Glastonbury - what's it really like?

[halfbakedkate]

After watching Elton John last night, DH and I had the annual conversation about whether we would want to go Glastonbury.
I love the idea of it but the thought of it being too suffocating and overcrowded, potentially a mud bath and a nightmare to get home from puts me off...not to mention the toilets. But last night there were so many people who looked like they were having the time of their lives, is it worth it?

I wondered if you have actually been, what's it really like being there?

I always really enjoy car fest in August (so I can walk home 😁), really can’t fancy Glastonbury though, way too big for me.

Dreadful. Expensive. Miles to walk from where we were to anything. Overcrowded, couldn’t get near stages. The sound system was crap on most stages! Toilets well 😱 and felt filthy the whole time. Then there’s to horrendous queues to leave ! Total rip off

The alternative is to go to any of the other festivals, there are large well known ones, lesser known mid sized ones and many many smaller ones

One I’ll be at this year is Wickham festival in Hampshire.
You won’t be seeing Elton John, but last year Martha Wainwright was my must see, Kiefer Sutherland and his band were there in 2019 and we had his greatest stalker among us.
I met his band wandering around after hours - but without kiefer.
The Proclaimers seem to be a regular, with Midge Ure, the Saw Doctors, Afro Celt, Toyah & Fripp, Eliza Carthy and more

I’ll highly recommend the Trouble Notes, and a visit to the Magic Teapot (which will have been at Glastonbury) the teapot is a round wooden building serving tea with a sing along, and ideally we will be pitched up close by to them.
(And if they get away with it past security this year, the silent disco ‘secret’ after party when all the campers have been herded out is the place to be) ….. it’s clearly not much of a secret if you’ve over observed a silent disco

https://www.wickhamfestival.co.uk/

I go there with traders and camp behind our stall
The festival ground is family friendly, with two main stages and camping close enough to walk back

Kiefers stalker was able to leave her son free to wander all day, using free activities on the bouncy castle, magic stage etc. He had our stall as a base

Been when I was much younger. We scaled the fence. Because that's what everyone used to do.
It was HUGE. Like a city. Had a brilliant time. Loved it.
Older now & take my kids to smaller festivals.

Wow that's amazing! 🙌😊

I see it in tv and think they're all mad to go 🤣 Cannot thinking anything worse! Always get ridiculously irritated by the women in bikini tops sat on men's shoulders. The people behind must be thrilled with not being able to see a thing and the men must have severe back ache by the end of it.

I'm clearly not the target market 🤣

I would hate it now. Been to lots of festivals and the worst part is waking up at 6am as the tent is so flipping hot, I'd hate that now. Especially when you're hungover and just want to sleep!

You either love it or hate it. We've been going for almost 20 years but missed out on tickets this year. It's tiring but fun. Toilets are great but not so bad! Food is fab. There's so much more to do than the music.

I’d love to go - I think. Feel like I’ve missed out on something. I love all kinds of music but have never been to a festival, big or small. I watched it as usual on tv and was very envious of the crowd watching Elton and Cat.
What do you do if you’re at the front in the middle, waited ages cos you got your place early and you need a wee? I honestly think that’s all that’s stopping me going to festivals.
I did see some older couples there this year which made me think maybe next year….
Do some people just go for part of the festival?
My children and grandchildren think I’d hate it!

Galstonbury is kind of the Ur festival of UK music fesitvals but there are plenty others that are fun and interesting. I would recommend Green Man festival if you like the alternative vibe of Glastonbury but find it too big. The only issue is it is in Wales so rain can be inevitable - but the site is absolutely stunning.

In the last few years we have gone to Worldwide Festival in the South of France that is focussed on jazz and dance music. It is cut back a bit now but pre covid it was over 8 days - there were gigs on beaches, in musuems, in dry docks and in an open air theatre right on the sea. You can camp by the seaside or rent an apartment in town. It is much more about the music - no extras but absolutley amazing fun.

Only been once and loved it. I'd go as far as saying one of the best weekends of my life - desperately tried for tickets since but no luck.

We were lucky, sun shone all weekend and I'm aware it would be a very different experience if it was wet.. Didn't find the toilets that grim even towards the end. Fabulous place for kids , mine were 11 and 8 at the time so entry and all activities for them were free. The kids field was incredible and they loved every minute, got to try so many new things - they even got to do a music concert on the last night so can officially say they played on one of the stages at Glastonbury!

You can take your own beer and food in which is a huge bonus compared to every other UK festival as you actually camp on the site, not behind entrance gates, we camped in a family field and it was great, no issues at all.
Never felt unsafe or vulnerable, even when trudging back to tent very late at night with the kids.
I think everyone (who likes festivals, live music or camping) should try it once. Nothing else will come close for me

Luck - pure luck! It ran out this year after many years.

I have been to Green man, Latitude, Bestival, Camp Bestival, Black Deer, Download and many, many more.
While enjoyable in their own way, NOT ONE of them has even come close to the experience, quality of music, atmosphere, and sheer bloody joy of Glastonbury.

I went one year. It was hot and there's zero shade so you had the choice to burn in the sun or boil alive in a tent.

And when you got a bit of breeze, you were overwhelmed by the stench of the toilets.

We camped a long way from the stages deliberately, hoping it may be quieter at night but you had people in the same field partying to their own sound systems all night.

As they have a captive audience, the food and drink vendors were charging ridiculous amounts.

Sitting or lying on hard ground for several days wasn't easy. I've never felt more grateful than when we got in the car to go home and got to sit on a soft surface lol.

I had an idea of the size of it but it really is massive so lots of walking is involved.

I loved people watching and seeing the enormous efforts some people made with their outfits and decorating their tents. Most people were in great moods and friendly but there's a fair few alcohol and drug casualties to avoid. At the time I went, I was quite a heavy drinker but didn't drink much alcohol at all there as I didn’t want to increase my toilet visits!.

We didn't want to be in crushes at the front of stages so were far, far away from the stages and so all the bands were just specks on a stage. There are plenty of screens though so you can see what's happening on the stage.

I'm glad I had the experience but wasn't tempted to go again.

I've been twice and once you get through the stress of finding camp spot and delivering all your stuff to it it's loads of fun. I've been once when hot and once when horrendously muddy and both were good.

Thanks everyone, it's so interesting to read the many individual and personal experiences.