Working at Glasto

[dogwalkingteamaker]

My girlfriend and I are pouring pints for the WBC this year. It's my fifth Glasto, but first time working. Just wondering if any of the good folks on here had any experiences to share. Just how different is our festival going to be?

[daisydoll]

well, it's obviously different but still awesome, i worked last year & loved it (previously a punter)..........it's wicked to be actually a part of the whole giant machine that grinds to keep glastonbury alive, there'd simply be no glastonbury without the workers

(i also was pretty impressed with getting my ticket paid for in advance, secure camping in a prime spot and taking £170 home with me!!)

guess the only downer is when something is on that you really want to see but you're committed to the barrel - whatever...........just be chuffed you're contributing, worker or punter - glastonbury never disappoints.

[mouikey]

I've worked for Oxfam now for 4 years (previously went as a punter) and totally love it - actually wouldn't go any other way now. Its a brilliant way to meet people, the camping area is safe secure and pretty quiet ('coz we have overnight shifts), we have yummy food, hot showers and park very close to camp. We also get our deposit back after the festival (and you can do other festivals too for no additional deposit).

I would highly recommend it!

[AldoMcD1]

I've worked for Oxfam now for 4 years (previously went as a punter) and totally love it - actually wouldn't go any other way now. Its a brilliant way to meet people, the camping area is safe secure and pretty quiet ('coz we have overnight shifts), we have yummy food, hot showers and park very close to camp. We also get our deposit back after the festival (and you can do other festivals too for no additional deposit).

I would highly recommend it!

[glasto-worker]

My girlfriend and I are pouring pints for the WBC this year. It's my fifth Glasto, but first time working. Just wondering if any of the good folks on here had any experiences to share. Just how different is our festival going to be?

Edited June 10, 2009 by glasto-worker

[mouikey]

This will be my 2nd year at Glastonbury with Oxfam.

I would also recommend it.

Other benefits include:

You report on-site a day earlier than everyone else and can explore the whole site before everyone else arrives on the Wednesday.

If your shifts clash with someone you really want to see you can swap your shifts with others.

[glasto-worker]

Hi!

You can swap all of your shifts at Oxfam if someone is willing to swap (I don't think you can swap individual shifts). But if you are super lucky you sometimes can get early shifts and finish before the festival starts.

x

[The Philosopher King]

Hi there. I worked Glastonbury last year on security. I've never previously been as a ticket-holder (been to Leeds, V, etc.) so my only experience is as a worker. It is definately different - it's a lot of fun, don't get me wrong, and if you're getting paid, that certainly helps! It's just you have to be aware of the fact you're going to work at some point, probably on a shift, so like the chap from the Worker's Beer Company said, just be aware of the possibility of a nasty hangover making your job ten times harder!

One weird bit of fun I thoroughly enjoyed was having my car with me. Most of the security who came to Glasto were bused in enmass, but I took myself and my two friends who came with on the job with me from Bolton. We figured having a car would be handy for beer runs and to nip into Shepton Mallet, which was certainly a great idea - saved us time, trouble and cost for replenishing our supplies. Having the car as well meant that they put me on a roaming detail, relieving other security staff for breaks, so I was handed a map (a decent one!) of the entire site - feckin' huge btw(!), and they slapped another sticker on my car to allow me total access to the roads inside the site. So much fun, careering around Glastonbury festival in a nine year old Nissan Micra!!! And the site, and the local Somerset countryside is incredibly beautiful - it's how I imagined Middle Earth in my head before the movies were made!

We were there from Tuesday to Monday. Six of the funniest days and nights of my life. And in all that time, working as security, I didn't have to remove a single person, and only ever had to ask politely if someone was doing something unwise/unsafe if they'd kindly refrain. No arguments, no stress, no hassles, no bad attitudes from anyone on the site, all week. That really struck me - at any other festival I've been to, I always seem to bump into at least one numbnut. Not Glastonbury! Everybody chilled, everybody cool. Very nice - it made my job ridiculously easy and frankly redundant most of the time. The hardest thing to watch (and this shows I'm getting a little older) was seeing young girls, obviously underage, steaming drunk/drugged and in distress. At that point, if your heart doesn't go out a little bit, then I dunno. A drunk grown-up is one thing - we should know better, but some of the kids, it's obviously their first time at a festival, and for some, maybe from sheltered backgrounds, Glastonbury, or any big festival, can be overwhelming and scary. I felt sorry for some of the teenagers there. But you live and learn I suppose. My first festival was hell, and I was 19! It was V though, so it was never gonna be heaven.

I'm not doing security this year - I'm going as a music fan, pure and utter. And I'm glad, given the amazing strength of this year's line-up. I don't wanna miss a thing - 12 hour security shifts made life a little difficult on that front, but £300 is not to be sniffed at for spending a week being nice and being treated nicely by 170-odd thousand hippies. Hippies are security's favourite kind of customer! No hassle, no crap when compared to the general population of the planet!

So I guess I'm in the reverse position - former worker, now punter. Yay!

Daniel

[Freewheelin]

I've worked at Glastonbury since '98 (and a few years in the 80's) and it's always been fantastic. A group of 30 of us this year are working as stewards on internal crews - can be hard work and hassles, especially in the middle of the night or apocalyptic storms (which there won't be this year) but more than outnumbered by thousands of amazing people you get to meet. Great to be a small part of the festival and make a few quid for a local charity.

The secure camping is great, the luxury of a less crowded camp area, slighter better loos, showers if you're lucky, all make it a lot easier to pace yourself with work, sleep, food and seeing most of the things you want to - sods law you'll have to work when there's someone on you want to see.

Plus, extra bonus - depending on when your shifts start/end, you may be able to prolong the Pilton Madness for a few days, we're usually down on't farm from the Sunday before to the Tuesday after!

[SunshineSky]

I've been working as a steward in Shangri-La/Lost Vagueness for the last two years,

I've only ever been to glastonbury working so i dont know what its like to have 100% of your time free, but even working at glastonbury's fun

and its the same as the last guy said - everyones friendly and theres little hassle

and the bands/acts you get to see or hear when your working is good because often it's acts you wouldnt seek out normally

I like having the structure of the shifts to my festival, it makes me go out and do more when i'm not working than I would otherwise, and the crew camping is a bonus

[xyzowen]

I'm working this year as a steward with a mate for one of the security firms. Apparently i "must camp and sleep in the security compound". To anyone who has stewarded & camped in the security compound:

-what is it like? Are the people who run the stewards easy to get along with?

-what are attitudes to getting high in ones tent like? considering i'll be camped next to security guards- i don't want to have to go on a trek everytime i want a blaze a joseph/blitzkrieg

-how do you get your discount on the food

-are the shower/toilet facilities much beta here than the rest of the site

many thanks

[lolbeck]

I'm curious about what it'll be like too. Never been to Glasto before, but my aunt's asked me to steward with her this year since she's been doing it a few years running. She's told me, literally, absolutely nothing about what I'm doing, what the camping area's like etc. Only thing I know is the shifts I've got.

Anyone got any info?

[jonny2mad]

just went to pay my deposit to steward the event and the people I was working for were full 2 days to late , so Im looking for anyway to work the festival .

I know its late Ive worked festivals for nearly 10 years can give great references willing to do anything, work the build up during or after the festival , dont mind nights

if anyone can think of anyone recruiting contact me

best wishes jon

[carrasfe]

Its a good way to do a festival, this will actually be the first year that i am going as a punter to glasto as i didnt really have enough holiday to work so want to make the most of it......pour us a pint on the sly wont u???

[Man drew]

I'm working this year as a steward with a mate for one of the security firms. Apparently i "must camp and sleep in the security compound". To anyone who has stewarded & camped in the security compound:

-what is it like? Are the people who run the stewards easy to get along with?

-what are attitudes to getting high in ones tent like? considering i'll be camped next to security guards- i don't want to have to go on a trek everytime i want a blaze a joseph/blitzkrieg

-how do you get your discount on the food

-are the shower/toilet facilities much beta here than the rest of the site

many thanks

[Man drew]

I'm working this year as a steward with a mate for one of the security firms. Apparently i "must camp and sleep in the security compound". To anyone who has stewarded & camped in the security compound:

-what is it like? Are the people who run the stewards easy to get along with?

-what are attitudes to getting high in ones tent like? considering i'll be camped next to security guards- i don't want to have to go on a trek everytime i want a blaze a joseph/blitzkrieg

-how do you get your discount on the food

-are the shower/toilet facilities much beta here than the rest of the site

many thanks

[Redcanadahat]

i work every year (on the wristband gate) i wouldn't do it any other way because

a) i wouldnt want to pay for a ticket!

we get way better camping and free tea/coffee - cheap food

c) you get to see the festival from another angle

d) you feel like you've been a massive part of the organisation of the festival

e) you meet great people along the way and the same ppl usually do it every year so each glasto is kind of like a reunion

you'll have a blast at the WBC i'm sure. you'll meet a lot of people and i think WBC get a certain amount of free beers?

[glasto-worker]

you'll have a blast at the WBC i'm sure. you'll meet a lot of people and i think WBC get a certain amount of free beers?