FOCUS ON: FESTIVALS
“Despite 2026 being a fallow year for Glastonbury Festival, there are huge artists touring this year, such as BTS, Rosalia and Harry Styles and dress up will be an important part of these events. “Festivals are all about celebrating the sunny season practically, therefore sunglasses and floral headgear are expected to remain among some of the best sellers. With the return of Harry Styles to the stage, we expect a resurgence in feather boa sales as fans embrace his new disco-inspired album. It’s looking like the 2026 festival season will be full of opportunities for dress up.” Dominique Peckett, director, Smiffys, continues: “As the sun makes a reappearance and bank holidays are on the horizon, thoughts turn to a super summer of festival weekends and outdoor gigs. “Dressing up in colourful styles and crazy costumes has always been a part of festival culture, but we have seen this cross over to big arena concerts in recent years. Beginning with the likes of Beyonce’s Cowboy Cater and Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n Sweet tours, fans are now dressing on theme to see their favourite artists. “Kicking off with his recent Netflix special, Harry Styles is set to tour this
summer. With the star donning a blue Tinsel Jacket for this show, we’re expecting our Festival Tinsel Jackets to be a popular option for fans. Also taking inspiration from festivals, concerts have become more of an experience rather than an evening out, encouraging fans to spend on these events. “For summer festivals we’re seeing more family events gain popularity, with a focus on entertainment and activities for the whole family rather than the calibre of artists on the line up. These festivals encourage dress-up with themed days such as Animal Kingdom, Out of Space and many more. For traditional festivals, comedy group themes remain popular such as our Kellogg’s range, and nostalgic icons like Popeye and Top Gun.” Bright and impactful products are key when it comes to preparing for festival season. Jennifer Wilson, head of creative marketing and product design, Unique Party, outlines: “Colour continues to play a major role in the visual identity of summer festivals, where self-expression, creativity and bold styling are all part of the experience. Our range of temporary-coloured hairsprays taps perfectly into this spirit, offering an easy way to add a vibrant pop of
colour and personality to festival looks. “Whether used to complement a festival outfit, coordinate with friends, or simply embrace the carefree energy of the season, temporary colour offers a quick and effective way to transform a look.” Easy to wear but impactful items are popular, as well as licensed designs, says Sander Visser, key account manager, Oppo Merchandise Group: “For festivals around the globe our OppoSuits Hawaiian shirts are the perfect party attire. They’re easy to wear and provide sufficient ventilation during summer parties. With festivals it’s hard to tell whether there’s a certain trend, therefore we focus on evergreen licences that will put a smile on people’s faces. “We offer a variety of iconic characters like Super Mario, Donkey Kong and Bowser. But besides these Nintendo styles we also have One Piece, Dragonball Z, Monopoly, The Smurfs, Scooby Doo and many more.” Aneesa Beasley, vp commercial trading EMEA, agrees: “Comedy and nostalgia are great for group dressing and capitalising on current trends and content moments, such as Super Mario Movie 2 and Moana Live Action, which are supported by Disguise’s costume ranges from the classic gaming and animated brand franchises. “A major moment for the summer, will be the theatrical release of Toy Story 5 - watch out for an exciting new range of adult licensed costumes & accessories hitting the UK this summer. “Disguise’s extensive line of bestselling, licensed inflatable costumes are always a hit for consumers looking to stand out from the crowd.” Trends can be tricky to predict, as Mark explains: “It is quite difficult to suggest trends as it is very much down to three (it could be four if you include weather) W’s - what, where and who. When Beyonce toured in 2025 it was cowboy hats, the last Harry Styles tour was feather boas. “Yes, there is a notion that consumers will cut back, albeit the discretionary spend is growing with the ‘experiential spend’. There was a cost-of-living crisis in 2025, yet Glastonbury sold out in 90 minutes from opening the online ticket sale. That equated to over £85 million on ticket sales alone in one and a half hours. Unfortunately, 2026 is a rest year, yet there are still nearly 300 other music festivals (UK) and that does not include major artist tour dates. Mark concludes: “Boland, like other major suppliers, is very focused on the development of product ranges designed for the festival market. It is the immediate future of the dress up market.” Below: Group costumes, such as the Kellogg’s collection from Smiffys, are ideal for high impact festival attire.
SPRING 2026 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE
36-38_Festivals.indd 2
37
16/04/2026 15:41