Download Festival camping rules 2024: Key timings, restricted items, alcohol limit and more

Next month Donington Park will once again play host to Download Festival 2024.

The UK’s premier rock music festival attracts thousands of fans every year, who show up to enjoy huge names including Fall Out Boy, Royal Blood, and Queens of the Stone Age.

This year’s event, which will take place from 14-16 June, is being sponsored by Liquid Death, an alcohol-free drink company championed by Travis Barker.

Of course one of the best parts of any festival is camping, but it is not without restrictions. Here is your useful guide to camping at Download Festival 2024 - including what and what not to bring.

Key dates and times

Campsites will open two days before the festival (on Wednesday, June 12) giving you plenty of time to settle in.

Download Festival campsites will close at midday on Monday, June 17.

You will need to check if you purchased a five-day or three-day camping ticket.

Campervan ticket holders will be allocated a pitch measuring 9mx7m. Portable toilets, showers, fresh water, and waste disposal points will be provided but electric and water hook-up won’t be available.

The campsite is open 24 hours a day.

Download traffic

There is expected to be an increase in traffic around the festival dates, but organisers have said peak times are likely to be between 8:30am and 4pm.

There will be a free shuttle bus service for locals who are attending Download Festival.

Download Festival address for Sat Nav

Download Festival takes place at Donington Park in Castle Donnington.

Here’s the address for your Sat Nav: Donington Park, Castle Donington, Derby DE74 2RP

Follow the signs for the campsite.

Download Festival Camping - things to know

As Download Festival is an outdoor event, attendees are advised to bring appropriate clothing for all weather conditions.

There will be toilets, showers, and water dotted around the campsite areas, these will be signposted.

Organisers wish to remind you that smoke machines, strobe lights, lasers, fireworks, and other effects may be in use at this event. Anyone affected by these should bear this in mind.

Drone ban at Download Festival 2024

Drones are strictly prohibited, given the proximity to East Midlands Airport. There will be police on-site to enforce this. Arrests have been made in the past because of the violation of these restrictions.

Download Festival bag checks

All festival goers will be subject to bag searches. Those camping may also have their cars checked for prohibited items.

Bags must be A4 size or under (30cm x 8cm x 21cm) to enter the arena. Size restrictions only apply to the arena and not the campsite.

What you can and can’t bring (full list)

There are many more restrictions festival goers should be aware of.

There will be no receipts issued for confiscated or surrender items and you won’t be able to collect them after the festival.

Here’s a full list of what you can and can’t bring to Download Festival 2024:

Do not pack (under any circumstances)

• Aerosols over 250ml
• Airhorns and megaphones
• Animals (Other than Assistance Dogs)
• Any Alcohol in possession of anyone under 18
• Any Goods for unauthorised trading
• Any Goods with unauthorised festival logos
• Any items which may cause danger, offence or disruption to any other person
• Any items which may reasonably be considered for use as a weapon
• Bad Attitudes
• Blowtorches
• Drones or other Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
• Excessive Amounts of Cigarettes (more than personal consumption)
• Excessive Amounts of Food (more than personal consumption)
• Firewood
• Fireworks/Pyrotechnics
• Flares/Distress Flares/Smoke Bombs
• Generators (Exemption for generators in caravans)
• Glass
• Hexamine / Hexi Tablets
• Illegal Substances
• Individual camping gas canisters (exemption for gas canisters fitted within campervans).
• Leatherman Multi Tools
• Legal Highs
• New Psychoactive Substances(NPS)
• Nitrous Oxide and any associated equipment (Balloons, Co2 dispensers, cream dispensers)
• Paper Lanterns or Sky Lanterns
• Petrol Burners
• Portable Laser Equipment and Pens
• Sound systems
• Unidentifiable Substances
• Unofficial Tabards or Reflective Jackets

Items allowed in the campsite only:

• Umbrellas
• Tin openers
• Rooftop tents
• Small hammers for pitching tents
• Rooftop Tents (Campervan site only)
• Perfume in small bottles
• Golf Umbrellas
• Gazebos (within reasonable size limits)
• Food Hampers / Cool Bag / Boxes
• Flags with poles (there will be some exclusion zones)
• Drinks bottles (other than sealed plastic water/soft drinks bottles under 500ml and empty re-usable bottles of any size metal or plastic - no glass)
• Disposable BBQs and permitted cooking stoves (for personal use only)
• Cutlery
• Cans
• Camping equipment
• Audio recorders
• Alcohol (must not be in glass bottles and only for over 18s only)

The maximum quantity of alcohol allowed is 1 x 24 can/plastic crate of beer/cider or drink of choice & 1L of spirit or wine in a plastic bottle per person.