You’ll find any number of festival sex tips articles that can tell you how handy baby wipes are… Or if you’re planning on getting dirty, the best time to clean up afterwards is at about 4am when no one is using the shower block.
But as festival season starts kicking off, we’re here to give you some sex tips at festivals that focus on staying safe while you have fun.
Sexual Health
If you’re planning on having festival sex, bringing a big stash of condoms, dams, gloves, lube and any other supplies you need is vital. As a rule of thumb, think about how much festival sex you’re expecting to have and bring enough for twice as much!
Condoms can easily get lost or break, and there’s nothing like the disappointment of realising you’ve run out of the essentials at a crucial moment. Besides, if you have extra, you can guarantee brownie points with your campmates if you can sort them out during a condom shortage!
Sex Noise & Sex Toys
When you’re having festival sex in a tent, noise carries almost as well as it would if you didn’t have that thin canvas to protect your modesty. And with everyone camped so closely together, even muffling the action beneath a sleeping bag might not be enough to keep things private.
So if you’re hoping that the festival will be a chance to catch up on some sexy-time, you’ll either need to master having really quiet sex or make sure you camp next to the rowdiest group of people you can find.
If you’re bringing sex toys, stick to super-quiet vibrators, like Crescendo, or silent toys like dildos and masturbation sheaths.
You might also want to invest in a portable battery. Most festivals will offer charging booths where you can plug in your phone or anything else that works off USB. And while it’d take a bold soul to walk up and plug their vibe into one of these public ports, a portable battery can suck up all the juice so you can bring it back to your tent for sex toy charging later.
Drugs & Alcohol
Let’s face it, many of you will be heading to festivals with crates of booze or a pocket full of something more illicit. And even if you’re totally teetotal, you might be tempted to hook up with someone else who has indulged in drugs or alcohol.
So if you’re planning on getting it on, you need to be really aware of how ‘with it’ your partner is at any given time. Check in with them regularly, give them lots of opportunity to take a break or stop if they need to, and if you think that they’re too drunk or high to consent, stop immediately.
As a general drugs tip, not just from a sex perspective, many festivals these days offer drug safety testing – so you or the people you’re with can check you’re not putting yourselves in danger.
Organisations like The Loop will have a presence at many of the major UK festivals this summer, and all you need to do is bring them a small sample of anything that you or a friend is planning to take. They will test it, and when you collect the results they’ll let you know if what you have is what you think you have, and give you safety advice that can in many instances be lifesaving.
Sexual Harassment
Sadly – but unsurprisingly – a recent YouGov survey highlighted shockingly high levels of sexual harassment at UK festivals. Nearly half (43%) of female festival-goers under 40 report unwanted sexual behaviour at a music festival.
Festivals can – and should – have security teams who are able to respond to complaints of harassment, and many are working to make sure that people can have fun safely.
Some festivals will publicise information about how to seek help if you’re being harassed, but if they don’t then the best thing to do is find a member of the security team or other official who can help you.
It’s also worth checking out – and supporting! – fab organisations like Safe Gigs For Women, who are working with artists and promoters to try and reduce instances of sexual harassment at gigs and make sure that women can enjoy music in a safe environment.
Which Are The Best Festivals For Festival Sex?
Back in April this year, Bustle reported on some research about the world’s best festivals to have sex at, and Burning Man came out at the top of the charts – 20% of users surveyed said they’d like to have sex at Burning Man. Perhaps not surprising because at the Burning Man festival there is a literal Orgy Dome.
But are there any other festivals where sex – or kinky play – is specifically on the menu?
Yes!
Here is just a small selection, with the caveat that we haven’t been able to personally check all of these festivals out ourselves and sex is a very personal thing, so make sure to do your research before buying tickets to make sure it’s your cup of tea:
The Summer House Weekend is an inclusive event designed to give people a comfortable space to explore all manner of sexy things including burlesque, kinky keep fit, sexy pool parties and much more. It’s held in a large house, with attendees camping out in the grounds nearby. This year it’ll be held on the 29th August – 2nd September.
Swingfields is a festival featuring talks and workshops as well as DJs and entertainment, and is aimed at people who are part of the swinging lifestyle. As they’re keen to highlight in their event who want to hang out with others who do.
Kinkfest is an educational conference for kinksters and anyone interested in BDSM, based in the midlands. It’s scheduled for 25th and 26th August this year, and will feature workshops, performances, discussion, play and more.
If you’d like to dip your toe in the water but you’re not up for a full weekend of sex and kink, then the Kinky Salon events might float your boat – creative, fun parties that combine a passion for dressing up with a sense of fun and sexy play. The London Alternative Market also has some great kink events that are suitable for beginners as well as old hands!
There are plenty more too – feel free to suggest other great sexy festivals in the comments. But whether you’re banging at Bestival or romping at Reading, we hope you have a safe, sexy summer.
