The line to bag check moves like a slow, glittering parade, one step and one laugh at a time.
Up ahead, a security volunteer unzips a mini backpack, peeks inside and waves its owner through with a grin. The sun hangs low and gold over the main stage, the bass is already rolling through the fence, and somebody behind you is laughing about the three phone chargers they packed. Everyone here has answered the same quiet question: what bag to bring to a rave, and what goes inside it.
The right bag rides close, opens fast at the gate, holds the layer you'll want at 2 a.m. and carries art people recognize from across the field.
We're Magus and Lylyth Fawn, Los Angeles visionary artists, and our rave backpacks and chest bags carry the same art as our cloaks and hoodies. Here's how to choose, size, carry and pack one.
What bag should you bring to a rave?
Bring the smallest bag that carries your whole night. For a club night or indoor rave, a chest bag holds your phone, ID, card, earplugs and lip balm. For a long festival day with sunscreen, water and a layer for after dark, a compact backpack does the job. Whichever you choose, it should zip fully and sit close.
| The night ahead | Best bag | What it carries |
|---|---|---|
| Club night or indoor rave | Chest bag | Phone, ID, card, earplugs, lip balm |
| One-day festival | Mini backpack or chest bag | Sunscreen, a light layer, a refillable bottle |
| Camping festival, day to night | Backpack, M or L | A warm layer, snacks, a power bank |
| Travel day and camp setup | Backpack, XL | Laptop, chargers, a hoodie, the paperwork |
Each event's bag policy has the final word (more on that below). For club and arena nights, our guide to what to wear to an indoor rave covers coat check.
What size festival backpack should you get?
Magus Fawn festival backpacks come in three sizes, M, L and XL, priced at $55, $60 and $65. Choose M for a light dance-floor day bag, L when a hoodie and a bottle ride along, and XL for travel days and camp setup. For exact dimensions before you order, email art@magusfawn.com and we'll send them.
All three sizes share one build, per the listing: a spacious interior with organized compartments, a dedicated laptop sleeve and durable, wear-resistant 100% poly fabric. Body and straps are black, so the printed front panel does the talking. Rule of thumb: lay out your festival-day kit first, then pick the size that holds it with room to spare for the night layer.
The Solar Eclipse festival backpack ($55 in M, $60 in L, $65 in XL) sets a glowing silver orb ringed in blue and orange between gold eclipse circles, with a fan of teal, gold and red line work beneath it on a dark slate panel (read the story behind the design: Two Minutes of Totality).
For maximum shimmer, the Mystic Eye Gold psychedelic festival backpack ($55 in M, $60 in L, $65 in XL) frames a single crowning eye in gold filigree, with three glowing blue Flower of Life orbs stacked over a starfield. The product shot shows black mesh side pockets, a natural home for a water bottle.
Is a chest bag or a backpack better for a festival?
A chest bag is better for dancing, and a backpack is better for carrying. The chest bag rides in front, where your hand finds it without looking, and it stays out of the way of the dancer behind you. A backpack carries the layer, water and sunscreen a long day asks for. Plenty of festival lifers bring both.
| Chest bag | Mini backpack | Full backpack | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rides | Across the front of the torso | High on the back | On the back, swings to the front in crowds |
| Holds | Phone, ID, card, earplugs | Add sunscreen and a light layer | Add a hoodie, water and a power bank |
| Best for | Peak-time sets and packed floors | Day parties, pool days, one-day festivals | Long festival days and travel |
The Jeweled Dribbler chest bag ($50) floats an impish magenta creature with a curling tail and a little golden orb on an aqua-and-violet bubble field. It's a hand-sewn, dye-sublimated single-strap bag that sits flat on the chest, keeping phone and wristband one hand-slide away.
Between the two sits the mini backpack. The Psy Swirl Pink festival mini backpack ($70) is printed all over in hot pink and magenta with lavender, peach and cream swirls, with a zippered front pocket and a top handle. It's one size, about 27 cm (10.5 in) wide and 13 cm (5 in) deep, and dye-sublimated, per the listing.
Why do some festivals require clear bags?
Clear bags speed up security. Staff can see what's inside without unzipping every pocket, so the line moves faster for everyone. The idea went mainstream when the NFL introduced its stadium bag policy in 2013, and some arenas, venues and festivals use versions of it today. Policies change by event and by year.
Announcing it, NFL chief security officer Jeffrey Miller said the policy would "make the job of checking items much more efficient and effective" (New England Patriots). Its clear bags could measure up to 12" x 6" x 12". Festivals write their own rules, so the event's FAQ is the final word.
How to read a festival bag policy in two minutes:
- Find the current year's FAQ on the official site.
- Note the format and size: clear bags only or any bag, the size limit and any compartment limit.
- Check hydration packs and bottles. Many events list these separately; our EDC Las Vegas outfit guide covers that festival's rule.
- Check re-entry and lockers, which decide whether the backpack comes to the stage.
When the rules welcome a standard backpack, make it one worth the trip through the gate. The Alien Cyber Punk Mech festival backpack ($55 in M, $60 in L, $65 in XL) crowns a pale alien mask with a white geometric emblem above swirling cyan, teal and violet forms, a glowing medallion and flashes of crimson: made for bass stages and techno tents.
How do you carry a bag securely in a festival crowd?
Wear it where you can feel it. Swing a backpack to your front in dense crowds, keep every zipper closed and turned toward your body, and store your phone and cards in the innermost compartment. A chest bag already sits under your hand by design. For one more layer of security, clip the zipper pulls together with a small carabiner.
The secure-carry habits veterans swear by:
- Front-carry in the pit. As the crowd tightens near the stage, wear the backpack on your chest.
- Split your essentials. A card and some cash in one pocket, a backup in another.
- Same pocket, every time. Phone left, wristband right, earplugs in the front zip, so you find everything by feel in the dark.
- Put a name inside. An email address on a tag in the main compartment gives lost and found teams a head start, as our story Twelve Cloaks Before Sunrise celebrates.
- Passport in the deepest pocket when you fly to a festival abroad (The Lady of the Waves shows why).
A bag that's easy to spot is easy to keep track of. The Dreamweaver psychedelic festival backpack ($55 in M, $60 in L, $65 in XL) mirrors icy blue, periwinkle and lavender filigree up into temple spires around a central face, so your crew can find you from across the field.
What should you pack in a rave backpack?
Pack for the whole arc of the day: ID, ticket or wristband, phone, a card and some cash, earplugs, sunscreen, a refillable bottle if the event allows it, a compact power bank, lip balm and one warm layer for after dark. Keep the essentials in the same pocket every time, and leave room for the layer.
The gate pocket: ID, wristband or ticket, phone, card, cash.
The day pocket: sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm, a bottle, and a hat clipped to a strap (our festival hats guide compares bucket hats and snapbacks). The American Academy of Dermatology recommends SPF 30 or higher, reapplied every two hours outdoors and after swimming or sweating.
The night pocket: earplugs, a power bank, a warm layer. The NIDCD lists concerts at 94–110 decibels and says long or repeated exposure at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss, so earplugs earn their spot.
Camping? Our cold-weather festival packing list covers the tent side, and our first rave guide covers pacing and etiquette.
For desert days, the Angel Catcher Light Grey festival backpack ($55 in M, $60 in L, $65 in XL) is a study in silver and grey: a Flower of Life hexagon, feathered wings spreading to either side and star medallions in the corners, a pale palette at home in the dust.
Two layers fold into a backpack and change the whole day:
For sun: the Amethyst Unicorn chiffon kimono ($75) flows to the ankle in deep purple, violet and lavender nebula swirls, with a matching waist belt. It's 80 g/m² chiffon, 100% poly, with cuffed sleeves, regular fit in S–5XL: the lightest fabric in this guide, shade for bare shoulders by day.
For after dark: the Liquified Abyss crushed velvet crop hoodie ($75) marbles violet, teal, magenta and gold like ink poured into water. It's a women's long-sleeve hooded crop in 240 g/m² crushed velvet, 95% poly and 5% spandex, with a drawstring, in sizes S–2XL: the layer that waits in your bag until the 2 a.m. breeze arrives.
Ordering and gifting
Made to order. Production takes 7–11 business days, then delivery takes 6–14 business days. All sales are final, so if you're between backpack sizes, email art@magusfawn.com and we'll help you choose.
Free US shipping at $70+. A mini backpack reaches it on its own, and a backpack plus a chest bag clears it easily.
Gifting one? To arrive by Thursday, December 24, 2026 on the longest production and delivery times, order by Tuesday, November 17; mid-range timing stretches that to Wednesday, November 25.
The gates will open again, the bass will roll over the fence, and the bag on your back will be the first piece of art the festival sees. Pack it light, carry it close and dance till the sun comes up.
Shop the bags: backpacks · chest bags · kimonos · crushed velvet
Frequently asked questions
How do you clean a festival backpack?
Brush off dust and dried mud with a soft-bristled brush or a clean cloth, then wipe any stains with warm water and a neutral detergent. Skip bleach-containing detergents, and let the bag dry out of direct sunlight. That's the care guidance on Magus Fawn backpack and chest bag listings, and it keeps the art looking bright.
Do Magus Fawn backpacks have a laptop sleeve?
Yes. The Magus Fawn festival backpacks sold in M, L and XL list a dedicated laptop sleeve, a spacious interior and organized compartments, in durable, wear-resistant 100% poly fabric. That makes them travel-day bags as well as festival bags. The one-size mini backpacks list a large front pocket and a spacious interior instead.
What's the difference between a chest bag, a sling bag and a fanny pack?
A fanny pack is a small zip pouch on a belt, worn at the waist or slung across the body. A sling bag has a single strap and rides diagonally across the back or chest. A chest bag is a slim sling shaped to sit flat on the front of the torso, easy to reach on a crowded dance floor.
Written by Magus & Lylyth Fawn, the Los Angeles artists behind Magus Fawn. Magus makes VR and digital visionary art and produces Psy EDM. Lylyth makes fractal digital art and runs design and customer care. We've been selling wearable art since 2020 on Etsy (4.7★ from 144 reviews as of October 2026) and here at magusfawn.com. Come say hi on Instagram @magusfawn.
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