To think that music festivals are bloody hard work and physically very tough?

[malificent7]

Just got back from Glastonbury and feel as rough as hell. I have been many times but this year at the age of 45 I might have to admitt defeat as much as I love them.

The media portrays this picture of unadulterated fun and freedom. The reality=
Lug your tent , clothes, food and booze for 30 mins( minimum,) from car to camping pitch.
Q q q for loos,food, drink etc.
Exposed to elements such as blazing sun with little shade.
Walk 25 miles a day.
Catch the lurgy as in close proximity to 1000000s .
Good job i love music but my body can't cope. I hate drugs and drank very little booze ..i'm more into Green smoothies but still feel awful today.

My idea of hell

Much more fun to go for just one day then sleep in a proper bed with real toilets etc.

Both adult ds’s also love festivals.

ds1 is about to go to Dominator near Rotterdam.

Seen some amazing acts at festivals: David Bowie, Chemical Brothers, Dizzee Rascal etc. but now only go to seated gigs. I know my limits 😊

I would bring back the death penalty for people who sit on shoulders at gigs/festival (minor exaggeration but not by much). It's so selfish. A whole swathe of people behind immediately have their view blocked.
They usually have something thrown at them eventually and get down.

I first went years ago befere they clamped down the security when you could sneak in for free and it was amazing. Gonna get flamed for this comment but I recently went again and it felt like a completey different place. Very middle class like someone had cast a net in waitrose and John Lewis and dumped them In a field and given them a load of cocaine. Lots of "such fun" comments maybe im just a fucking miserable old bint now.

I hate festivals.

I used to be able to sit in a field with my friends getting drunk for hours on end with absolutely no entertainment.

I definitely like my home comforts now.

Camping out in a grotty field which is either too hot or pouring with rain, not being clean, too many people, can’t dance properly, overpriced drinks, vile toilets with long queues etc is my idea of hell.

Give me a warm club with clean toilets and a proper dance floor any day.

I got back from Glastonbury last night, I’m 39 and I had the best time ever. I loved it. But I am absolutely dying today. I am
getting a bit old for sleeping on an air mattress for 4 night and walking an average of 10 miles a day and not showering. I don’t want to stop though, I still love it.

So don't go, then and let someone else have the ticket. Put up or shut up...

I loathe festivals, big or little. Rock festivals, pop festivals, folk festivals, book festivals, food festivals, arts festivals. I think I may be too intense for festivals. Or not drink enough.

I was going to post that I have done fifty years without attending a festival and hope to do another fifty the same way.

But that covid super spreader comment has irritated me so I might just go bag myself a ticket this year.

My son went to his first festival last year and he pretty much hated it. Not the music but all the crap (sometimes literally) you have to deal with. The food, the queues, the toilets, the blazing sun etc. He was very unwell when he came back, probably picked up a nasty bug (he doesn’t do drugs and not much of a drinker).

The only way I enjoy them is backstage and even then some are way better than others- Glasto isn't that great for that either

I’m not sure age has a huge relevance on what you’re able to tolerate, I think you either don’t mind the things you’ve outlined or you do. A few of my friends went this year. All absolutely broken after a week of booze and drugs - appreciate not eveyone does this. I just don’t like the idea of queues, no shower or limited toilet access, heatstroke ect. Have been to a couple of London day festivals what that was enough to feel like I’ve experienced a festival.

Hasn’t stopped me enjoying live music though, just go to lots of gigs and know my local spots for live music. Wouldn’t say I’m any less of a music lover for not doing glasto. I saw Arctic Monkeys in London the other week and they were absolutely phenomenal and the atmosphere was brilliant but I got the impression they disappointed at Glastonbury which is a shame. Also find it a bit strange to buy tickets when you don’t know the line up, or have I got that wrong?

Can't think of anything worse for a menopausal woman. These days I can't sleep even when in a bed, I can't tolerate extremes of temperature, I get anxious or extremely pissed off at the smallest thing and my period can come at any time (I can't begin to imagine how you cope with period flooding or even just keeping clean at Glastonbury). As for dealing with a hangover and headache from hell............just no.

Would never go to Glastonbury because it just seems too big to see any music. There are loads of smaller festivals like Green Man or End of the Road where you can see loads of bands on multiple stages but you can also walk from one end of the site to the other in 15-20 minutes, stay in a B&B and fuck off to the pub when it all gets a bit much.

I'm tempted to try Glastonbury for the first time next year for my big birthday. I love the idea of it-all the colourful, varied attractions in addition to the varied music looks great but in reality I'd probably hate it. The heat, mud, crowds, standing for hours, queues, walking miles, camping, toilets-it's a young persons game!!! They should brung in some shuttle buses for us oldies. Even glamping doesn't sound that comfortable-I need air con!!

I still love going and I'm 56! I am very fit which helps. Oh and (did I mention) I take a campervan 😆though this does involve regular walks up and down the hill of death up to the East campervan site! It makes a huge difference to have a bed to sleep on and a shower etc esp if a hot or muddy year.

Why not volunteer? My 70 year old friend just has! She’s had a wonderful time

@BorgQueen 🙈😂Because they enjoy the music and get involved in it! How can you not sing along sometimes to something you love

They are hard work and I have discovered they only work for me when they are a specific genre. I loved Bloodstock and Reading before it became a teens festival. Worse was that Big Feastival thing which sounded like a festival ; music, friends, all in a big pretty field. And in reality was so utterly utterly middle class it sucked the spontaneity and fun out of every aspect. Was like a Stepford Version.

As much as I’d like to say I’ ve been to Glasto I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t get £300+ worth of enjoyment.
I now get a cheap / free ticket for Victorious in Portsmouth of Facebook that evening, drive down for the last two headliners ( thank goodness I saw Prodigy before Kieth went), park for free. Jump around and come home. Perfect.

I'd much rather spend the same amount of money to go to lots of gigs throughout the year where I might stand a chance of getting close enough to see and I can go home to my own bed.

Yes. They look like bloody hard work. I used to work in events and always wondered how attending these kind of events was fun for some people, but I guess we are all different.

Last time I went to Glastonbury it was mostly green fields, and not trendy in the least but getting a bit edgy my friend's cousin got shot at. Not tempted to return unless I can go as Paul McCartney's plus one.

Whats the difference between a normal ticket or hospitality/VIP ticket? Dhs pal works for a brewery and he gets special tickets every year and brags about it. But i never know what he gets others dont

Just don't do it again!

I’m a small festival person, where there’s usually only a couple of stages, and usually only for a day. . In the past few years, been to Cambridge (folk), Black Deer (Americana), Let’s Rock (80s). I always take a seat with me, as couldn’t stand all day.