Festival campers packing drinks
Check the event’s site-entry rules, then choose a pack you can carry to camp and store as its label directs.
Who needs to check the drink rules?
Visitors taking a drink into the arena
Check arena rules separately from campsite rules. Reading Festival, for example, permits soft drinks for personal consumption in sealed plastic bottles of 500ml or less.
Campers choosing pressed or cloudy juice
Compare the exact pack’s material, size and storage instructions. A product described as a bottle is not necessarily packaged in glass.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the named festival’s campsite and arena rules, then choose a pack size and storage instructions that work for your trip.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Site entry | Check whether the event permits glass, cartons, plastic bottles or cans; check whether drinks must be sealed. Reading Festival prohibits glass anywhere on site, and Glastonbury’s 2025 packing guidance also barred it. | I want to bring juice into the campsite without choosing a container the event prohibits. |
| Arena entry | Check the arena’s permitted container, seal and volume. Reading Festival specifies sealed soft drinks in plastic bottles of 500ml or less for personal consumption. | If I am taking a drink from camp into the arena, I need a pack that meets those separate entry conditions. |
| Storage | Read instructions for both unopened and opened packs. Tesco says its Growers Harvest 1L carton can be stored cool and dry before opening, but must be refrigerated and consumed within 5 days afterwards. | Without dependable refrigeration at camp, I would keep a suitable carton sealed until I can share it or chill what remains. |
| Pack size | Compare individual packs with a larger carton; check each pack against any arena volume limit. Bestway Wholesale lists Tropicana Orchard Apple in a 250ml plastic bottle, while Tesco lists a 1L Growers Harvest carton. | A smaller pack suits a separate drink; for sharing at camp, I would also need a way to follow the storage instructions after opening. |
| Serving size | Check the container volume against the amount you intend to pour. NHS guidance limits fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day and advises having them with meals. | I would plan a small serving with food rather than treat a large pack as an all-day drink. |
Common packing mistakes
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Buying glass-bottled juice before checking entry rules
Reading Festival prohibits glass throughout its site. Glastonbury’s 2025 packing guidance said glass found at the festival would be confiscated.
Check the official rules for your named event before buying or packing. If glass is prohibited, choose a permitted non-glass pack rather than assuming you can bring the drink in another container.
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Assuming campsite drinks can enter the arena
Reading Festival’s arena rule specifies sealed soft drinks in plastic bottles of 500ml or less for personal consumption; a different campsite pack may not meet those conditions.
Check the current arena policy for your event and keep any arena drink within its container and volume rules.
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Opening a large carton before it can be chilled
Tesco’s Growers Harvest 1L carton can be stored cool and dry before opening, but its instructions require refrigeration afterwards and consumption within 5 days.
Keep the carton sealed until you can share it or refrigerate the remainder; otherwise, consider a smaller pack.
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Using juice as an all-day drink
NHS guidance limits fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day and advises having them with meals because sugars released during juicing can damage teeth.
Plan a small serving with food and carry water for drinking throughout the day.
Apple juice brand and retailer examples
These examples show why the exact pack matters: a brand name or the word “bottle” does not establish its container material or storage instructions.
Tropicana
Bestway Wholesale lists Tropicana Orchard Apple in a 250ml plastic bottle.
- Its stated material and size can be checked against the named festival’s drink rules.
- The retailer says to refrigerate it after opening and consume it within 5 days; check the instructions on the pack you buy.
Copella
Copella describes its Cloudy Apple as pressed juice and lists 250ml, 300ml, 900ml and 1.35L bottles.
- The listed sizes give options to compare for individual drinks or sharing.
- Confirm the material and storage instructions on the exact pack before taking it to a festival.
Tesco
Tesco lists a 1L Growers Harvest apple juice carton alongside other apple juice formats, including a separately listed pressed product.
- The Growers Harvest carton’s instructions permit cool, dry storage before opening.
- Once opened, that carton must be refrigerated and consumed within 5 days.
M&S
M&S describes its 200ml Apple Juice as a carton that can be stored in a cool, dry place.
- The stated 200ml size offers an individual pack to compare with larger cartons.
- Check the final pack’s instructions and the event’s container rules before taking it.
A Joybuy apple juice option
This lightly sparkling apple juice comes in six 250ml units for separate campsite servings. Check its packaging material against the festival’s rules before packing it, particularly if you plan to enter the arena.
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Appletiser 100% Apple Juice Lightly Sparkling 6 × 250ml
The six 250ml units offer separate servings for a campsite. This is lightly sparkling rather than still apple juice; confirm the pack’s container material and your event’s rules before taking it to camp or into the arena.
Festival apple juice questions
Can I take glass-bottled apple juice to a camping festival?
Check the named event’s current rules before packing. Reading Festival’s published rules prohibit glass anywhere on site; Glastonbury’s June 2025 packing guidance also barred glass and said it would be confiscated. Recheck Glastonbury’s rules for a later event.
Is a plastic bottle automatically allowed in the arena?
No. Reading Festival permits soft drinks for personal consumption in the arena only when they are sealed, in plastic bottles and 500ml or less. Check your own event’s current conditions rather than applying Reading’s rule elsewhere.
What if I cannot refrigerate juice at camp?
Look for an unopened pack with suitable ambient-storage instructions, and plan for what happens after opening. Tesco says its Growers Harvest 1L carton can be stored cool and dry unopened, but must be refrigerated and consumed within 5 days once opened.
Does a large bottle count as several fruit and vegetable portions?
No. NHS guidance says fruit juice, vegetable juice and smoothies count only once a day and limits them to a combined 150ml daily. It also advises having juice with meals rather than sipping it between meals.
Does “bottle” mean the apple juice is in glass?
No; confirm the material of the exact pack. Bestway Wholesale lists Tropicana Orchard Apple 250ml in a plastic bottle, while Copella lists Cloudy Apple bottle sizes without identifying their material on its product page.