Top tips for looking after your eyes, and eye wear this festival season
Festival season can be brilliant for the soul… but surprisingly hard work for your eyes.
A mix of experience (ahem) and being somewhat knowledgeable about all things EYES, long days outdoors, dust, dehydration, bright sunlight and tiredness can all leave festival-goers with sore, dry and exhausted eyes by the end of the weekend.
And honestly, it makes sense.
Your eyes spend all day adjusting to changing light conditions, glare, giant LED screens, stage lighting and constantly shifting focus between crowds and long-distance views.
Add camping, lack of sleep and questionable hydration choices into the mix and your vision can start feeling the effects surprisingly quickly.
“People often don’t realise how physically demanding festivals can be for your eyes,” says Jez Levy from EYES on St Albans. “Dryness, irritation and tired eyes are really common after long outdoor events.” (and he might know…)
One of the biggest culprits is dust, especially at dry summer festivals. Tiny particles in the air can irritate eyes and make contact lenses uncomfortable to wear for extended periods.
Dehydration also plays a major role. When your body dries out, your eyes can too – leading to blurry vision, discomfort and that gritty feeling many people notice after long weekends outdoors.
That’s why good sunglasses matter far beyond fashion.
Quality lenses help reduce glare, improve visual comfort and protect against UV exposure during long days in bright sunlight. Many festival-goers are also now choosing colour-changing and tinted lenses that adapt throughout the day, including the colourful ShadeShift lens collections available at EYES on St Albans.
The team also recommends:
- carrying lubricating eye drops
- taking breaks from bright screens and stage lights
- storing glasses properly
- avoiding sleeping in contact lenses
- and drinking far more water than you think you need
Of course, festival season is also the perfect excuse to embrace bold eyewear styling too.
Because if there’s ever a time for fabulous glasses, mirrored lenses and a little bit of rock’n’roll confidence, it’s standing in a field singing along to your favourite band.
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