To be pretty shocked by Glastonbury 'security'?

[MatildaTheCat]

Just had a series of excited whatsapp messages from ds. He's at Glasto for the weekend. Ok, how come? He didn't get tickets this year. Oh,mhe says, really great luck. Hmm, I think and joke 'over the fence?' thinking he's got a work freebie or some such.

No. Apparently if you just rock up 'people' can get you in for £120. But he didn't even need to do that. He literally walked in past all the officials without a ticket. I do not condone this even a tiny bit but it's clearly pretty certain to get in somehow if people will travel from London on the off chance.

So that's exactly how secure it is there. That's made me feel more than a little afraid for the whole event. So was all that checking on Wednesday whilst people got heatstroke in the queues just window dressing?

I went last year and no way could you just walk in. Security has been really tight for a good few years now, I imagine it's even tighter this year.

Either @MatildaTheCat is lying, or her son is lying

I know matildaThecat, she doesn't know my name changes and I doubt she could work out who I am (possibly she could with a bit of effort).

She is without doubt a very genuine, decent person who really has nothing to gain by doing a bit of trolling about her son getting in free.

Some of the "staff" wrist bands don't need a pass out (the ticket stub everyone keeps talking about), so it's very easy for those people to smuggle someone in. I've witnessed it myself.

I got smuggled in one year by a staff person. I did actually have an AAA wristband but had to get in to meet the person. That was many years ago when security was not as tight.

I've worked the festival, and I've been many, many times. I have a lot of friends there this year reporting tightened security at arrivals at all times. Security tightens every year. There's not a chance in hell that this happened as OP/her son claim. Not a chance.

Maybe he paid staff to get him in. Maybe a friendly local smuggled him in, maybe he lucked out on the fence jumping. But no way sdid he just stroll past security.

I used to work for an organisation who run an event there. They purchased about 10 tickets and smuggled in another 10 in the back of the contracts vehicles and then split the wristbands in half.

This is about 3 years ago.

I reckon he thinks he's in but he's actually in the campervan field and has yet to reach the security gates

Even if he's managed it, security still check for wrist bands while you're wandering around so tell him he needs long sleeves on at all times and running shoes as they'll chuck him out.

I've been under the fence, over the fence, up a rope ladder, bought wristbands for a fiver, bought tickets in pilton village BUT you cannot waltz in to Glastonbury or do any of the aforementioned sneaky ways anymore. I have been going for 25 years and always buy tickets now.

People do find ways,often through giving security large sums of cash but he won't be able to go back for any of his stuff, he'll have to send someone else to get it him and walk ten miles with it!

Your son is lying plain and simple. He did not just walk past security. It quite simply isn't possible. If it wasn't possible the year I went the beyonce year then it sure as shit isn't possible now.

And as he has obviously cadged his way in there by buying someone's tickets or using someone else wristband I hope the little shit gets caught at 3am and thrown out.

Disgusting.
I've been to other festivals and they were so strict compared to when i was 16 ( and able to easily smuggle alcohol in).
I even had to explain my painkillers!

Meh, Glasto has a long history of fences being broken down, people going under/over, people sneaking in. I always paid for my ticket, but I wouldn't wish spitefulness on those that sneak in.

He is lying. As someone above says...i have been also going for 25 yrs and have gone over the fence in my time. The security is extremely tight now and i was camped in a crew area and had to show my special wrsitband constantly. Crew are checked even more than nornal punters as they go through checks every time they go to their tent or work area.

Not spiteful to expect everyone to pay, unless they are working it or live in the village.

The festival is about peace and love , not stealing!

Pretty spiteful to wish them thrown out at 3am.

Maybe it is shoes but it's also pretty spiteful to sneak your way into a concert that people have paid hundreds to be at. He's not a kid he's a grown man who should know better than to basically steal and then boast and lie about it

Not spiteful at all! Other people pay lots to go to concerts, why should others simply sneak in
If they get chucked out in the early hours, tough luck

I did something similar in 2000 which no doubt contributed to massive overcrowding and the subsequent improved security. That was in my uni days and in the following years when I went (paying) it was like Alcatraz. The thing is, what i didn't consider back then was that me and people like me were jeopardizing the future of the festival because the council threatened to revoke its licence. So in came the great big fence at considerable extra cost, pushing up prices for ordinary people and giving nice Mr Eavis a massive council headache.

Op, if your son did indeed 'jump the fence' please please please tell him what a numpty he is. From one numpty to another.

I used to be in awe of people/friends when they packed up the car for Glastonbury with no tickets every year and they always got in and had fabulous stories of being kicked out and re-entering etc. They were mostly skint muscians in small local bands. I think it adds to Glastonbury sorry. If people are wily enough to get in good luck.

If Glastonbury is the size of Bath as pp said then no one should be able to fence such a large area off from the public. Disclaimer - I am a law abiding citizen and have never knowingly stolen anything in my life.

I knew someone who's working there as a security guy and brags that he can make ££££ getting people in without tickets so yes, it's perfectly likely that others have got in without tickets. He's been working there this year too, so the security definitely isn't as tight as many seem to think.

Is he Ed Sheeran, OP?

I've never been so can't comment on the security procedures. But I am wondering how 'cool' his friends think it is to have to make space in their tent for someone who hasn't paid when they presumably have.

Forgot to mention that a few of those muscians that got in for free have now played at Glastonbury and were quite a successful band at one point!

I doubt they'd care, guitargirl since they probably helped him get in and carried his camping gear in for him. Him not paying for a ticket doesn't affect them directly.
I went with paid for tickets back in the days when jumping the fence was very common. Friends of mine jumped the fence on successive years. We still hung out together when we managed to find each other. Wouldn't have occurred to me to resent them being there.

I can see this happening - a random girl attached herself to us and just walked in and security kind of missed her - on purpose or by accident I don't know. Once in, she said she'd been doing it that way for years. It doesn't stress me out from a security perspective though - I think a terrorist would stick out like a sore thumb as a chancer into the queue and would be more likely to buy a ticket if they really wanted to get in

Nah he clearly sneaked in, maybe paid someone to get him in. He doesn't want to tell his mum how much effort he's gone to sneak in so is pretending he just "walked in" as if he snuck in by accident.