Rise Festival Bag Policy

So you’ve scored tickets to the Rise Festival. Congratulations! You’re about to dance on a mountaintop while pretending you’re living in a music video. But before you pack your glitter and dreams, you need to face the bag policy. It’s a beast, and if you ignore it, you’ll be that person crying over a confiscated tube of sunscreen.

The Golden Rule: Size Matters (and So Does Material)

Let’s cut to the chase: your bag must be smaller than a loaf of bread. Specifically, no larger than 20 litres—roughly the size of a cat’s ambitions. Anything bigger, and security will treat you like you’re smuggling a portable sauna.

Also, no hard-sided bags. If your backpack could double as a medieval shield, leave it at home. They want soft, squishy bags that can be crumpled like your festival dreams after a bad set.

What About Hydration Packs?

Yes, you can bring a hydration pack, but it must be empty when you enter. That’s right—security will make you dump out that precious water like it’s a confession. But here’s the good news: you can fill it up once inside at free water stations. Just don’t look like a camel doing the cha-cha while filling it.

The Incredible Vanishing Pocket Policy

Here’s a fun fact: cargo pants with more than two pockets might get you flagged. Seriously. Festival staff hate pockets that whisper, “I could hold a secret fifth of vodka.” If your shorts look like a tactical vest, security will pat you down like a rarely-used seasoning shaker.

Surprising fact: 70% of confiscated items at festivals are from people who thought they were “sneaky” with multi-pocketed shorts. Don’t be that statistic. Stick to a simple fanny pack or a tiny crossbody bag.

The Forbidden Items List: A Tragedy in Miniature

You cannot bring: selfie sticks (because the universe hates your angles), umbrellas (rain is now a communal experience), professional cameras (your phone is already a Hollywood director, so relax), and any glass containers. Yes, that includes your fancy kombucha bottle. Security will treat glass like it’s made of explosive sarcasm.

Wait—there’s more: no chairs, no tents, no inflatable couches. If you plan to sit, you’d better be prepared to squat like a European football fan. And for the love of all that is holy, do not bring a “mystery aerosol.” If Security can’t identify it, they’ll assume it’s peanut butter mixed with regret.

The “One Clear Bag” Loophole (If You’re Desperate)

Here’s a survival tip: some festivals let you bring a clear plastic bag no larger than 12” x 12” x 6”. Think of it as a see-through elevator for your stuff. It’s ugly? Yes. Functional? Also yes. You’ll look like you just robbed a bank with a Tupperware container, but you’ll keep your phone.

Pro tip: Ziplock bags are your friends. Put your ID, cash, and phone in one. If it rains—and it will, because that’s the universe’s joke—your valuables stay dry while you become a human sponge.

Don’t Be a “Bag Drama” Hero

Last year, a guy tried to sneak in a backpack filled with only air—literally just the bag, no contents. He thought it would “confuse” security. It did not. They confiscated it and gave him a sticker that said “I Tried.” Don’t be that guy.

Surprising fact: The most common forgotten item at bag check? Sunscreen spray. Security sees a canister and thinks, “Maybe this is axe body spray mixed with explosives.” Leave the spray at home and bring a lotion sunscreen instead. Your skin and your festival entry will thank you.

The Final Checklist: What Actually Goes in Your Tiny Bag

Pack light. You need: phone, portable charger (the size of a bar of soap, not a brick), earplugs (because your future self loves you), a reusable water bottle (empty, remember?), and emergency snacks (sealed, non-glass, and not smelly enough to start a war).

Oh, and bring a small, foldable poncho—the kind that fits in your palm. Because when the rains come at Rise Festival, they don’t ask permission. They just arrive like an uninvited aunt.

And remember: whatever you do, do not tape a bag to your leg. Yes, someone tried that. Security found it. They laughed. Then they made him do the walk of shame back to the car while wearing the tape like a weird flesh-colored holster.

The Bottom Line: Be Boring (But Prepared)

The bag policy at Rise Festival is basically a personality test for your luggage: be humble, be small, be see-through. If you follow these rules, you’ll glide past security while others get strip-searched for glitter.

So go forth, pack like a minimalist monk, and dance until your shoes dissolve. The bag policy won’t be the reason you have a bad time—unless you brought a hammock. Then yes, you’re going to have a terrible time. But at least now you know.