Am I the only person who hated Glastonbury?

[breathslowly7]

I really did hate it there, skanky, expensive, didn't sleep, HATED the toilets, couldn't wait to get home.

This time or generally?

I‘m sure you aren’t the only one. But no I never hated it. I’ve been 4 times, 2 were mud baths which made it difficult and less enjoyable but the other two times were great. The toilets never bothered me and it’s definitely not skanky, it’s a great festival with so much to see and do.

I went a few years ago, never again! Know no one is forcing me to. Just makes me feel grateful to be watching it from a warm sofa at home

I was 17 the first time I went. I loved it. My best friend hated it. Too dirty, too loud, too expensive. She basically cried all weekend.

I only like it when I'm backstage with the band. Warm, dry bed, flushing toilets, less mud.

I know I'm not hard enough to be amongst the Great Unwashed.

Well I’m 49 and my bf is trying to talk me in to going, I don’t even like camping.

I went once and hated it too. It was a wash out one so nowhere to sit as everything was a pile of mud. My tent had mud in it. The toilets were awful. Felt this expectation to find everything great. Was glad to be home!

Been twice about twenty years apart. Hated it both times.

What bands have you been backstage with?

Even as a teen and in my 20s I was never attracted to anything like this, hate crowds, hate loud noise, hate sleeping on the floor, hate standing for too long, have to have a shower every day, dont do drugs but I would have drunk I suppose. Most of the music I wouldnt be interested in I think, cant bear lack of sleep. Cant stand lairy 'characters' (of which Im sure there would be many)

I wonder why I never went!

Someone nicked my wallet too.

Detested it in my 20's. Wouldn't go if you paid me vast sums of money (and we were invited into the glamping bit this year!)

What bands have you been backstage with?

A couple

Went in 2008, I was in my late 20s. I didn't hate it and there were some memorable moments for the right reasons...but two days were rainy and there was So. Much. Mud! Just walking around was an ordeal. Was much better when the sun arrived but on the whole it was exhausting, grubby and not something I'd want to repeat. Ticked off the list though!

I used to like going to WOMAD when it was in Reading, because you could go for the day, and if you ever got really fed up, the train station was about half an hour's walk away.

I will tolerate camping in the mud when there's a pressing reason (I lived at Greenham for four years) but it's not my idea of a good time. I wouldn't pay huge amounts of money for the privilege.

I can't think of anything I'd like to do less for all the reasons pp have mentioned. Never been. Never would.
DD wanted to join her friends going to Boardmasters after her GCSEs a few years ago. I had my doubts but didn't want to be negative so I coughed up and paid extra so she had a pass to the posh loos. She hated it, being surrounded by noisy drunk people all night long, the drugs, the camping. What I had feared came to pass and DH had to battle through the holiday traffic to drive down on the Friday and evacuate her and three friends before the whole thing had even got going. Funnily enough she hasn't mentioned going to a single festival ever since.

Been to loads of festivals and I hate them, including Glastonbury.
Never again.
I prefer my own bed with my own clean toilet.

I've been working at festivals for 20 years. I love Glastonbury but it's exhausting. They moved our staff campsite ~10mins' walk outside the megafence about 15yrs ago to fit more paying customers inside the site.

It's fine in principle but you spend all day crisscrossing the site and the extra 20mins (10mins + another 10mins brisk walk to get from the gate to the Pyramid arena or Theatre fields) is tiring! Particularly when you're up at 5am for shift start or trying to get back to camp on tired legs 😩

I always try to pack in as much as possible as it's such an incredible place so my own fault really. I do thing they sell too many tickets nowadays, the crowds and bottlenecks are no joke. I can understand that they need to cover their costs and have something left over for their charitable donations. 25% fewer ticket sales would be much more sensible and comfortable.
I've heard some reports from colleagues this year saying they're witnessing unsafe numbers.

I was there in 2005 when the site flooded (the drainage was improved after that). Fortunately our organisation camps at the top of the site (uphill) So many tents underwater and rivers flowing through campsites. Felt so sorry for everyone. I learned a lot from an emergency/organisational perspective.

The toilets are pretty much all composting ones now (long drops with toilet seats - even toilet roll! - metal doors with latches and attractive exterior decor 😂)

I remember the revolting plastic unisex portaloos that were never promptly emptied and metal 'slammers' (long drops with metal half doors that you had to simultaneously squat and grasp the half-height door closed! 😭)

I went in 93, 94 and 95 when I was 18, 19, and 20, and loved it. Don't think I would love it now I'm in my late 40s...

I didn't hate it but preferred the marginally smaller shorter festivals. Found it too big and the long distances involved for everything were a faff. But the atmosphere at the stages made up for the mud! I did take a shee wee which was life changing and these little bags you can wee in that turn wee to gel so no walking a mile to the toilet in middle of night.

When you watch it on the telly, there are so many gorgeous young women in beautiful outfits with swishy hair and glowing faces! How do they stay clean? Even after a day of ordinary camping with hot showers and hairdryers, I look like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards not like something from a magazine 😂😂

I'm still not over it (in a good way) and it was 8 years ago.

I long to go back but have been unsuccessful getting tickets ever since.

I tried to use the compost loos wherever I could. They weren't as smelly.

Some parts around the main stages are a bit tatty but I didn't spend too much time in those areas.

I went to festivals when I had guest area passes and loved it. Eating breakfast next to Fergal Sharkey and drinking late into the night with the Melody Maker gang, great stuff.

I went once without and hated it. Never again.

Now I'm old if I can't drive home or stay at a hotel or BnB forget it. Having breakfast at the next table to the band you saw last night - top notch. Otherwise I'd rather be on my own sofa to be honest.

The mountains of litter look pretty grim. I hope those clearing up are well paid.