Max HeyraudIt’s Life Festival Eve and the excitement has well and truly taken over. We’ve compiled the Ultimate Guide to Life Festival 2023, covering the necessities including; transport, wellness info, packing essentials, lineup & stage times, and the festival layout.
In under 24 hours, Life Festival will open the gates to Belvedere House for the first time in 365 days and the hysteria is building immensely. Festival jitters and excitement are setting in, as attendees pack their speakers, tents, suncream, and more ahead of one of the most anticipated weekends in the Irish dance music calendar.
We break down the Ultimate Guide to Life Festival 2023, covering every last corner of information so that you’re as prepared for the weekend as possible.
Transport
Bus: Marathon Coaches are providing buses to Life Festival 2023 from Dublin City Centre! This is an easy and hassle-free way to get to & from Belvedere House & Gardens, ensuring you can chill out & enjoy the festival. The buses are running from 10.00 to 18.00 every hour on Friday and 10.00 on Saturday & Sunday. Return buses from Sunday night at 23.00 & 02.00 and Monday morning from 8.00, 10.00 & 12.00.
Car: If you are driving the Google Cordinates are: 53.535485991115934, -7.373658260743868.
Train: Alternatively, Mullingar train station is a 10-minute drive from the festival site, and taxis are frequent over the weekend. You can purchase train tickets here.
Wellness
Please make sure to look after yourself and each other. If you see someone who looks like they’re having a bad time, please check in on them. Everyone’s mental health status is unique to them. If you’re feeling a bit low, you’re always welcome in the Welfare or Medical tents for a chat and a bit of a rest.
Similarly, if you yourself or a friend aren’t feeling well, please seek a medic immediately. Medical tents are completely free of judgment, and you will never get in trouble for seeking help. Always be honest with medics so they can help you. Please take note of the medical tents when you arrive at Life 2023 just in case you need one.
Please make sure to tell a friend that you trust if you are going to use drugs. Keep your phone charged and stick together. Drugs are unregulated meaning that you never know what you are getting. What may have been a ‘normal’ dose from one batch, could be far too much from another. If you are going to take drugs, please start low and go slow. Oftentimes when taking drugs, people can experience delayed effects making them think what they have taken is weaker. If you don’t react as expected, don’t take more.
If using drugs please make sure to stay hydrated, but do not over-hydrate either. When taking MDMA in particular it is important to drink water. Do not drink more than one pint of water every hour, however, as this may result in overhydration. Make sure to take breaks from dancing and allow yourself time to cool down.
Mixing drugs is much more dangerous than many people realise, and some combinations are riskier than others. For example, some drugs increase the heart rate, while others decrease it. Some alter reality and some intensify it. In particular, it’s important to remember how different drugs combine with alcohol or prescription medication. If using drugs, it is always best to stick to one.
Packing Essentials
Tent: A good and water resistant is severely needed for any festival. Halfords always have a great selection, once you don’t leave it too late. If you are bringing a tent make sure to bring it home with you too, we need to cut the waste we leave at festivals, and leaving tents behind is the biggest problem. Be sound and bring your tent home.
A warm sleeping bag: Although the weather is forecast for a scorcher this weekend, it’s still important to bring a warm sleeping bag as it can get cold at night, and Irish weather is subject to change. You’re probably best not going cheap on this one either, the guts of 25-30 Euro should be okay.
Camping Chair: These are often overlooked by newcomers to the camping festival game but are in fact a very important piece to your camping equipment. Perfect for sitting around with mates throughout the weekend, this is one you want unless you want to sit on damp ground.
Pillow / Pillowcase: If you want a bit more comfort than some, a pillow is a handy one to bring. If you don’t have a lot of space, you can bring a pillowcase and pack it with some clothes for a homemade pillow/bag.
Battery Pack: If you want to save some money and not pay to charge your phone or wait in long queues, bringing a battery pack will be handy to have your phone topped up when you need to find your mates. Some of these also come with a torch which also can be very handy. Tesco, Pennys, and plenty of other places sell these.
Cans: Three strong days of drinking warm cans, you’re going to need to stack up. Don’t be that person mooching cans off people on Saturday cause you already drank your 8 pack of Heineken on Friday night. If you are bringing spirits or bottles, please be aware you can’t bring glass in. Always drink responsibly too, you’ve got the whole weekend, as the saying goes “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”.
Multiple pairs of socks and undies: These are important, you’ll be surprised how easily you go through pairs of socks when you’re camping. Thank me when you see that person buying them awful weed socks for 5 quid because they didn’t bring enough.
Baby wipes & towels: Two important players in control of the safety of your hygiene throughout the weekend. Baby wipes are like a currency at festivals, come Sunday evening they’re worth more than gold.
Earplugs: It might not be something you think is important but protecting your ears is so important in any festival scene. You can pick up a standard set of 3 or 4 pairs in most pharmacies as well as some music stores and Hearpro.ie.
Other accessories: Toothbrush and toothpaste, Moisturiser/hand sanitiser, Deodorant, Dry Shampoo, Condoms, Torch, Speaker, Tampons, Lip Balm, Bumbag/tote bag, Hip flask, Plastic bags / zip-lock bags, Sun-cream, Gazebo, Cash.
Lineup & Stage Times
Life Festival boasts their strongest lineup in the history of the festival with headliners Carl Cox, Amelie Lens, Mall Grab, I Hate Models & more arriving at the festival. The Index stage stays open until 4.00 am on both Friday & Saturday with a Secret Guest closing off proceedings on Friday and RIOT CODE closing on Saturday, these late-night sets are must-see at Life Festival. On Sunday Charlie Sparks closes the Index stage, Carl Cox closes the main stage and Mall Grab closes the District 8 stage, Sunday night closings are always one for the books, and this year the festival brings three heavy hitters to sign off the festival across three different tents.
Festival Layout
See the map below for the main arena layout.
You can final purchase tickets to Life Festival here.