Free UK festivals and carnivals

Alternatively, it's also possible to get into some big paid-for festivals for free, including Reading and Leeds Festival, in return for working there – see the stewarding guide below.

Choose which region of the UK you want to look at

It's worth noting that some festivals are spread across different venues and may have concerts that cost extra, so always check with the organisers before you go.

Have we missed any? If you know of any great free festivals in your area that we've not included, we'd love to hear about them. Let us know in our Forum or via Twitter @MSE_Deals.

Paid festivals for free

As well as the free UK festivals listed above, there are a few ways to get into sold-out festivals for nothing.

Volunteering through charities

Some big charities like the Samaritans and Oxfam look for volunteers to help at big festivals. Don't volunteer if you're in it just for the free ticket – approach a charity you really believe in and do the work properly. 

• Festival Samaritans provides volunteers for big festivals such as Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading. It recruits every January, and anyone is welcome to apply, whether or not they have been a member of the Samaritans before. You can register your interest now for next year's festivals.
  
  
• Oxfam provides stewards and campaigners who have to work between three and five shifts over the duration of big festivals. Head to the application page to sign up. Includes many paid-for festivals such as Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds and Download .

Odd jobs like litter-picking & car park attending

It's not easy to make a festival run smoothly, and extra help is always required with anything from car park assistance and tent pitching to litter-picking. Organisers usually use firms which provide staff specifically for festivals.

• DC Services provide safety stewards, traffic marshals, recycling and litter teams to the likes of Leeds and Latitude (check its events calendar). Apply online to work as volunteer staff.
  
  
• Seed Staff - You can volunteer for various festivals, including Y Not?, Download, BBC Proms, Reading and Leeds. You can apply online, with volunteer jobs including wristbanding and picking up litter.
  
  
• Hotbox provides volunteers for anything from assisting festivalgoers with directions to helping them pitch their tents. If your application is successful, you'll have to work up to three shifts over the duration of the festival.
  
  
• Festaff supplies volunteers for stewarding, wristbanding, bar work and other general duties at festivals including Bestival, Isle of Wight, Rewind, and Creamfields. You can apply online, plus you may be required to attend training.

Volunteering for festivals independently

Another option is to check with festival organisers directly to see if they're looking for volunteers. They usually have a dedicated area on their website for this.