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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask whether Glastonbury is worth it?

83 replies

Postmanbear · 07/01/2020 14:55

Friends asked us to try and get them Glastonbury tickets, I managed to get through and purchased tickets for myself and husband as well as I got a bit over excited at getting through! (Previously registered pre children!)
We’ve got a camper van ticket as well as really not keen on camping. Quotes for a camper van are £1300 so plus the tickets it’s £1800 before drink/food etc.
Thinking of returning the tickets and booking a nice weekend away for less money. Am I being old and boring? Is it really that amazing? Friends not going with us as they know others but I’m sure we will meet up with them if we go. We would be leaving DC with grandparents.
AIBU to return the tickets?

OP posts:
AnneLovesGilbert · 07/01/2020 16:57

Go. It’s the best place on Earth! I’m extremely envious. It’s honestly completely magical. Even on the years it shat it down for days and we trudged through miles of mud, and the years we prayed for rain and got scorched. It’s to be experienced to be believed. You’ll look back on it with happy memories for the rest of your days.

paranoidmum2 · 07/01/2020 16:58

@MrsTerryPratchett

In my 20s when I used to get in for free and hang out backstage, yes.

You just have some stories to tell mrsterry. Did you work there?
You

MrsTerryPratchett · 07/01/2020 17:09

I do have stories. Mainly of getting sunburned and failing to meet up with friends. Oh and the year I genuinely wondered if I was going to drown it rained so much. The backstage toilets were a saving grace every year but particularly that year.

I was a hanger on. A ligger if you will Grin

But yes I met loads of wildly famous people which was fun at the time. I always preferred Reading Festival, myself. More hard than hippy.

Bluewavescrashing · 07/01/2020 17:11

I went in 2002 and didn't see any crime, no piss thrown around. The food was really nice, I didn't take any cooking stuff and spent about £100 on food and drink for 3 days. It was a very friend ly festival. I could walk around on my own (went with a male friend but we did our own thing for part of the weekend). There was lots of walking and our tent was quite close compared to others. Weather was great. Toilets were totally grim.

I think possibly it is less friendly these days, more opportunists but could be wrong.

HowlsMovingBungalow · 07/01/2020 17:13

£1800? Nah fuck that. BBC coverage for last yrs was spot on, no mud, no waiting for minging portaloo's ...

(localish to Pilton)

MinisterforCheekyFuckery · 07/01/2020 17:13

When I went it poured down most of the time and I did have a bit of a sense of humour failure to be honest. Three days of being cold, wet and wading through mud so thick you lose a Wellie every few steps isn't my idea of fun. But all that wouldn't bother some people so it's a matter of preference. I enjoyed the music, the food was amazing and the atmosphere was much friendlier than other festivals I've been to. The toiets aren't nearly as bad as everyone makes out. I discovered some new bands I probably wouldn't have come across otherwise. But on the whole I don't think it was worth the expense and the hassle. I found that the novelty wore off pretty quickly and by the end of day two I was really just trying to make the best of it and looking forward to getting home. I wouldn't go again.

ChilliandLemon · 07/01/2020 17:24

I went one of the years there was no rain or mud. It was so hot we had to go in the cinema and circus tents to get some shade.

MrsMoastyToasty · 07/01/2020 17:35

Back in the day I worked for the local water company and as an employee I could put my name forward to help with cleaning toilets and see the festival for free. I never did...

furrytoebean · 07/01/2020 17:39

Go!!! There's something for everyone and the camper van site is clean and quiet.

My fil started going when he turned 60 and has gone every year since, there's a huge demographic of people who go and it can be as wild or as laid back as you like.

It is expensive but I actually think it's good value for money if you go see the big acts.

furrytoebean · 07/01/2020 17:42

of people that can afford the extortionate ticket prices.

And people who litter pick for their ticket or do a shift on the bar or a stall.

I used to go in my twenties and would work the bar for my ticket; you did 3 6 hour shifts and the rest of the time was paaaaaarty

CalamityJune · 07/01/2020 17:46

I think having got tickets, and the means to not sleep in a tent you'd be crackers not to go.

Even if it's not your thing it'll be a memory you'll always have and something you did as a couple.

You can go on a relaxing holiday any time.

madcatladyforever · 07/01/2020 17:48

I live in Pilton so I get free tickets and I don't go. It's not so great in my opinion and I don't like the music. I have my own tastes.
I could have a fantastic holiday for that much money.

madcatladyforever · 07/01/2020 17:49

£1300 for a camper can ff's, how ridiculous. Get a tent like everyone else, you can get an inflatable double bed and take your duvet like I do when I go camping.

FruityWidow · 07/01/2020 18:07

Its worth it, but not in a campervan. Especially if you don't own one and you'll have to fork out to hire one.

The camper field is miles away from anything and in fact outside of the perimeter fence so you'll need to lug all your stuff around with you all day unless you fancy traipsing back and forth all the time and its huge like it'll take about an hour to walk from one side of the site to the other and thats without distractions.

Do it properly and camp it - just bring enough goodies to get fucked and you won't care about the mud.

ScarlettBlaize · 07/01/2020 18:22

I loved festivals in my teens and early twenties, went every year from age 15 onwards. A haze of drink, drugs, and otherworldly experiences. No way would i spend that sort of money now to be cold, muddy, checking on the kids, surrounded by tossers with daisy chain headbands, etc. Also the bands are really shit this year. It's become more and more mainstream. You could have a proper amazing holiday for that sort of money if you have built-in babysitters.

AmazingGreats · 07/01/2020 18:26

I would get tickets to a smaller festival and have a holiday too and then watch it on the TV but then that is an inconceivable amount of money to blow in one weekend for me

MarshmallowsOnToast · 07/01/2020 18:39

Can you return them?

I thought they were non refundable/transferable.

Whatafustercluck · 07/01/2020 18:46

Definitely return the tickets. That's two more for me and dh to try for in the April resale! Grin

Last time I went was 2010, when I was pregnant with my first, but we've been several times and it's bloody brilliant. We've been unsuccessful ever since when we've tried for tickets. So definitely return them if you're not sure Wink

paranoidmum2 · 07/01/2020 18:48

@MrsTerryPratchett

I had to look up ligger to see if it was a groupie! Grin

I have only ever gatecrashed weddings so I am impressed by your liggerliness!

Wagsandclaws · 07/01/2020 19:44

We moved to the Shepton Mallet area in August and I was tempted to try for the locals tickets when they went on sale.

DH is a Glasto veteran till his 30's then he met me and I've only done one festival ( Camp Bestival ) and I left a day early so he didn't think I could cope with Glastonbury ( the toilets at festivals are grim ).

Maybe I can try next year for just a Sunday ticket, locals can get Sunday tickets I believe.

Original poster
Postmanbear · 07/01/2020 20:00

Thank you for all your responses, I need to have a think. I didn’t realise the campervan sites were so far away so thanks for the heads up.

I’m stuck between it being amazing and it being too hot/cold/wet etc. and wishing we hadn’t bothered. We went to a festival this year during the heat wave and it was so unpleasant camping with no shade which is why we thought of getting a campervan.

OP posts:
Hatetheendof · 07/01/2020 20:11

I'd go, stay in the campervan and hopefully the weather will be kind to you. It's so hard to get tickets now, I've not been for 25 years and just used to look at the weather and climb over the fence if it was sunny! It will be an experience if nothing else and think you would always wonder. Many people will be very envious of you having tickets!

KatieB55 · 07/01/2020 20:49

Went in my 40s in a very muddy year - loved it!

Grinchly · 07/01/2020 20:55

It sounds completely horrific. No idea it was so expensive.

I was so shocked when I saw footage of the fields afterwards- acres covered with abandoned plastic camping gear.

Thought the Glastonbury demographic ( young or old ) was better than that.

overnightangel · 07/01/2020 21:02

“You can't get that impressive a holiday for £1800 tbh”

Bloody hell someone’s been getting shit VFM for their holidays!

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