Glasto vs reading

[JT06]

anyone whos been to both, which is better?? ive been to reading 3 times , going to glasto this year for the first time, which is better for atmostphere and the party?? not taking the lineups into account

[a robot]

reading i go to for the new bands that will be big the following year and the fact i have friends in reading so go out on the town the night before etc.. the festival itself is pretty dire and the atmosphere is terrible, especially the last night (talking campsite).

glastonbury i go for being the most relaxed i will be all year. everything is better. the atmosphere is incredible and chilled and pretty much everyone is nice and not going to burn your tent down for a laugh.

so really it depends on what you like at reading before you can compare

[joshwarrr]

i go to reading cus i like the bands and have a good time with my mates. i go to glastonbury for the music and the feel of the place. they aren't really comparable, but i'd say gladtonbury.

[paulo999]

anyone whos been to both, which is better?? ive been to reading 3 times , going to glasto this year for the first time, which is better for atmostphere and the party?? not taking the lineups into account

Edited May 5, 2009 by paulo999

[Mmmm Beer]

i go to reading cus i like the bands and have a good time with my mates. i go to glastonbury for the music and the feel of the place. they aren't really comparable, but i'd say gladtonbury.

[joshwarrr]

PS Joshwarr, perhaps you should bring some wine and cheese this year. 611 posts ......... mmmm sad!

[Forever_Reeling]

Case for Glasto

• At Reading there are loads of teenagers who are spending their first trip away from home with mates + booze. The result? A load of 16 year olds who think they are 'crazy' doing 'random' things. The Glasto crowd know how to party, but aren't as dickish about it.

  There is something to do at Glasto every hour of every day for 5 days

  It's in the middle of knowhere, so you feel like you're escaping normal life properly

  The green fields are lovely and chilled

  Imagine a grown up version of fresher's week at university.

  Great food. Reading's food is shocking

  The rest can't really be explained. You have to experience it.

Case for Reading

• There are prettier, younger girls at Reading

  Everyone there to see predominantly new exciting music

  Easy to stage-hop and cram in loads of bands

  Close to town

[ukslim]

Warning: facts may be 10 years out of date. Please someone step in and correct me.

The biggest difference is the location of the fence. Reading has a fence around the arena, and there's not much in the arena except stages, a small market, burger vans and bars.

Outside the fence there's not much except camping and burger vans.

So in the morning you go into the arena through turnstiles, you see band after band until the entertainment finishes for the day, then security herds you out to the campsites for the night, where you make your own entertainment.

This might be *really* out of date, but when I went years ago, the kind of bands at Reading attracted a particular culture of antisocial youth, so there was lots of portaloo tipping, campsite rampages and general absence of jolliness.

Glastonbury by contrast:

Glastonbury's fence surrounds the whole event - camping, large market area, all the stages, everything. The only thing outside the fence is the campervan site and parking. The big stages stop at midnight (though nobody would stop you from standing all night in front of the empty Pyramid stage), but smaller stages keep going, and you'll be able to find entertainment any time.

As well as bands, Glastonbury employs wandering performers - e.g. the infamous tea ladies, chinese dragon dancers, etc. so there's entertainment even when you're just wandering around.

The area around the King's Field has loads of green craft stuff - you are unlikely to ever see a man woodturning with a lathe powered by a whippy branch, at Reading.

[joshwarrr]

Warning: facts may be 10 years out of date. Please someone step in and correct me.

The biggest difference is the location of the fence. Reading has a fence around the arena, and there's not much in the arena except stages, a small market, burger vans and bars.

Outside the fence there's not much except camping and burger vans.

So in the morning you go into the arena through turnstiles, you see band after band until the entertainment finishes for the day, then security herds you out to the campsites for the night, where you make your own entertainment.

This might be *really* out of date, but when I went years ago, the kind of bands at Reading attracted a particular culture of antisocial youth, so there was lots of portaloo tipping, campsite rampages and general absence of jolliness.

Glastonbury by contrast:

Glastonbury's fence surrounds the whole event - camping, large market area, all the stages, everything. The only thing outside the fence is the campervan site and parking. The big stages stop at midnight (though nobody would stop you from standing all night in front of the empty Pyramid stage), but smaller stages keep going, and you'll be able to find entertainment any time.

As well as bands, Glastonbury employs wandering performers - e.g. the infamous tea ladies, chinese dragon dancers, etc. so there's entertainment even when you're just wandering around.

The area around the King's Field has loads of green craft stuff - you are unlikely to ever see a man woodturning with a lathe powered by a whippy branch, at Reading.

[ToxicJesus]

If anyone had been to both and preferred Reading I'd seriously doubt their sanity. If someone paid me £175 I wouldn't go back to Reading, even if the line up's amazing (which it never is), the sound on all the stages is really bad and you can hear the main stage wherever you are which is usually a shower of shite. The food is appalling, you can only drink Carling in the arena.. the fact there is a f**king arena and all the security searches, the absolute tidal wave of dickheads everywhere, charging more money at every turn.. there's literally nothing good about it.

Glastonbury on the other hand is the best place in the world, as people have said it's kind of hard to explain why, you can talk about how huge the site is, the endless entertainment, the stories of random encounters with strangers but until you've been and explored it's impossible to really grasp.

[ukslim]

Glastonbury on the other hand is the best place in the world, as people have said it's kind of hard to explain why, you can talk about how huge the site is, the endless entertainment, the stories of random encounters with strangers but until you've been and explored it's impossible to really grasp.

[ToxicJesus]

I think a big difference is that Reading is full of people who are there to see bands.

[micawber]

I'll try and give a more balanced response than some on here, but much is my own opinion and assumption.

I've been to Reading for the last 3 years. I'm going to Glastonbury for the first time this year, and will go to Reading again in August. Much of the following will explain why I have done Reading rather than Glastonbury before.

Bands

- Reading has a higher concentration of young upcoming exciting Rock bands (indie, punk, metal, etc) than Glastonbury. I generally enjoy my Rock and get full satisfaction at Reading.

- Glasto has more, and a wider range of, bands and stages. So, if your musical tastes are wider than mine then Glasto will always win

Arena

- Reading is much smaller than Glastonbury. Easier to get around during the day to cram more music in. Yes, the camp is seperate from the arena and access is controlled. Attendance levels have been increasing year on year and Reading is uncomfortably packed.

Location

- Reading is near the town centre, so it is easy to arrange alternative accommodation if you prefer not to camp. I love having a soft bed, daily shower and decent full English breakfast in the morning. The festival is all about music to me (at my time of life). I don't NEED the camping experience. I've done loads of that already. It's nice to escape the madness of the festival and really chill out. It's my holiday!

- Glasto is in the country in the middle of nowhere. I expect the setting to be lovely. I am having to camp so that will be a compromise for me.

Time of Year

- Statistics may prove me wrong, but I'd bet that Reading enjoys more favourable weather. It's always a nice way to round off the summer. I've had a couple of rain showers in the last 3 years. No mud baths. It is a kid friendly time of year. I've gone with my boys every time.

- Glasto weather is legendary. My kids have always been in school and I've been unwilling to remove them to attend Glasto

Ethos

- Reading is all about making as much money from the punters as possible, by providing a superb line up of Rock bands

- Glasto ethos is more about the vibe, politics and charity. I empaphise with the charitable ethos but loathe the thought of rubbing shoulders with the looney left (as much as I would with the Toffs). I have been told that I can pretty much ignore this aspect. We'll see.

- Glasto is a performing arts festival. I'm sure that the Chinese Dragons and woodturning will be thrilling, but I honestly think that I will probably get more enjoyment watching a lot of young adults enjoy their independence and find their feet at Reading. Sure, there will be a minority of dickheads (young and old), but I expect that I'll see just as many at Glastonbury - perhaps of a different type.

Why Glasto this year? For once, they have a powerhouse of headliners with a sound undercard.

Wherever you go, keep open minded and acknowledge the good and bad in everything, but enjoy yourself. There are no wrong choices. Ignore anyone who says one is great and the other is shit.

Edited May 6, 2009 by micawber

[Andy_T]

I hope everyone who's going for the first time this year posts back afterwards. I did Leeds Fest three times before I went to Glastonbury for the first time in 2007, and now if I could only do one festival a year it would be Glastonbury without question. The reasons are pretty much the same as people have already posted, but it's impossible to describe properly and you have to see it for yourself. I went to Leeds again last year (as well as Glasto) and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be having since been to Glasto, but you still really can't compare them.

[ukslim]

I hope everyone who's going for the first time this year posts back afterwards.

[Brizzle]

glastonbury is a better festival by far. the fact that it is so big but manages to maintain such an atmosphere is incredible.

[Moonlight]

Having been to Leeds festival for 3 years running before my first Glasto last year, I feel much the same about how Glasto is just amazing in comparison. I would like to go to Leeds again, the line-up is often amazing, but I'd rather opt for Glastonbury for it's all-round amazingness!

[Chimps in Balaclavas]

Reading - Line up & youth

Glastonbury - Vibe & freedom

[Make tea not war]

I have been doing Glasto and Reading for years and really enjoy both. You can't compare them really as they are poles apart. The campsites can be messy and quite scary by night at Reading - I am very lucky and stay in guest camping in more recent years. If this wasn't the case I am not sure I would go to be honest. Love Glasto, really chilled, lush food and a nice time to chill or party hard if you want to. Reading for me, is more about the music (except this year which doesn't look quite so good) but as long as you go to both with an open mind and the right attitude, both festivals are fab. Can't wait for Glasto though, not long now...

[Red_Eye_Jedi]

I'v been to both, reading is alright if you just want to see bands and gennerally get drunk and be a tw*t..

But glastonbury is a REAL festival experience, i'd never dream of going to reading again.. glastonbury is just so much more better in so many ways!

[glastoman417]

Don't write off all the other festivals. I have a lot of enthusiasm for Bestival, it has a similar vibe and being smaller makes it more comfy. Shame about the weather in '08. If I could spare the time off (from work and S.O.) to go to two festivals, Bestival would be high on the list. I'd like to try End of the Road and Green Man, too.

[ukslim]

I'm doing my first Bestival this year, I thought I needed a festival between Glastonbury's to keep me going, and considered Wickerman, Lattitude etc, but I like the look of the lineup at Bestival, plus being September spreads it out a bit (no point in going to festivals in June and July then have 10 months without a festival ;-)

[hoils]

loathe the thought of rubbing shoulders with the looney left

[ukslim]

One thing I'd mention about the line up - because of the sheer size of Glastonbury, the bands that make it onto the T-shirts can seem a bit mainstream, and so it can look as if up-and-coming bands are under-represented. But those bands are very likely to be playing Glastonbury, only on smaller stages.

The big exception is heavy rock / metal. Not unrepresented, but lightly represented.

[cejx]

Having been to Glasters for donkeys years, last year, what with the whole Jay-Z hoo hah, I decided to take a break... went to Latitude.

Like Reading, there was the whole 'arena' thing going on and camping outside. Having been at Glasters, I had no idea that a) you'd be searched each and every time you went into the arena and also you couldn't take your own booze in. Latitude was great, very gentle and middle class... tho too many 3 wheeled buggies in my opinion...but the cost of buying food and a pint within the arena was ridiculous... 9 quid for burger and chips and to buy a programme was 8 quid! Those who had manage to smuggle cans in, where found out and had their Fosters confiscated! A bit like being at school!

Consequently, even though I enjoyed Latitude, never again at the expense of Glasters!!