Pac-a-macs are set to be the festival hit of the season

Along with long but joyful drives along the A303, sawdust-strewn toilets and the opportunity to laugh at a misplaced politician in a mud bath, this year’s Glastonbury is noticeable by its absence.

Taking a break to give the land of Worthy Farm — and the hugely tolerant cows who inhabit it — the chance to regroup, the festival that is summer’s linchpin has hit the pause button. Londoners, lost without their annual pilgrimage to Pilton, are bereft. But they say every cloud has a silver lining and this year that comes by means of All Points East, the new inner city festival that’s got it’s heart set on sweeping up the Glastonians this summer.

Spanning two weekends, the festival which gets under way on Friday with a bill that includes LCD Soundsystem, Bjork and The National will see leafy Victoria Park emerge as a fine substitute for Pilton. Albeit without the late-night revelry — festival goers will have to take their fun to the pub for that — and the authentic country air. Oh, and the spiritual ley lines — although if you hit the park in the right spot you might just be able to feel the rumble of the Central line.

All Points East is joined by Field Day, which moves its event from Tower Hamlets to Brockwell Park, and Love Box, which decamps to Gunnersbury.

While the city festival, a lite version of the five-day body obliteration that is Glastonbury, may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it has captivated the minds of Londoners who are undoubtedly drawn to its ease.

Certainly, a few days at All Points East or an afternoon at Field Day demands a lot less in the way of preparation. And it’s from here that the summer’s most unlikely style staple emerges. It’s the year of the packable jacket.

Following years of waiting in the wings while the wellington boot enjoyed its meteoric rise from practical countryfile solution, the “jack in the pack”/“cag in a bag” finally gets its time in the rain.

Not surprisingly it’s Hunter, festival staple and brand behind the boot, that is bestowing the packable jacket with plenty of airtime this summer. Among its latest festival-ready offering is a collection of packable anoraks and rucksacks and tote bags that are selling like hotcakes. Capitalising on a trend for sensible anoraks that has been growing among urban dwellers for seasons now, the new packables feature vibrant motifs — Hunter has a logo-heavy version — as well as a host of seasonal shades that are anything but dull.

Luxury streetwear brand Stone Island is also a fan of the style with packable jackets in pastel shades at the heart of its high-summer offering.

At ASOS, where festival fashion is big money, the packable jacket is a force to be reckoned with. The site stocks jackets by K-Way as well as its own versions in a host of colourways.

While the success of the packable is undoubtedly linked to the number of festival goers seeking straightforward solutions this summer, it also fits in nicely with a bigger trend for hands free accessories, notably because it doubles as a bum bag.

Since Miuccia Prada’s last summer menswear showcase, bum bags for boys have been making waves. No longer betrothed to American tourists, a belt bag is the toast of global fashion with everyone from Balenciaga to Valentino trying its hand at the style. It’s this that makes the packable a no-brainer buy: in essence, the packable jacket is two trends for the price of one with and it comes with the added bonus of keeping you dry.

Pray for rain