How to have a great Glastonbury Festival. Glastonbury is magical. Glastonbury is special. Glastonbury is the best party in the world. Glastonbury is also intense. Glastonbury is hard. Glastonbury can be frustrating.
All of the above statements are true, and there are many more I can add to that list. If you are going to Glastonbury for the first time, here are some tips to help you have a great Glastonbury Festival.
Getting into Glastonbury
- If you are arriving at the festival by public transport, please limit your luggage to essentials. You will have to carry everything you bring. You could be in the queue for up to 4 hours. Trust me, I have been in that situation, and it’s not nice. So, go through your gear and see if you need everything you are taking. Glastonbury is a place to let go. Nobody will care if your hair is all over the place.
- Wednesday is the hardest day. Yes, the queue is long. It could be raining or boiling hot, and you haven’t moved for ages. Just accept that this is the price you pay to attend the world’s greatest festival. Have a drink (the normal rules don’t apply from now on). Chat to other people in the queue. Soak in your surroundings. There are millions out there who would love to be in your position right now.
- If you are arriving at the festival by car, please buy a decent trolley. The walk from some of the car parks to the camping areas can be more than a mile. Buying our trolley made our Glastonbury so much easier.
Inside Glastonbury
- Don’t worry too much about where you camp. If the campsite you chose is full, ask the campsite stewards where to go. You will hardly be in your tent, and when you are, you will collapse. Just try and stay away from the toilets and walkways.
- Once your tent is up, the hard part is over. Now, you have 5 days in the world’s biggest playground.
During Glastonbury
- Chat to your campsite neighbours. Glastonbury is all about people coming together. Have a chat, share some drinks, and help each other with putting up tents. We are all in this together.
- On the subject of helping. Try to do this throughout the five days. Imagine if all 210,000 of us did this. It would create something magical. So if you see someone struggling with a trolley (this happens all the time), give them a hand. Is someone near you carrying way too many pints? Help carry them.
- Don’t peak too early! Glastonbury is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t go too mental on your first day. (Note, the author sometimes does not listen to his own advice.)
- Forget the outside world. For 5 days, you are living in utopia. Try not to go on your phone as much (if at all). The outside world doesn’t exist. We are now in a world where people dress as Lobsters, stay up all night, hunt for hidden bars and dragons. I can guarantee you that this side of the fence is a lot better!
- Be patient. You will be queing for food, drinks, toilets and clubs. Just like back at the campsite, chat to people. Watch the show from the queue. People watching at Glastonbury is hilarious.
- Don’t try and see everything on your list. If you are new, you will underestimate how big the site is and how long it will take to get from one stage to the next. All you will do is get tired and frustrated. Choose 3 key acts you want to see a day and let the Glasto Gods decide on the rest. If you do this, you will discover amazing musicians, acrobats, comedians and poets.
- Talk to strangers.
- Take some time out. Head to The Healing Field, Wood or the Peace Garden and just be for a little while.
- Accept that you are in a temporary city on a farm in Somerset with 210,000 other people. Sometimes things might go wrong. Use your new Glastonbury spirit and just shrug it off.
- Accept the rules. Glastonbury is the most relaxed of festivals. Trust me, I have been to many. They don’t ask for much. Don’t bring glass, don’t pee on the land and take all your shit home with you. Not too much to ask, is it?
- Be whoever you want to be.
- Have an open mind.
Leaving Glastonbury
- Love the farm and leave no trace.
- Be patient (again). It is going to take a lot longer to leave than to arrive. There is nothing you can do about it. It is out of your control. Put on Worthy FM or my Playlist and start thinking of the last 5 days.
- Start planning for the next one.
See you on the farm!
The 100% Unofficial 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:
