The Glastonbury Feeling

The excitement cranks up when you get on to the A303. You know the road west leads to a utopia like no other. You pass Stonehenge and slow down even though you have done this journey many times. Once you see the “Welcome to Somerset” sign you know you are close. The Glastonbury Feeling goes into another gear.

The next marker is the yellow AA road signs informing you that Glastonbury is being held on these dates and there might be traffic. Flashbacks start kicking in of past experiences at Worthy Farm. The sunsets, freedom and sounds. As you get close to the farm you put on Worthy FM and know you are touching distance to the fence that keeps one world apart from another.

You join the queue of cars and know you are surrounded by your tribe. Wednesday is always the hardest day at Glastonbury but you know once the tent is up you are about to have the best five days of your life. You head towards your chosen car park knowing that you rarely get the one you want. As the car hits the metal platform the Glastonbury Feeling hits your stomach.

You park up and can see glimpses of the festival. Not long now. You load your trolley and head to the world’s longest queue but also the most polite one. You can feel the buzz in the air. Laughter drifts across the fields. You start chatting to strangers next to you. By the time you get to the entrance, you know their life story.

There is no glossing over the queuing part. Unless you come prepared it can be horrible. This is why your trolley is your best friend in this situation. The queue is long and snakes on forever. Just as you think you can not go on, you get to the gate and are greeted with smiles. In no time you have your Glastonbury wristband on. Baby, I am home.

The next volunteer hands you the program and mini guide. You take them to add to your collection knowing that you will probably only see a few of the acts you want to see. Now you know you have one mission left. To find your chosen campsite and hope that there is enough space to fit all your crew.

As you scramble down the well-worn paths of Worthy Farm you look out across the fields and get glimpses of your favourite areas. Arcadia stands proud waiting to wow. The Pyramid Stage points to the stars ready to be the beacon for 250,00 people. The Glastonbury sign stands bright up on the hill.

At the campsite, the camp stewards greet you like old friends. They guide you to spots where you will all fit. You drop a pin on What3Words so the rest of the crew can find you. In no time they have joined you. You haven’t seen some of these people since last year’s Glastonbury.

One by one you put up your tents. All around Worthy Farm, you see the same happening. Tent after tent being erected. It is like a strange tent version of a Mexican wave. Once the tents are up, there is only one thing left to do. Head to The Cider Bus for your first of many ciders.

Now, the Glastonbury Feeling really kicks in. For the next five days you know your time will be filled with delicious food, many laughs and amazing performances. There will be tears at some point. There always is. You will discover acts that you never thought you would like. You will hunt for hidden bars and dragons.

Maybe you will meet your future partner? We have seen that happen. You will bump into stars and you will get used to the long drops. You will not care about the weather or what is going on in the outside world. For the next 5 days, this is the only world that exists.

You will go out to see what has changed on the site (if you have been here before). You will heal in the healing fields and lose your mind in the naughty corner. You will stand up for people’s rights in Left Field and you crack up at the Comedy Tent.

You will get creative in the Green Crafts Field and you will reconnect with the earth in the Tipi Field. Then finally you will have a mass singalong with 150,000 people in front of a Pyramid.

You think to yourself, I never want this to end. THAT is the Glastonbury Feeling.

See you on the farm.