Festival review by : Donna

Glastonbury Festival 2000

Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th June 2000
Worthy Farm, Pilton, nr Glastonbury, Somerset, England
£89 including booking fee and postage

Daily capacity: 80,000

Have been going to Glasto for years, initiated by my brother at the tender age of 4, and God willing will always want to go, but a couple of things this year put such a dampener on my view of the festival, that even I began having second thoughts.

Firstly, I have always paid for a ticket (or at least as soon as I need to), but to be camped on Thursday, chatting to the guys around our tent and to find out that we were the only ones in the group (of about 20) who had paid, galls slightly. Then after meeting up with friends on Friday, and having them laugh at us for buying tickets ("Coz, we've never had to") really took the biscuit. I've always paid, because I figured that Michael Eavis deserved something for allowing us to wreck his land (let alone the percentage for charity), but it can be sooooo frustrating to imagine being the only one.

Secondly, We took all the advice about personal belongings, and not leaving stuff in our tents. It makes perfect sense, and I cannot see why anyone would want to leave stuff in an unmanned tent that they would hate to lose..... but........ the cheek of the thieving gits is getting worse. My niece was wearing a wrist purse - It didn't leave her wrist from the second she got in the car to travel to Glasto. Saturday night, whilst she was sleeping, someone unzipped her tent and ripped the purse off her wrist. She lost over £200. A lot of money when you consider she had saved for a year to be able to come. I can honestly say I have never felt so furious and frustrated in my whole life, and never felt so let down. And of course the scary thing is that someone must have been watching her, to go straight to the purse and nothing else....... a matter of 30 mins after I had turned in for the night. She was so distraught she asked me to take her home on Sunday morning, missing the one act she really wanted to see. .............. which leads me on to the final point.......

Finally, Took my niece home on Sunday morning - checked I would have no problem getting back on site (with the gate, a steward and a policeman). 1300 arrived back at camp - really pleased with myself (wanted to be back in time for Jools!) only to find that all gates were closed, even with a re-entry ticket. When I queried it I was told "Take it up with the organisers - there are too many people here, and I am concerned with the safety of the General Public" I asked what that made me and was told "A dropout by the looks of it" !!!!! *speechless* .......... what is it with them? (and I hardly think a drop-out would be driving £15K worth of car you prat) (oh, finally got back on at 1500 - thanks to the very kind man who let me park in his driveway for only a fiver, as it was all I had on me!)

Otherwise (and I hate to moan - really!!) a fantastic festival. Bowie is God (or near as dammit) and all my fears that the Pyramid would have meant cutting down the great old oak were groundless. Toilets better, prices getting there and as long as I keep away from the dance tent I can still kid myself that nothing has changed in 24 years.........

With peace.

review submitted by
Donna