Increase brand visibility with essential festival merch for summer 2025!
With over 600 music festivals held across the UK each year and an estimated 5 million attendees annually, festivals present an unmissable branding opportunity for businesses. Festivals have become more than just music events – they are lifestyle experiences where fashion, personal style, and memorable merchandise all play a crucial role. Branded merchandise in these high-energy environments allows businesses to gain immense visibility, generate brand loyalty, and align themselves with vibrant, trend-focused audiences.
According to a report by Mintel, 79% of festival-goers purchase new clothing, accessories, or gear specifically for festivals, showcasing the appetite for branded items. Investing in customisable, on-trend festival accessories can place your brand directly in the hands of your target audience throughout summer 2025.
Here are five must-have festival items to add to your promotional merchandise offering this summer 2025:
1. Crossbody bags
 | Why they’re essential: Crossbody bags have resurged in popularity, offering hands-free convenience and security—essential for navigating crowded festivals. Convenient and stylish, they allow festival-goers to keep their essentials secure while moving freely through crowds. Branding opportunity: These bags provide ample space for logos or designs. Utilising special effects like reflective prints or neon colours can enhance visibility during evening events. Consider tone-on-tone embroidery or screen printing to maintain a high-quality, premium look. Suggested decoration methods:
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2. Custom branded sliders
 | Why they’re essential: Footwear is a huge part of festival fashion, and sliders have rapidly become a festival essential. Easy to slip on and off, they are perfect for campsite wear, casual lounging, or hot summer days. These Cool sliders come in 5 fresh colourways! Branding opportunity: With a large surface area on the upper strap, sliders offer excellent branding real estate. Add logos, slogans, or bold designs to make the brand highly visible in festival campsites and arenas. Suggested decoration methods:
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3. Colourful Hi-Vis Vests
 | Why they’re trending: Hi-vis vests aren’t just for staff — they’re now a statement piece. Festival-goers have been spotted wearing colourful, branded hi-vis vests as part of their outfit. This shift in style has been heavily influenced by the workwear-as-streetwear trend, making hi-vis vests a bold and unexpected branding opportunity. Branding opportunity: Large print areas on the front and back provide perfect space for logos, slogans, or campaign messaging. Offering these in bright, festival-friendly colours will amplify the visibility of the brand. Utilising UV-reactive inks or holographic prints can make the designs stand out. Suggested decoration methods:
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The festival staple: Statement bucket hats!
 | Why they’re trending: The demand for bucket hats during summer is consistently high, ensuring your clients’ brands will be visible throughout multiple festival weekends… Bucket hats have remained a festival favourite for several years, with variations like outback hats and fisherman hats dominating this summer’s fashion trends. These hats offer both practical sun protection and a stylish accessory for festival-goers. Branding opportunity: Bucket hats offer a highly visible branding space on the front or side panel, perfect for embroidered logos, patches, or woven labels. Bright, bold colours or subtle earth tones are both on-trend for summer 2025. Suggested decoration methods:
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Just in: The Anti-Spiking Drink Cover (Nightcap®)
 | Why This Is a Game-Changer for Brands: With increasing awareness around drink spiking, the Anti-Spiking Scrunchie (Nightcap®) aligns perfectly with the growing demand for safety accessories at festivals. This ground-breaking product is especially designed to protect people from drink spiking incidents. Nightcap it have just received trademark approval in the USA and recently the UK, with European trademarks following soon — meaning there’s a window of opportunity to capitalise on this trending product. The scrunchie conceals a hidden drink cover that can be pulled out and placed over a drink to prevent unwanted substances from being added. No long hair? No problem. There is also a small keyring version available! These are available in custom-coloured fabrics to match your brand aesthetics, dependent upon your requirements. Suggested decoration method:
Pro tip: Position your brand as a leader in safety innovation while capitalising on this product’s massive media exposure. Early adopters will reap the most visibility! |
Festivals offer an unmatched opportunity for brands to boost visibility and build customer loyalty.
With millions of attendees and an increasing demand for festival gear, investing in trend-led promotional merchandise could keep your brand top-of-mind long after the festival ends. Did you know 87% of consumers keep promotional products for more than a year, meaning the branded sliders, bucket hats, or crossbody bags you hand out today could still be advertising your brand months later. Choosing high-impact, practical products that align with festival culture can give your brand year-round visibility.
If you’re ready to elevate your festival merchandise offering, get in touch with Screenworks to discuss custom branding options or request samples.
👉 Contact us today to start planning your festival merchandise line for summer 2025.
