Festivals aren’t just about the music anymore. For a growing number of Gen Z, food is now a headline act. That shift is real, measurable, and gives brands a powerful opportunity. Brands need to take note to combine people’s love of music and food to tap into the evolving festival culture.

Festivals are getting serious about food

Food used to serve a single purpose: fill a gap between sets. Not anymore. According to Togather’s 2024 report, vegan food sales at major UK festivals rose 28% year-on-year, and Moroccan cuisine soared 300%, making food as culturally relevant as the music line-up.

Meanwhile, spending time at festivals isn’t trivial. The average attendee now spends £60 per day, with nearly 40% of that on bars and catering. That’s real consumer attention, not passive scrolling.

It’s all about creating a well-rounded festival experience – combining the joy of the music with the joy food brings us – then elevating this to something people won’t find elsewhere. It’s a given that the music is going to be a memorable element of the festival, so brands need to consider how to also make the food just as memorable.

Gen Z wants authenticity and treats

Gen Z might be digital natives, but they crave real life. A staggering 90% attend at least one festival a year, and half go to three or more (Teamwass). But they’re selective. Less than 40% say they’re interested in festivals in 2025, down from 46% in 2019. That’s not apathy. It’s high standards.

They care about values too. Roughly 66% actively seek brands aligned with environmental values, 73% say sustainability affects buying decisions, and 70% will pay more for sustainable products.

Plus, they’re looking for experiences they can share. Research shows Gen Z are increasingly prioritising meaningful, real-world activities over nightlife, with 84% saying they would take a holiday without drinking at all. This shift is mirrored in their day-to-day lives, where home-based and culturally engaging experiences are overtaking traditional big nights out (Business Insider).

Why festivals are an unmatched channel for food brands

Say what you like about social media impressions, but nothing beats being there. Festivals offer many opportunities for brands that they wouldn’t typically find elsewhere. Firstly, there is a long dwell time – the foot traffic is high but they’re not in a rush. Audiences are in a discovery mindset – the whole novelty of festivals is experiencing new things, whether this be music or food, people want to seek out something they’ve not seen before.

There is also the opportunity to share photo-ready food that posts itself – the perfect festival aesthetic. And there’s the chance to demonstrate brand values in real time by showing festival-goers exactly what your brand stands for. Linking an activation to a brand’s values is what makes this stand out and creates a lasting impression.

Estimates even suggest up to 35% of revenue comes from food and drink, making catering a major revenue stream.

At Jungle, Twisted’s Hunger Stage put this theory to the test. We treated food as a co-headline: spotlighting standout dishes, interviewing artists about their guilty pleasures, and bringing food into the cultural conversation. What have we learned? If you present food with the same energy you’d treat music, thoughtfully, creatively, and with real personality, people respond. They queue, they share, they remember.

What should brands do?

Being at a festival isn’t enough. Brands that win understand these environments. Brands can show up effectively by:

• Collaborate with local traders. Create limited-edition dishes with real craft behind them.
• Add interactivity. Let people build, taste, explore, not just queue.
• Partner with artists. Turn their food mentions or backstage rituals into menu moments.
• Design multi-sensory spaces. Where flavour, music, and conversation blend naturally.

When it fits the festival culture rather than interrupts it, people notice and don’t mind that your logo is there.

The strategic bottom line

Music draws people in; food makes them stay. For brands, this isn’t about serving snacks. It’s about creating cultural touchpoints. Festivals offer high-intent audiences, emotionally open and primed for discovery.

Gen Z may be sceptical of marketing, but they aren’t bored with live experiences. They’re just pickier. If you meet them with relevance, taste, and integrity, your brand becomes part of their story, not just part of the landscape.