60-second summary
Just want the basics? Here’s your quick guide to insurance cover at festivals:
There’s no such thing as ‘music festival insurance’. To protect valuables at a festival, you may need personal possessions insurance instead.
Personal possessions insurance covers you for items you take with you while you’re out and about. It’s normally sold as an add-on to contents insurance, so if you have home cover check if you already have it. If not, you could add it to your policy for an extra cost.
Personal possessions insurance typically covers phones, laptops, jewellery, wallets, clothing, and musical instruments. High-value items may need to be listed separately on your policy.
Policies often exclude unattended items, unlocked bicycles, camping equipment damage, and general wear and tear. Always check the policy wording.
If you’re going to a festival abroad, check if your policy includes overseas personal possessions cover. If not, travel insurance may offer protection for theft, cancellations, and medical costs.
Are my belongings covered at a festival?
Most home insurance policies don’t automatically cover your belongings outside of the home, particularly valuables like smartphones and bikes. So if you want to protect your belongings while you’re at a festival, you’ll need to have additional cover in place.
Tents and yurts are easier to break into than a hotel room, and you could be dancing and partying in crowded spaces, so having insurance for your belongings could be extremely useful if they get stolen or damaged at a festival.
How can I insure my valuables at a festival?
There’s no such thing as ‘music festival insurance’. You’ll need personal possessions insurance instead. This covers you for items you take with you while you’re out and about.
Personal possessions insurance is normally sold as an add-on to contents insurance, so check to see if you already have this with any home insurance. If not, you could always add it to your policy for an extra cost so you’ve got festival coverage. You could also buy standalone gadget insurance, specifically to cover electronic equipment.
What does personal possessions insurance cover me for?
Personal possessions insurance covers you for items you often carry with you when you leave the house. That typically includes:
Laptops, smartphones and tablets
Watches and jewellery
Glasses
Portable speakers
Bikes
Clothing
Handbags, wallets and purses
Musical instruments.
It’s worth bearing in mind that you may need to specify high-risk items, such as laptops and jewellery, when you ask for an insurance quote. That’s so a provider can list them separately on your policy.
What should I look for in personal possessions cover?
There are a couple of details you might want to look out for if you’re considering personal possessions insurance:
Check the excess – that’s how much you’ll have to contribute before your insurance provider will pay out on any claim.
Check the single-item limit – that’s how much your insurance provider will pay out for any one item. If you have items worth more than your single-item limit, you’ll need to list them specifically on your policy.
And always read your policy carefully, so you know exactly what is and isn’t covered.
What am I not covered for at a festival?
While personal possessions insurance can provide comprehensive protection for your belongings, it won’t cover everything. Common exclusions include:
Damage to camping equipment while it’s being used outdoors
Items left in an unlocked car or left in plain sight in a locked vehicle
Possessions left unattended in public places – for example, your mobile phone at a bar
Bicycles not kept securely locked
Damage caused by general wear and tear
Items which exceed your single-item limit.
Will my home insurance cover me at a festival abroad?
Possibly, but not all policies will cover your personal possessions abroad. So, if you’re heading to one of the big international festivals, like Benicàssim, Coachella or Tomorrowland, you need to check your cover.
Even if you're covered abroad, you may find that your level of cover changes. Check your policy wording carefully to find out if you’re covered, and for how much.
If you don’t have the cover you need, you should consider finding a travel insurance policy that does. The right travel insurance policy could also cover you for things like medical treatment, cancellation and flight delays.
What will travel insurance for festivals cover?
Whether you’re going to a UK festival like Glastonbury or travelling abroad to Lollapalooza, the right travel insurance could cover you for:
Cancellation: The right travel insurance could cover you if, for example, the festival is cancelled or you can no longer attend due to illness or injury.
Flights and transport: Your travel insurance could also cover flight cancellations or delays, as well as other transport disruptions.
Accommodation: If you’ve booked a hotel or other accommodation, your travel insurance might cover cancellations or interruptions.
What won’t travel insurance for festivals cover?
Here are some common exclusions you should look out for when getting travel insurance ahead of a festival trip:
Lost or stolen tickets: Tickets are often not covered. However, ticket sellers may provide their own form of ticket insurance that you might want to consider.
Alcohol or drug-related incidents: If you’re injured, or lose or damage belongings due to too much alcohol, any claim is likely to be rejected.
Negligence: If you leave your belongings unattended or don’t take “reasonable care” and they’re lost or stolen, they won’t normally be covered.
How do I keep my belongings safe at a festival?
Festivals can be an easy target for opportunist thieves. Here are a few festival safety tips for keeping your possessions secure while you’re letting your hair down:
Don’t carry a big wad of cash. Many festivals are now cashless, so avoid taking large sums of money with you or use the on-site cashpoints.
Don’t leave valuables visible while in crowds. Instead, put them in a bumbag or money belt rather than a bag someone might snatch.
Look out for a locker area. Many festivals have these now – they’re often free and available round the clock to store everything from car keys to bikes.
Hide any valuables at the bottom of your sleeping bag while you’re getting some shut-eye.
Avoid taking expensive designer items that may attract the attention of thieves.
Take a waterproof phone cover in case you fall into a puddle or someone spills beer on you.
If I lose something at a festival, how do I claim on my insurance?
If you’re unlucky enough to lose your belongings at a festival or they’re stolen, check out our guide on how to make a home insurance claim.
In a nutshell, here are the key points:
Take your phone provider and bank details with you. That way, if your phone or credit cards are stolen you could lock and cancel them ASAP.
If you need to, call the police and get a crime report number. The non-emergency number is 101. You might be asked for a report number by your insurance provider if you make a claim for theft.
Call your insurance provider as soon as possible to start the claim process.
If you’re at an international festival, you can find details on how to make a travel insurance claim.
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As well as writing for Churchill and Privilege insurance websites, Karen’s CV includes working with M&S, Debenhams, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and John Lewis. With over 20 years of editorial experience for big household names she leads a talented content team with a focus on simplifying personal finance for everybody.
Stephen Maunder is an experienced personal finance editor, having spent more than a decade working for consumer print and online titles. He won several industry awards for his personal finance features at Which?, before becoming Deputy Editor at Compare the Market.
Helen’s our resident home insurance expert, as the former Head of Home Insurance at Compare the Market. She's also experienced with car insurance and pet insurance from her previous roles across commercial, partnerships and as a freelance consultant, working with more than 100 insurers across a variety of insurance products.
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