Glastonbury Festival Bar Crawl. Created by popular demand for my readers and followers. I present The Glasto Bar Crawl.
Be warned, this is subject to change as the bars sometimes change on site, but I have included places that have been at Glastonbury for years. Also, we tried this last year and made it to 2 bars out of 11! (Update: we made 6 bars in 2024!) That is Glastonbury for you!
This year, we will start on Wednesday at 14:00 once everyone has set up. It will be perfect for Glasto newbies to see the site and kind of get their bearings. We will meet in front of The Cider Bus/Village Inn.
For updates on the day, you can join my WhatsApp group. (Please note that from the Monday before the festival, you will have access to announcements but not the chat. This is to prevent spam during the festival.)
https://chat.whatsapp.com/J295U3z9bCpE45GfyUBPUN
Also, if you don’t drink, that is fine. It’s a bar crawl, but if you are new to Glastonbury, this is a great way to get your bearings and make some friends on your first day!
For people coming along. As we have fun in the sun (hopefully), let’s just appreciate the amazing artists that we will be seeing over the coming days. Almost all of them started in small venues. Unfortunately, we are losing our grassroots venues at an alarming rate. If you can, please donate to The Music Venue Trust to help save as many small venues as we can. You can donate here: Donate to The Music Venue Trust
So people know who we are (this hasn’t always been the case), I suggest we all wear a Hawaiian-themed shirt or top. They aren’t expensive to buy, and hopefully, we will inspire the Glasto Gods to give us some Hawaiian sunshine. I will also have a green straw hat on.
At 19:00, some of us are taking part in a Michael Eavis Flash Mob at The Stone Circle, so print out your faces and beards!
If all goes well, we should be ready to watch the theatre show at the Pyramid and fireworks at 22:00 too.
Glastonbury Festival Bar Crawl:
1) The Village Inn/Cider Bus
This is normally our first port of call once we have put our tent up on Wednesday morning. It will be a good starting point for our bar crawl.
I have chosen both The Village Inn and Cider Bus because they are located next to each other, and not everyone likes Scrumpy Cider. The Cider Bus has been coming to the festival since 1970 in some shape or form.
Location: To the left of The Pyramid Stage if you are facing it, and just below The Kidney Mead camping area.
2) The Cockmill Bar
Next up will be The Cockmill Bar, which is just a short walk away. Be warned, in typical Glastonbury style, if we manage to do all the bars on this list, there will be a lot of walking involved!
The Cockmill Bar always has a nice, chilled vibe. In fact, the whole area around it is chilled too, so if you fancy a more mellow atmosphere, head here.
Location: Between The Acoustic Stage and Pilton Palais.
3) Glebe Bar
The Glebe Bar is just down the hill from The Cockmill Bar, so it is an easy stroll. Although we might get sidetracked by the street performers. Watch out for the SeaGulls!
Location: Theatre Area.
4) The Ridge and Furrow
Just down from the Glebe Bar is the Ridge and Furrow. I am not sure I have been to this bar. This being Glastonbury, I could have had some of the best nights of my life here and wouldn’t remember it!
Location: Cabaret Field
5) Avalon Inn
This is one of my favourite bars on site. A medieval inn built entirely of wood and then taken down again. Amazing. This is a great place to start your festival from. Go up to the second floor and slowly watch the site fill up.
Location: Field of Avalon
6) Strummerville
After visiting 5 bars (if we make it this far), we are going to need to walk some of that booze off. We shall walk because Stummerville is located right above the Tipi Village. This area and stage is a charity in the name of Joe Strummer, who came to Glasto every year and held impromptu gigs around the campfire. We shall honour the leader of The Clash by having a drink around his fire.
Location: Strummerville
7) The Crows Nest / Tricketts Bar
2024 update. I made it, and they are fantastic. I can’t believe I have never made it to these bars. Offering amazing views of the whole festival, The Crows Nest / Tricketts will be a perfect place to soak it all in. We are now at one of the highest points of the festival, so it is all downhill from here. Literally!
Location: Above the Park
8) Bimble Inn
Bar number 8 is down the hill into the Park area. The Bimble Inn is a solar-powered tipi that has live performances and DJS. Here we can sample their own in-house cider or frozen cocktails.
Location: The Park
9) The Spike Bar
I am not sure if The Spike Bar is open all day. I hope it is because it is a perfect place to have a drink and chill. It is located in the Glade Area and is set up amongst the trees. A good place if it is a scorcher!
Location: The Glade
10) The Taphouse
The Taphouse made its debut in 2019. This bar plays good tunes all day (where doesn’t at Glasto!), and the structure is made from old wood panels and steel. They serve craft beers and ales straight from the keg.
Location: Left Field
11) The Setting Sun (old Cornish Arms)
We have a short walk to bar number 11. The Setting Sun is the new name for the Cornish Arms. I hope they still have ales, and if I remember rightly from last year, great rum cocktails. There is also live music here, and the bar stays open till at least 03:00.
Location: Left Field
12) Brothers Bar
We can’t have a Glastonbury Pub crawl without stopping at the Brothers’ Bar. Brothers Cider is the official cider of Glastonbury, and the company actually began at Glastonbury, so it is only right we have a pint here. Just the one mind, this is bar 12 after all.
Location: West Holts
13) Elephant Bar or San Remo
We have a dilemma for the last bar on our list. We can either go back to where it all began and head to the Elephant Bar, which is located near The Cider Bus, or we can head towards San Remo and get into the groove. To be fair, if we have made it this far, which I find highly unlikely, I don’t think it matters!
Locations: The Elephant Bar is near The Cider Bus, and San Remo is to the right of The Pyramid Stage.
Bonus Bar
This won’t be open on Wednesday, but if you find it when it opens on Friday,y you get a gold star!
14) The Underground Piano Bar
Read about it below:
See you on the farm!
The Glastonbury Festival Guidebook Is Now Available
Hey there, Glasto Newbie!
So, you’ve scored tickets to Glastonbury? Congrats! Now, let’s make sure your first time is more epic than a Pyramid Stage headliner. My Glastonbury Festival Guidebook is like your cool best friend who’s been there, done that, and is ready to guide you through the festival’s wonders.
Download it below or get the print version on Amazon here: The Glastonbury Festival Guidebook
PDF Version:
Haha, I’m also planning an epic pub crawl at this year’s Glasto, and I reckon you’re short by at least 10.
This is my list so far:
Central Areas:
Brothers Cider Bar (S29)
Rock the Kasbah (R6 – next to Left Field Tent)
Solstice Bar (S25 – between the Other Stage and Glade)
Dreamtime Bar (P24 – left of Other Stage)
Common Room (L24 – Between interstage and Silver Hayes – poss now called The Meeting Place)
Liquid Bar (L21 – Silver Hayes)
Love and Gratitude (H22 – Woodsies[ex-JP])
San Remo (J24 – between Woodsies and Pyramid)
Mandela Bar (H27 – audience right of Pyramid)
Elephant Bar (new bar at Pyramid Stage – location TBA)
Village Inn (M28 – Audience left of Pyramid)
Cider Bus (M28 – Next to Village Inn)
Boulevard Bar (M27 – entrance of alley on left of Pyramid – possibly now called Hop and Liquor)
The Chameleon (N27)
Bread and Roses (P27)
Cornish Arms (R26)
The Tap House (left field somewhere)
Glade Café and Bar (S26)
The Spike Bar (T26 – between Glade and Railway Line)
Avalon Inn (W29)
Ridge and Furrow (V30 – Cabaret Field)
Bird Cage Cocktails (S30 – between Glebeland and Circus)
Cockmills Bar (P32 – Acoustic Tent Field)
The Bar on the Green (N30 – Williams Green)
The Secret Underground Piano Bar (???)
The Park:
Arc Bar (Arcadia)
Bimble Inn (the Park)
Park Bar (the Park)
Stonebridge Bar (the Park)
The Rabbit Hole (the Park)
SE Corner:
TBA
Staff Bars:
The Green Room (Theatre and Comedy Crew Bar)
Tow & Hitch (Arcadia Crew Bar)
Maceo’s (Block 9 Crew Bar)
Wally’s (Shangri La Crew Bar)
Checkpoint Whiskey (West Holts Crew Bar)
Butt’s Bar (Interstage Hospitality Bar)
That is an epic one! Are you attempting to do that over the 5 days?
As well as location of bars, as a beer drinker, I’d want to know what to expect when I walk a long way for a pint. I like to know if there is craft beer and or cask and preferably which breweries. I don’t want to walk a mile and find it’s wine or cocktail bar.
There is no way of knowing that before the festival starts, plus, Glastonbury is all about trying new things and getting out of your comfort zone 🙂
For sake of sounding dumb – are the staff bars, staff only?
Never been maceos but would love to
Staff bars are for staff, and their guests. You need the right pass or wristband to get in, which might be different for each one! There are other bars in Acoustic and Unfairground, (maybe more to be discovered?)
Chameleon hasn’t been there for about three years or more…
Chameleon?