Ecigone

Vaping at Festivals: What You Need to Know Before You Go

By Ollie Harris

Nothing ruins a festival weekend quicker than having your vape nicked by security at the gates, leaving you absolutely gutted while your mates are already inside bagging the best spot for the headliner. 

With the UK's disposable vape ban now in full effect and festival organisers getting right stroppy about sustainability, the whole festival vaping game has been completely turned on its head in 2025.

The disposable vape ban that came into effect on June 1st, 2025, has completely transformed festival vaping in the UK. Since disposable vapes can no longer be sold anywhere in the UK, what initially seemed like a bit of a faff has actually turned out to be a right result for clued-up festival-goers. 

Glastonbury Festival has chucked disposable vapes straight onto their "don't even think about it" list, with Reading & Leeds Festival and basically every other decent UK festival following suit.

Security teams have gotten real sharp at spotting any remaining disposables during bag checks. Since the nationwide ban, enforcement has become systematic across all major events, with confiscation happening left, right and centre. 

The silver lining? 

Festival security actually point you toward decent alternatives now, often giving you directions to on-site retailers if you're caught short.

Festival attitudes have gone from putting up with disposables to actively pushing reusable alternatives. More to the point, festival-goers have embraced the change completely. 

Post-festival waste reports show massive drops in discarded vapes, with more people actually disposing of batteries and pods sensibly.

Major UK Festival Vaping Policies You Need to Know

Glastonbury has been leading the charge since 2023, and fair play to them. Their official guidance now states "Do not bring disposable vapes. They pollute the environment and can be hazardous at waste centres." Security briefings specifically mention keeping an eye out for any remaining disposable vapes during entry searches.

Reading & Leeds has the clearest policy going: "Disposable vapes (note, refillable vapes are permitted)" is plastered all over their banned items list. Their approach is about sorting you out with alternatives rather than just saying "no" to everything. 

Creamfields and Wireless Festival have jumped on the bandwagon too, bringing in similar policies with extra bits about disposing of vape batteries and e-liquid bottles sensibly. They've even stuck battery recycling points near the main stages, which is actually quite decent of them.

Since the nationwide ban took effect, security training now covers how to spot any remaining disposable vapes, so staff can quickly tell the difference between banned disposables and allowed refillable devices. 

Loads of festivals have teamed up with vape retailers to make sure there's decent kit available on-site.

Festival Vaping Survival Strategies

Best Festival Devices from Ecigone

After rigorous testing in some real festival conditions (and I mean muddy, sweaty, chaotic festival conditions), certain devices consistently come out on top when dealing with dust, crowds, and the general mayhem of festival life.

For Weekend Festival Warriors : The OXVA Xlim Pro 2 (£19.99) is an absolute belter for festival life. The 1300mAh battery will see you through a full day of heavy use without breaking a sweat, and the simple top-fill design means you can refill it even when you're wedged between two blokes arguing about whether Oasis are overrated.

Festival device essentials:

  • Multi-day battery life for weekend events
  • Dust-resistant design for outdoor conditions
  • Quick refill systems for crowded situations
  • Affordable enough that losing one won't ruin your budget

At £19.99, it's cheap enough that losing one won't completely ruin your weekend budget, but reliable enough that you won't need to worry about it dying on you mid-festival.

  • Ecigone
    Free Tag

    Vaporesso XROS 5 Mini Pod Vape Kit

    £16.99
  • Ecigone
    Free Tag

    Vaporesso XROS 5 Pod Vape Kit

    £23.99
  • Ecigone

    Vaporesso XROS Corex 3.0 Pods

    £10.99
  • Ecigone
    Free Tag

    OXVA Xlim PRO 2 Pod Vape Kit

    From £19.99
  • Ecigone

    OXVA Xlim V2 Replacement Pods

    £7.99
  • Ecigone

    OXVA Xlim EZ Replacement Pods

    £8.99

Essential Festival Backup Kit Strategy

Festival battery management needs military-level planning, no joke. Work out your typical daily puff count, then double it for festival conditions. The excitement, stress, and social vaping will absolutely rinse your battery faster than you'd expect.

Smart backup planning :

  • Spare pods (minimum three for weekend festivals, don't be tight)
  • Extra e-liquid bottles (30ml minimum per day)
  • Portable power bank (10,000mAh or you're having a laugh)
  • Backup charging cable for emergency situations

The Vaporesso XROS 5 at £23.99 has become legendary among festival veterans. The magnetic pod system means you won't have those annoying connection issues when everything's covered in dust, and the 1500mAh battery with fast charging means you're never stuck without power for long.

Festival Vaping Etiquette That Actually Works

Festival vaping etiquette has evolved quite a bit as vaping's gone mainstream. The golden rule hasn't changed though: your clouds shouldn't mess with anyone else's festival experience. This means being well aware of wind direction, how packed it is, and what's going on around you.

Queue protocol for festival vaping :

  • Never vape in entry queues, toilet queues, or food queues
  • Nobody wants to breathe your clouds while waiting in line
  • The person behind you didn't shell out £200+ for strawberry shortcake vapour
  • Save vaping for open areas away from confined spaces

Many seasoned festival vapers just head to the smoking areas, where other nicotine users hang out anyway. Creates an unofficial but effective system that keeps non-vapers happy while giving you somewhere comfortable to vape.

Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Festival Vaper

UK vapers have clear rights regarding compliant devices at public events. 

Since disposable vapes are now banned nationwide, festivals can't arbitrarily ban refillable devices without sharp safety justifications. However, private event organisers do have broad authority over their venues, including reasonable restrictions on where you can vape.

Modern festival security gets decent training on vaping equipment identification. Since the disposable ban, they're primarily checking that people aren't bringing any remaining disposable vapes into the venue. Refillable devices rarely get a second look during standard bag searches. Security focuses on safety and environmental compliance rather than being awkward for the sake of it.

If security mistakenly targets your compliant device, stay calm and polite. Ask for a supervisor if the initial security guard seems unsure about policies. Most festivals have senior security staff who know current vaping regulations inside out. 

Festival organisers generally want to sort issues out quickly to prevent queue delays.

Ready for Festival Season?

Don't let dodgy vaping gear ruin your festival experience. 

Ecigone's festival-ready collection includes everything you need for the perfect festival weekend, from ultra-portable pod kits to heavy-duty power solutions.

With free next-day delivery on orders over £30 and our click-and-collect service from the Chesterfield warehouse, you can get equipped before the gates even open.

Remember, the best festival vaping experience starts with decent preparation. 

Choose reliable devices, pack backup supplies, don't be a knobhead to your fellow festival-goers, and focus on what really matters: the music, the atmosphere, and the memories you'll be banging on about long after the last encore fades away.

Tagged:

Guides News Vape Kits
Previous Next

Featured blog
Ecigone

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter to unlock your exclusive 10% discount!