UK Dopers - anyone for Glastonbury?

Cafe Society
1

I’ve never been to the Glastonbury Festival, and I was thinking of trying to get a ticket or tickets this year.

Is there anyone here who is thnking of going or has been before and has useful advice to offer?

2

I haven’t been since the Mean Fiddler people took over and it became more corporate – obviously the fence actually does its job now and the crowd is half what it was.

I hear it’s a different atmosphere and many think better, but they would because they paid the £100+ to go along.

Music-wise, I can’t imagine its any different; same huge experience.

I suppose the new regime might have put off some of the real eccentrics in the top field doing their fringe stuff but I suppose this new vibe is still developing . . .

Presumably it’ll still be the best festival in the UK, maybe anywhere.
My tip: bog paper, take double.

3

What about the wisdom or otherwise of driving to the site and taking one’s car? Any views? If people drive there, is it feasible to actually sleep in your car, or are cars and people kept in very spearate places for the duration?

4

I’m so jealous of anyone who gets to go to Glastonbury. On a list of things that I want to do and places I want to go in my life, this is number one and has been for quite a while now. Now, just have to finish with all this schoolin’, get me some money and I’ll be set.

5

Last year was the first time in ages that i didn’t go (although i probably won’t go this year again due to work commitments :frowning: ).

My advice is this:

  1. The whole toilet thing is over-hyped. Yeah they’re smelly and a wee bit nasty, but what do people expect? They’re effectively frikkin open toilets for christsake! Just bite the bullet, take plenty of bog roll and do what needs to be done.

Just thank god your a bloke so pissing in the bushes isn’t a problem :slight_smile:

  1. Don’t worry about taking food. There are a dazzling variety of food vans/tents around, all at reasonable prices.

  2. Don’t just stick to the big acts on the main stage and the other stage - the jazz stage always rules as does the accoustic tent. Scour the timetable carefully for possible good stuff.

  3. Don’t forget to visit the comedy tent - they normally have some outrageously good stand up comedians there. Its perfect as somewhere to go during the day when you just want to sit down for a while and chill

  4. Go down as early as possible - either the wednesday or the thursday. Thats the only way you can ensure you’ll get a decent spot for your tent/car/caravan etc.

  5. Take a lot of cash. The chances of you being able to get any out from the few cash machines on site or zero to none. Last time i was there, the queue was about two hours long.

  6. Don’t expect to get out of the place easily - as with arrival leave as late as possible.

6

There is little in life so sweet as the first proper bath or shower after a festival.

7

The corporate thing about it now puts me off personally, but then this unreconsititued hippy last went in 1981!! Hawkwind and New Order headlining, being given free mind bending substances, hitching (until the drive started seeing iguanas overtake him on the motorway and we realised he needed to pull over and take some vitamin B12) and jumping trains to get home having run out of dough.

I know if I went back now it would spoil some perfect memories - should never go back on one’s tracks.

Go! And take away your own perfect memories…