Come summertime, there’s little I love more than going to a festival.
I’ve been going to some of the UK’s biggest for - gulp! - 14 years, and while vibes are usually immaculate over the weekend, things sour come home time.
It’s not just because I’m usually nursing the mother of all hangovers while trudging under heavy bags towards a crowded exit gate. Partly, it’s due to the state of the fields, once packed with my fellow revellers, have been left in.
Thousands of tents are abandoned by ticketholders too broken or thoughtless to deal with taking them home - as many as 250,000 every year, according to the Association of Independent Festivals - adding to a tsunami of needless environmental waste.
Generally made from plastic, festival tents can be challenging to recycle, so millions are sent to landfills instead. One of the issues is that many of these tents are cheap, leading to the widespread perception that they’re single-use items. The irony of watching festivalgoers casting aside their tents while chugging from a refillable water bottle is never lost on me.
Glastonbury runs a Leave No Trace initiative, asking attendees to leave Worthy Farm as tidy as they found it, and the message is beginning to hit home. After the 2024 event, organiser Emily Eavis thanked festivalgoers for taking 99 per cent of their tents back with them.
Now, Decathlon has weighed in with a further incentive to encourage responsible tent ownership. The outdoor expert has reintroduced its Summer Tent Pledge, this year offering a full refund on any Decathlon-branded tent (Quechua and Simond brands) via gift card until September 14.
Simply buy a good quality Quechua and Simond brand tent for festivals, hiking or summer camping trips, enjoy them all season, and then bring them back to a store with the receipt to claim your gift card, which you can then save to use for next year’s jaunts.
The catch? You will need to be a Decathlon Member when you return your tent, but it’s free to sign up, and members can have their receipts stored in the app, so you don’t have to worry about losing it between now and September.
Vick Hope is fronting Decathlon’s 2025 scheme. The broadcaster and author said: “Whether you're dancing at Glasto, on a hilltop, or roasting marshmallows with family, your tent deserves more than one weekend of glory. Decathlon's Pledge is brilliant because it simplifies doing the right thing!”
It’s a scheme we should all get behind, especially if it means England’s land stays as green and pleasant as it’s supposed to. Which tent to pitch? I’ve rounded up the best of the bunch, all in Decathlon’s initiative, below.
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Quechua Camping Tent MH100 - 3-P - Fresh&Black
Easy on the planet and easy to assemble, Quechua’s partially recycled tent is suitable for three happy campers. The mid-sized piece is made from 8 per cent yarn combining dyed and undyed fibres, 37 per cent dope-dyed yarn and 54 per cent undyed yarn, enabling the brand to reduce carbon dioxide emissions during production.
A simple free-standing structure is a major plus, as is the side ventilation that helps with hot balmy nights. When you’re ready to go home, pack the tent up in the bag provided and spot clean.
Buy now £69.99, Decathalon
Quechua Camping tent - MH100 XXL - 4 person
If you prefer to keep your friends close, opt for this four-person tent that’s large enough for you all to lie down or sit and play card games during the quieter moments. There’s a large enclosed porch as well to hide away from any rain.
Buy now £99.99, Quechua
Quechua Camping tent MH100 XL - 2-P
No festival kit is complete without a tent and this Quechua set-up is ideal for one or two people. It includes a little enclosed porch to keep your belongings away from the sleeping space, and a free-standing dome structure so you can move spots if you please.
Buy now £89.99, Decathlon
Quechua Camping tent with poles - Arpenaz 4.1 - 4 Person - 1 Bedroom
Another Quechua offering, this four-person tent comes complete with a large bedroom to snuggle into after a long day of hiking or raving stageside. Also ideal for families, this decently sized piece of equipment is an eco-friendly pick. It is made from 100 per cent dope dyed yarn, in effect reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 46 per cent during the tent’s production chain.
Note the flysheet that reduces internal condensation and the UPF 30 fabric which lets in daylight and filters out some UV rays.
Buy now £99.99, Decathalon
Quechua 4-Man Inflatable Blackout Tent - Air Seconds 4.1
Best for: airbeam tent for affordable family fun
Great value active and outdoors chain Decathlon currently features nine inflatable airbeam tents but for my money this model, suitable for small families, couples or anyone else willing to snuggle up in that 280cm-wide sleeping space, offers the best bang for your buck.
Sporting an elegant sand coloured, white-accented livery it answers some key asks at a keen price point. For starters, it’s got decent waterproof and windproof qualities. Indeed, Decathlon reckon it’ll deliver decent shelter in winds of up to 60 km/h. Moreover, that Fresh & Black material provides decent blackout performance for the sleeping area – very welcome on those bright early summer mornings – while the UPF 50+ sun protection helps keep occupants cool, or ‘Fresh’, aided by the ample high and low vents.
Inside, the simple layout feels pleasantly roomy, the 6.5sqm living area blessed with an extra generous 1.9m high ceiling, and features some very welcome mosquito netting. In case of rain that waterproof exterior will do a good job of repelling the droplets and you can simply raise the zipped floor at the entrance to keep out any encroaching water.
Weighing 15kg it feels surprisingly robust, comes complete with a five-year warranty and stashes away nicely in its handy holdall. While it’s not supplied with a pump the recommended Quechua 5.2 litre double action pump only costs £19.99.
Buy now £299.99, Decathlon
Quechua 4-Man Camping Tent - Arpenaz 4.2
We all need a little space sometimes, especially at a festival when it can be hard to escape the crowds. This tunnel tent may claim to be for four people, but you'll be much more comfortable as two, with space to store your things inside the bedroom compartments and chillout room in the centre.
Buy now £129.99, Decathlon
Quechua Camping tent 2 Seconds Easy - 2-Person - Fresh&Black
When time is against you and your must-see headliner is about to take to the stage, you need to get your tent up pronto.
This pop-up tent takes just a few seconds of your time to create a weekend shelter. It's lined with fresh&black technology to keep it cool and dark so you can sleep in peace the next morning.
Forget lugging it to your spot too: it weighs just under 5kg, so light enough to manage for one person.
Buy now £129.99, Decathlon
Quechua Inflatable camping tent - Air Seconds 6.3 XXL F&B - 6 Person - 3 Bedrooms
It's a big boy, but you'll be grateful for covered seating space should the heavens open. This tent offers three compartments for sleeping, windows to let the light in and is made with Fresh fabric to keep things cool and breathable inside. Oh, and since it's an inflatable design, you won't need to bother with poles either. A camping palace.
Was: £1099.99
Buy now £999.99, Decathlon
