Festival outfits for men: what to wear in sun, rain and a swim
At a festival the weather is the dress code. Ambassadors of Sanwin Beachwear show what works in the sun, on the sand and in front of the speakers, and what Boardmasters lets through the gate in 2027.
In this article
For anyone already in the queue
Festival outfits for men, in one line: wear what survives a shower, a day of sun and a swim. That means a quick-dry swim short with an inner brief, an open shirt against the sun, a light rain jacket and closed shoes for mud. Below: three looks, rain and evening gear, and the Boardmasters 2027 gate rules.
At a festival the weather is the dress code. A festival weekend is a short trip: you leave with what you are wearing and only get back to your tent after midnight. On the way you get everything. In an average July the UK sees 82.4 millimetres of rain, according to the Met Office (1991 to 2020), and July 2024 landed exactly on that average. So what you wear has to dry on its own, and a swim short does. Michelle Plantybelle shows what that looks like on a packed beach on Gran Canaria in the photo at the top: the mint green Tampa Stripes Hint of Mint and nothing else.
Sanwin Beachwear presents
Line-up
What should a man wear to a festival?
A swim short with an inner brief, topped up with what the festival gives you: an open shirt in the sun, nothing more on the sand and a white shirt for the speakers. Three ambassadors of Sanwin Beachwear show the three looks, each in one swim short.
Day stageSun
The sun: an open shirt over the Tampa
A festival field has little shade. An open short-sleeved shirt keeps the sun off your shoulders and lets the breeze through. Iuri Policarpo wears the tailored Tampa underneath, with white sneakers for a dry day on grass and sand. Bars are cashless, so your phone is your wallet: it goes in the zipped back pocket.
Beach stageSand
The sand: the short is your whole outfit
At a beach festival like Boardmasters, above Watergate Bay in Cornwall, you spend the day on the sand beside the sea. There a swim short is no longer swimwear but the outfit. Vitor Castro wears the Miami Apple Red with sunglasses, a thin chain and nothing else. The small inner pocket holds a key, and the cashless bars mean a card or phone is all you carry. If you know the rhythm of Ibiza's beach clubs, you will feel at home.
HeadlinerSpeakers
In front of the speakers: a white shirt and a print
You stand in front of the main stage for hours, shoulder to shoulder. Then you want a short that moves with you and a shirt that lets air through. Ugo Roma wears the salmon pink Venice Cocktail under a long-sleeved white shirt, worn loose over the waistband. The elastic waistband with drawcord sits fine without a belt, and the cocktail glasses in the print say enough about the rest of the evening.
After sunsetRain
What do you wear to a festival in the rain and after dark?
A thin rain jacket, closed shoes that may get dirty and a warm layer for after sunset, with the swim short underneath. Keep the short on, because it dries on you after a shower.
In an average July the UK gets 82.4 millimetres of rain, says the Met Office. Golf umbrellas are not allowed in the Boardmasters arena, so take a jacket that rolls up in your bag. After a shower a grass field turns to mud quickly: keep the white sneakers for the sand and wear closed shoes or boots on the field. When it cools down, pull a sweatshirt or overshirt over your shirt. The Sanwin Tampa, Venice and Miami swim shorts are all made of quick-dry peach polyester, so a short that got wet in the afternoon is soon dry again.
EncoreSea
Encore: can you swim at a beach festival?
Yes, but only between the red and yellow flags, where lifeguards watch the water. The Boardmasters 2027 FAQ says RNLI lifeguards are on duty daily from 10am to 6pm, with extra lifeguards at Watergate Bay and Fistral during the festival, and that you should never swim alone, in the dark or after alcohol. Domenico lies here in the surf in the light pink Venice Ice. The quick-dry peach polyester is soon dry after a dip, so you walk straight back onto the field. More prints at the Venice swim shorts.
- Venice Icelight pink with ice creams, quick-dry, small inner pocket
Domenico, ambassador of Sanwin Beachwear, in the Sanwin Venice Ice, lying in the surf of a sandy beach, June 2019.
Gate checkGate
What can you take to a festival?
At Boardmasters liquid sun cream gets in, aerosols do not, and glass of any kind stays outside. The rest differs between the arena and the campsite, so read the rules the way security reads them. In the arena no bag larger than A4 gets in and golf umbrellas stay outside, so pack a thin rain jacket. Campers aged 18 and over may bring up to 24 cans or 2 bottles of wine per person, on first entry only; day ticket holders may bring no alcohol. The festival is cashless and has lockers on site. When we read the FAQ on 11 November 2026, the 2027 dates were not yet published (Boardmasters).
| At the gate | Arenaday ticket | Campsitecamper |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid sun cream | yes | yes |
| Aerosols and sprays | no | no |
| Glass of any kind | no | no |
| Your own food | no | yes |
| Your own alcohol | no | yes |
| Paying cash at the bar | no | no |
| Locker on site | yes | yes |
All models and colours are at the men's swim shorts. The tailored Tampa swim shorts are sold by waist size in inches. For a shorter leg on a hot day, discover the short swim shorts for men.
After the showQuestions
Questions about a festival outfit with a swim short
Where do you keep your phone and card at a festival?
In a pocket that closes, or in a locker. Boardmasters is a cashless event with lockers on site, so cash is no use there and a card or phone is. The Sanwin Tampa swim short has a zipped back pocket for your phone, and the Sanwin Venice swim short has a small inner pocket for a key or loose change.
Can you wear a swim short as shorts all festival day?
Yes. The Sanwin Tampa swim short has a zip fly, buckles with the Sanwin logo and an inner brief of fine mesh, and is 37 centimetres long along the side seam in size 32. The Sanwin Venice and Miami swim shorts have an elastic waistband with drawcord and measure 40 centimetres in size M. The Tampa is sold by waist size in inches, the Venice and Miami in S to XXL; they run small, so if in doubt take the bigger size. Try it on at home, dry and with the labels attached, and you can still choose another size within 100 days.
How do you wash a swim short after a festival?
Rinse it after every swim and after the weekend, so the sand and salt are out. Then wash it at 30 degrees on the hand wash programme and keep it out of the dryer.
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