Filthiest Festivals Revealed

UK festivals are among the richest in the world, but they are also the filthiest.

Two people are standing in a pile of trash at a festival.

The UK festival scene is hands down one of the richest in the world , but it's also one of the filthiest.

A new study conducted by SpaSeekers has revealed the top ten filthiest festivals in the UK. The reasearch was conducted via a survey which sampled 500 festival-goers nationwide and asked them questions regarding their personal hygiene during these events. The topics revolved around how often they shower, change their underwear and brush their teeth while they are running wild in these hedonistic, happy-go-lucky locations.

The muck-covered trophy for the dirtiest festival in the UK goes to Download Festival, where 40 per cent of attendees said they do not shower over the full five-day weekend and only one-in-ten actually brush their teeth.

Creamfields takes the prize for dirtiest underwear, with 13 per cent confessing that they do not change their filthy undergarments once over the course of the festival.

Check out the ranking below (from dirtiest to cleanliest)

1. Download Festival
2. Creamfields
3. Reading and Leeds Festival
4. V Festival (now known as RiZE)
5. BBC Big Weekend
6. Wireless Festival
7. Isle of Wight Festival
8. Parklife
9. Bestival
10. Latitude

The study also revealed the average amount of sleep that an individual grabs on any given night at each of these festivals. Download Festival ranked best with four hours and eighteen minutes while Bestival ranked worst with an average of three hours and two minutes. Perhaps Bestival's ranking had something to do with the fact that a number of substances sold at the event this year kept people up for four days.

Overall, the average amount of z's a festival attendee will grab at any one of these events comes down to 3 hours and 33 minutes.

Credit: Mixmag

The little south logo is on a blue background.

Written by

Editorial Team • 23 September 2018
by Editorial Team 3 April 2026
LOFTIE’s high-energy mix mirrors his evolution from early 2000s vinyl to festival stages. Expect a journey from driving House to the gritty, heavy bass of modern UKG.
by Editorial 19 March 2026
South West house DJ Rebecca D blends bass-driven tech grooves. Stream her latest underground podcast mix on Little South.
by Editorial Team 16 March 2026
Ink takes over The Old Bakery Studios, Truro. A local 140, Bassline & Garage night ft. Pilch, lowla, B3no, M-LOC, Beef E Beatz & Benn Double NN.
by Editorial Team 9 March 2026
DJ Wallis Ryan returns with a high-energy house podcast mix. The Little South Podcast of the Year 2023 winner delivers bouncy basslines and euphoric, melodic tracks.
by Editorial Team 20 February 2026
In.Our.DNA, Evosonic & Sawan present The Thrillseekers in Plymouth, 3 May 2026. A 12-hour trance odyssey from sunset vibes to late-night euphoria. Get tickets now!
by Editorial Team 20 February 2026
Experience the organic flow of DJ BenG’s latest mix. Ben Holtam blends funk, soul, and house, building from low-tempo grooves to high-energy dancefloor anthems.
Show More