For ordinary festival eating and walking, start with water: the NHS recommends it for replacing fluid lost through sweating. Choose a zero-sugar sports drink if you want a flavoured option without drink-based sugar; choose a carbohydrate-containing isotonic drink when you specifically want carbohydrate from your drink during activity. Check the pack for sugars, sweeteners, ingredients and instructions for storing it after opening.
If you want flavour alongside festival food but not sugar from your drink, compare the sugars and carbohydrate figures on zero-sugar options. Check the ingredients too: the Lucozade Sport Zero and Powerade Zero examples listed by ASDA and Tesco contain sweeteners.
Walking and dancing can leave you needing more fluid, particularly after sweating. The NHS advises drinking extra fluid after sweating; whether you also want carbohydrate from a sports drink is a separate choice, not a requirement of attending a festival.
If an ingredient or allergen matters to you, read the physical pack before drinking. Recipes and online product details can change, and a vendor may be able to clarify information that is unclear at the point of sale.
Decide whether you want fluid alone, a flavoured drink without sugar, or carbohydrate from the drink; then check which format you can use on site.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars and carbohydrate | Compare both figures per 100ml and per serving, using the same volume where possible. Tesco lists 4.1g sugars per 100ml for standard Powerade Berry & Tropical, while its Powerade Zero listing gives 0g sugars per 250ml. | I want a drink with festival food, but I do not necessarily want carbohydrate from it. A zero-sugar option and a standard isotonic drink answer different needs. |
| Fluid and activity | Consider how much you will be active and sweating. The NHS recommends water to replace lost fluid and advises extra fluid after sweating; a sports-drink label alone does not tell you whether you need its carbohydrate. | If I am mainly eating and walking, water may meet my drinking needs. If I specifically want carbohydrate during activity, I can compare carbohydrate-containing drinks. |
| Format and water access | Check whether the drink is ready to drink or needs preparation. Gatorade UK directs users to mix one Hydration Booster sachet into 500ml of water; its ingredients include sugar. | A sachet is an option only if I can obtain drinking water and carry something suitable for mixing it. Otherwise, I would choose water or a ready-to-drink format. |
| Sweeteners and ingredients | Read the ingredients list as well as the sugar claim. ASDA lists acesulfame K and sucralose in Lucozade Sport Zero Orange & Peach; Tesco lists both in Powerade Zero Berry Tropical. | Zero sugar does not mean no sweeteners. I want to know what is in the particular flavour and pack I am buying. |
| Storage after opening | Read the instructions on your bottle if you plan to keep it. ASDA’s Lucozade Sport Zero Orange & Peach listing says to refrigerate after opening and consume within four days. | I may not have refrigeration at a festival, so I should check the instructions before opening a bottle I intend to finish later. |
| Allergen information | Check the current pack’s ingredients and allergen information rather than relying on an earlier online listing. GOV.UK advises asking the food business about ingredients if you need clarification. | If I have an allergy or intolerance, I need information for the drink actually being served or sold, not just for its product range. |
Tesco lists 0g carbohydrate per 250ml for Powerade Zero Berry Tropical, but 4.1g per 100ml for standard Powerade Berry & Tropical. Choosing by flavour or the words ‘sports drink’ can therefore miss the distinction that matters to you.
Compare carbohydrate and sugars per 100ml, then check the serving size. Choose a carbohydrate-containing drink when you want carbohydrate from the beverage, rather than treating it as the default with food.
The Lucozade Sport Zero and Powerade Zero examples listed by ASDA and Tesco contain sweeteners, even though their listed sugar figures are zero or close to zero.
Check the ingredients on the flavour you intend to buy if particular sweeteners matter to you.
Gatorade Hydration Booster is not ready to drink: Gatorade UK instructs users to mix each sachet into 500ml of water.
Check that you can obtain drinking water and bring a suitable container before choosing the sachet format.
An online description may not reflect the pack you are handed. That distinction matters when you need to avoid a particular ingredient or allergen.
Read the current package before drinking, and ask the vendor or manufacturer if its information is unclear.
These examples illustrate different formulations and formats; a brand name alone does not identify a drink’s sugars or preparation needs.
The Lucozade Sport Zero flavours listed by ASDA are positioned for low-intensity exercise and include added sodium.
The Tesco listings show both a zero-sugar Berry Tropical drink and a carbohydrate-containing Berry & Tropical isotonic drink.
Gatorade UK’s Hydration Booster is a carbohydrate-and-electrolyte powder sachet, rather than a ready-to-drink bottle.
These ready-to-drink options include isotonic-labelled bottles and a can, as well as a citrus hydration drink. Compare each pack’s current nutrition and ingredients with the type of drink you want alongside festival food or activity.
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If you want carbohydrate from a drink during activity, compare this option’s sugars and carbohydrate per 100ml with a zero-sugar drink. Consider whether a 900ml container suits what you plan to carry.
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For a citrus drink alongside food, compare the sugars, carbohydrate and salt per can on the current pack. Check its ingredients and allergen information if either affects your choice.
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This isotonic-labelled bottle is an option to compare when you want carbohydrate from a drink during activity. Read the raspberry variant’s current sugars, ingredients and after-opening instructions rather than applying figures from a Lucozade Sport Zero flavour.
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The name identifies a lemon-flavoured electrolyte drink with sweetener, but that does not establish its sugar content. Check sugars and carbohydrate per 100ml if you are comparing it with zero-sugar drinks.
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If you prefer a carbonated isotonic drink, compare this 325ml option’s sugars and carbohydrate on the pack with still and zero-sugar alternatives. Check the ingredients for any personal dietary requirements.
No. Tesco lists 0g carbohydrate and sugars per 250ml for Powerade Zero Berry Tropical, whereas its standard Powerade Berry & Tropical isotonic drink lists 4.1g of each per 100ml. Check the particular product if you want carbohydrate from your drink.
Not simply because you will be there all day. The NHS recommends water for replacing lost fluid and advises drinking extra after sweating. Choose a carbohydrate-containing drink when you specifically want carbohydrate from the beverage during activity, and account for its sugars alongside what you are eating.
Yes, if you can obtain drinking water and follow the preparation directions. Gatorade UK says to mix one Hydration Booster sachet into 500ml of water; the sachet is not a ready-to-drink option and contains sugar.
Yes. Read the ingredients and allergen information on the drink you are actually buying, since an earlier online listing may not match its current formulation. GOV.UK advises asking the food business about ingredients when you need clarification.