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Over 25 of the best festival hairstyles (that you'll want to recreate immediately)
No matter your hair type or length
Festival season is finally here and of course, we've been busy planning our festival makeup looks (spoiler alert: we're going bold this year). Now we've got the beat down, it's time to plait, braid, twist, gem and crimp our hair – because go big or go home, right? So, if you're heading to a campsite this summer or are even planning to wander the London fields for a day festi, we have compiled our edit of the best hair inspirations for the 2024 szn of fun – whether you're on day one or day 3 of not washing...
If you've been blessed with a head of tight springy curls, take inspiration from Vanessa Hudgens whose curly shag is the ~ultimate~ '70s look for those of you day attendees. Or if it's braids you're looking for – to sustain a weekend of grooving, ofc – we've got rope and knotless. You might even be tempted to weave some bright colours into them when you see Euphoria's Storm Reid's turquoise ones!
We haven't left our short-haired girlies out, either. Whether you want to commit to the cause and opt for a bright pink hair dye, or add some stunning pearl gems to your hairline, there's an option for everyone. Speaking of gems, we recommend making use of the viral TikTok viral hair blinger – yep, you read that right. Essentially, it's a children's toy which shoots multicoloured sparkles into your strands. Fun, huh?!
What makes for the ultimate festival hairstyle, however, are hair accessories. Whether that's a fluffy bucket hat for the last day when you're in desperate need of a shower (and your own bed) or butterfly hair clips and multicoloured slides, accessories are the perfect excuse to live your Y2K fantasy (and hide your grease).
So, bookmark this page and screenshot the following images for the ultimate festival hair trends of 2024...
The ultimate combo
Combine the best of intergalactic space buns with the baby braids trend to make for the ultimate trending look.
Don't sleep on the stars
Butterfly clips have been having their moment but ATM we're all for star clips. Amazon's 12-pack need not break the bank, either!
Pins for days
More is more on the accessory front and in collaboration with the natural grease you're rocking, why not slick your strands into place with an abundance of silver bobby pins. Chic, IMO.
Half-up side part
The side part is well and truly back and to incorporate the look for festival szn, opt for a half-up 'do with the ends of your pony spiked up. Take it from me, who sported this look at a recent rave... Oonz oonz.
A moment for hair jewellery
Nose rings? No, hair rings! Whoever said jewellery for strictly for the face and body was lying.
Subtle strands
To add a subtle pop of colour to your locks, why not plait some thread or ribbon into your braids?
Milkmaid core
Make milkmaid hair chic again with this duo of looped plaits – topped with satin ribbon bows, no less. *Chef's kiss*
Scrunchies FTW
Oversized scrunchies are one of 2024's biggest fashion/beauty trends. So, bring them to life with a little bit of sparkle and/or layer them for maximum glam.
'70s shag
Vanessa Hudgens is the ultimate festival style icon and her curly shag is perhaps her coolest hairstyle to date.
Baby braids
Be your own Bratz doll and recreate Hailey Bieber's baby braids. Just be sure to pack multiple of those tiny clear elastics.
Baby Braid Tendrils
Combine the 90s tendril trend with the baby braid trend for Olivia Palermo's cute face framing look.
Twisted top knot
We love the texture of rope braids and this top knot style will only get better the more your hair frays.
Deep purple
Don't want to dye your hair? Make like Lizzo and invest in a good lace front coloured wig this festival season. Bonus points if its ombre.
Turquoise flash
Trust Euphoria's Storm Reid to bring the festival hair inspiration. These protective braids are both practical and cool with their matching turquoise wefts and beads.
Pearly queen
Your obsession with Euphoria face gems doesn't have to stop at the eyes. Add some pearl rhinestones to your hairline for a hairstyle that's a work of art.
Gem stone luxe
Turn your hair into Britney's 'Toxic' catsuit with the viral Blinger hair tool. Sold out everywhere? You can create the same look just by sticking in the rhinestones yourself.
Mix & match charms
Who said charms were just for your crocs? We're obsessed with the piercings on these knotless braids and they are completely customisable.
Colourful clips
If your hair skills are still at beginner stage, make like Olivia Rodrigo and elevate your pigtails with some mismatched slides.
Butterfly fly away
We don't care that we're not in year 8 anymore, the revival of butterfly clips remains the best thing that's ever happened to us.
Laura is a former writer for Cosmopolitan UK, covering everything beauty and fashion related and specialises in makeup, plus-size fashion and the world of YouTube. Her favourite pastime is reminding everyone of that one time she met Charlie Hunnam and Jason Momoa. Please don't ask to see the pictures...
Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
Elena Chabo is Cosmopolitan UK's former beauty writer, working on everything from buzzy celeb news and trending beauty, to sincere first-person reviews and engaging video content for social media. She also creates meatier features and expert-led how-to guides, for print and online. Her passion for Black beauty, textured hair, and the ways beauty interacts with culture, society, identity and relationships, quickly took over her writing career and led her into beauty journalism. Following an MA in Magazine Journalism in 2017, she cut her teeth across various roles at Stylist Magazine, before taking on a Digital Writer role at Good Housekeeping. It was here that beauty took centre stage and she launched and ran the site's first stand-alone beauty section. Remaining at Hearst, she joined the Cosmo beauty team in 2022. Find her on LinkedIn.
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