The best festival hacks for alcohol smuggling

Festivals are expensive. Sometimes ridiculously so. After buying the tickets, and budgeting for food and any other extracurricular activities, you probably only have a few quid to spare. Of course, no good music festival just is the same without some drinks in hand. But with premium drink prices or no-alcohol policies at festivals, sometimes one must take extreme measures in the name of having a good time. So, if you’re hunting for festival hacks for alcohol smuggling, look no further. From downright bizarre to practical and inventive, here are some of the best festival hacks for alcohol smuggling.

1. The Classic Water Bottle

Let’s start with the most obvious. The legend of handbag vodka in a water bottle as a method of sneaking alcohol into festivals dates back to your nan’s mum’s days. So, festival organisers are well-wise to an Evian bottle full of gin these days. But, If you can make the bottle look like it’s never been opened, you might be in with a better chance of sneaking it in.

Taking a sealed top from one bottle and placing it onto another (so the seal doesn’t look broken) is the most tried and tested method in the book. However, it can be quite technical. So, take a look at the YouTube video above that shows you the exact steps.

2. Sunscreen Bottles

To smuggle alcohol using sun cream, just empty it and fill it with the booze of your choice. The best part is, unlike with water bottles, you don’t have to stick to clear liquids! If you want to be really sneaky, just put the alcohol in a freezer bag and push it right down to the bottom of the bottle and put a bit of sun cream in over the top. Then, even if security does open it up and sniff it, you’re in with a better chance of smuggling your booze in. Either use your own or buy a set of two hidden flasks off of Amazon.

3. Binoculars

Imagine this: you’re all crammed to the back of a massive crowd, desperate to see the stage but unable to squint 400 yards. Fortunately, bringing a pair of binoculars to a festival will solve this minor inconvenience. Even better, you can just barge to the front with a pair of fake binoculars and your favourite liqueur in hand.

4. A Pringles Tin

Same idea as the sunscreen bottles, just a different festival essential. Simply pick any slim and slender alcohol bottle – perhaps a miniature bottle of wine or a selection of small whiskeys – and tape them to the inside of a Pringles can. Of course, the added weight is going to give away the hack, so make sure the can is perched on top of a bag and not in breach of security. Don’t forget to stack a few Pringles on the top for authenticity.

5. Sleeping Bags

For the boring festival fanatics out there who are going to stand at the back all day, moan that it’s cold and head back to the tent before it gets dark, there’s always the sleeping bag roll. Simply place a large spirit bottle at the bottom of your sleeping bag and roll it up tight. Few people are going to squeeze hard enough to feel that there is a bottle inside. Simple. Easy. Effective. The least exciting method on the list…

6. Tampon Flasks

Let’s be real. No one wants to inspect your tampon. So we can all rest assured that no security will be ripping our tampons open to check for gin. These easy-to-fill tampon flasks hold a fluid ounce each and come with leakproof caps to avoid any unwanted spillages. Men, you can use this trick too and just play it off like you’re a wonderful boyfriend who keeps his ladies’ feminine hygiene products on hand. Just don’t bring a whole bag full, because that will certainly raise a red flag.

7. Don’t bring in booze at all

Sort of…but don’t be alarmed. Simply soak chewy sweets such as Gummy Bears with spirits at home to avoid pre-festival nerves about sneaking in with alcohol. Alcoholic sweets are pretty undetectable. Food and drink are just a few of the many things people smuggle into festivals! Or, you could “go healthy”. Get your daily intake of vitamin C with oranges. This sneaky option is a little bit of a stretch and takes some random tools to accomplish. However, it’s a delicious and refreshing way to enjoy that already sneaky alcohol. All you need is your booze of choice, a bag of oranges, and a syringe. Simply fill the syringe with your booze and inject it into the oranges. Make sure you check if you’re actually even allowed to bring fruit in. Otherwise, it could just get it taken off you and that would be sad. Read more fun festival content in our student travel section.