.
Youโve packed the tent.
Youโve remembered approximately nine different phone chargers but somehow forgotten toothpaste.
Youโve survived the motorway.
Youโve cracked open the first campsite beverage.
Thenโฆ
โSorry mate, youโve got to leave.โ
Absolutely brutal. ๐ญ
So follow the rules and keep everybody safe.
๐ฅ Cook clean. Keep it off the grass.
Simple.
๐บ CAMPING โ WHAT FOOD AND DRINK CAN YOU BRING?
Good news!
Campers can bring their own food and drink into the campsite.
So fill the cool box, bring your snacks and prepare enough supplies to survive a weekend of riffs, questionable sleep and somebody inevitably shouting across the campsite at 3am. ๐ค๐
But thereโs an important distinction between the campsite and the festival arena.
๐ซ NO FOOD OR DRINK INTO THE ARENA
You cannot take your own food or drink into the arena.
The basic festival strategy is therefore:
๐ฅ Breakfast at the tent.
๐บ Campsite drinks.
๐ Food from the festival traders.
๐ธ Bands in the arena.
Then stagger back to camp when supplies need replenishing.
Thankfully, itโs only a short walk between the campsite and arena.
As the organisers rather brilliantly put it:
Eat at the tent. Drink at the tent. Dance in the arena.
Now THAT is a festival policy we can remember. ๐๐ค
๐บ ALCOHOL IS ALLOWED IN THE CAMPSITE
Yep!
You can bring alcohol into the campsite.
But thereโs one absolutely rock-solid rule:
๐ซ NO GLASS ANYWHERE ON SITE.
If youโve bought drinks in glass bottles, decant them into suitable plastic containers before travelling.
Donโt wait until youโre standing at the entrance surrounded by bags, tents and camping equipment to discover your favourite bottle isnโt getting through.
Sort it before leaving home.
Cans?
Festival royalty. ๐๐บ
๐ CAMPERVAN CREW โ FILL YOUR WATER BEFORE YOU LEAVE!
If youโre heading to Plumpton in a campervan, thereโs another important bit of preparation to do before setting off.
๐ง ARRIVE WITH YOUR WATER TANKS FULL.
There are limited filling points available on site, so donโt arrive expecting to fill a massive campervan water tank once youโre parked.
Water points are intended for drinking water rather than heavy-duty vehicle top-ups.
Fill those tanks before you travel.
Future-you will be very grateful.
๐ฟ GREY WATER โ PLAN AHEAD
Grey water disposal facilities are also limited on site.
Campervan visitors should therefore:
๐ง Arrive with grey water tanks empty.
๐ง Minimise unnecessary wastewater.
๐ง Be prepared to take wastewater away with you.
A little preparation before setting off will make life considerably easier once youโre parked up.
๐ MORE CAMPERVAN TICKETS HAVE JUST BEEN RELEASED!
And hereโs a cheeky little bonus for anyone who thought theyโd missed outโฆ
๐๏ธ A FEW MORE CAMPERVAN TICKETS HAVE BEEN RELEASED!
Numbers are limited, so if youโve been thinking about taking the van rather than attempting to sleep in a tent after an entire day of festival madnessโฆ
Nowโs your chance.
And judging by how festival campervan tickets tend to disappearโฆ
Donโt hang about. ๐
๐ค THE RIFF REPORTโS PLUMPTON CAMPING CHECKLIST
Before leaving home, make sure youโve got this lot sorted:
โบ Tent and camping equipment โ CHECK
๐๏ธ Tickets โ CHECK
๐ฑ Phone and power bank โ CHECK
๐บ Campsite beverages โ CHECK
๐ซ Glass bottles removed โ CHECK
๐ฅ Disposable barbecue left at home โ CHECK
๐ฅ Charcoal/wood-burning equipment left at home โ CHECK
๐ณ Suitable raised gas stove โ CHECK
๐ Correct campervan entrance checked โ VERY BIG CHECK
๐ง Campervan water tank filled โ CHECK
๐ฟ Grey water tank empty โ CHECK
๐ Dog left somewhere safe unless itโs a service dog โ CHECK
๐ค Ridiculous excitement levels โ ABSOLUTELY CHECK
๐ฅ KEEP PLUMPTON SAFE, BUTT!
Festival rules can sometimes feel like boring admin you scroll past while trying to find the stage times.
These ones arenโt.
With the ground exceptionally dry, fire safety genuinely matters.
One disposable barbecue or poorly positioned stove could potentially cause a serious incident, so follow the instructions, look after your neighbours and donโt be the person who decides the rules somehow donโt apply to them.
Plumpton Festival should be remembered for brilliant bands, big singalongs, campsite laughs and a cracking weekend at the racecourse.
Not because somebody tried cooking sausages on a disposable barbecue sitting on bone-dry grass. ๐ฌ๐ฅ
So pack smart.
Check your entrance.
Fill those campervan water tanks.
Leave the charcoal at home.
Bring the cans.
And prepare yourself for a weekend of glorious festival chaos.
Plumpton Festival 2026 โ letโs have it! ๐ธ๐ฅโบ๐บ
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Zero Apologies. ๐ค๐ด
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene specialโfrom legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether heโs battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, heโs always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When heโs not writing or interviewing artists, youโll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than musicโtheyโre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatโs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. ๐ค
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