I need some reasurance about working Glasto

[Keziah]

So I received an email today saying that I had been successful for working at the festival, YAY! I was unlucky in the first sales, and so were all my friends but I couldn't face missing a year so I applied to work. Its funny, I have been going for 9 years and always meet amazing people but I feel apprehensive about working, I'm sure I'm just being ridiculous. The job is for two weeks over the festival period, I guess I'm just worried about how much I will get to enjoy the festival and that none of my friends will be coming, or if they do get tickets in the resale then I will be working everyday Its stupid, I guess I just need reassurance from others who have worked the festival before. Thanks.

[coma girl]

I haven't worked at G but have worked at other festivals and it can be a great experience albeit a totally different one to what you're used to as a punter. You're bound to meet some new friends there and see some sides of the festival you haven't seen previously and there's usually a few additional perks depending on what your role is. What are you going to be doing?

Its a bit of a culture shock and I might not have enjoyed it as much had I not known I was going to othe festivals as a punter but I'm glad I got involved, still managed to catch a few bands and meet up with friends. The only advice I'd give aside from the obvious is not to look at the line up until you know your shifts, nothing worse than getting excited about a band then finding out you'll be working at the other end of the site while they're on. Hope you enjoy it!

Edited February 25, 2014 by coma girl

[sparkythetortoise]

I just need reassurance

[grumpyhack]

I've never worked at Glastonbury - it's the one week of the year when I take my 'sensible head' off. But I've worked many others doing things from six hour gate admissions in the hissing rain and litter picking to Duty Managing a fairly big folk festival.

It's great fun. As others have said, there's a great camaraderie among festival workers and you tend to have your own decent camping area with better toilets and showers.

The tip about not looking at bands until you know your shifts is a good one. At smaller fests where I've worked you sometimes get asked which are the key bands that you'd like see and you may get a couple of preferences worked into your rota but I guess at Glasto it will be the luck of the draw.

Enjoy.

[whisty]

Worked a couple, had a great time. My one tip, look at it as work 1st and anything over and above that is a bonus.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

It will be an infintely better experience than chosing to stay at home I would have thought. Your going for two weeks. You can, and I suspect will, have a ball in that time. In fact you can squeeze a fair few magical moments in given that lengthy time away from the humdrum stuff you can do anytime. If you want some nice time then you need to go to somewhere nice, and where is nicer than Glastonbury?

PS. If you do go and your friends manage to get tickets in the resale then there's two ways to think about it. The first is to be annoyed, pissed off, down etc. The second is to see that whatever you are doing is an adventure. Something to be savoured like any other enjoyable experience.

If you want to feel alive then you need to have fun in your life. Enjoy your festival.

[glasto-worker]

So I received an email today saying that I had been successful for working at the festival, YAY! I was unlucky in the first sales, and so were all my friends but I couldn't face missing a year so I applied to work. Its funny, I have been going for 9 years and always meet amazing people but I feel apprehensive about working, I'm sure I'm just being ridiculous. The job is for two weeks over the festival period, I guess I'm just worried about how much I will get to enjoy the festival and that none of my friends will be coming, or if they do get tickets in the resale then I will be working everyday Its stupid, I guess I just need reassurance from others who have worked the festival before. Thanks.

[bexj]

I've never worked either, but last year a friend who's worked at Leeds a few times applied for wristbander at Glastonbury because he was unable to get a ticket. It was his 2nd time to Glastonbury. He loved it, he did a shift on Wednesday, a shift on Thursday and another late Friday night, which he finished early because the gate was so quiet. So he got to spend loads of time with us, and apart from a long walk back to crew camping at night enjoyed his festival immensely. This year he didn't bother stressing in the ticket scrum, preferring to work instead.

[Spindles]

This will be my first year working (partly out of choice, as it's something I've wanted to do for a while, partly out of necessity as I was unemployed on ticket day) but the friends I meet at the festival work it every year.

The stress free entrance and exit from the festival cannot be overstated as possibly the greatest benefit, as well as the chance to give something back and 'be' the festival for others. I dipped my toe in the water volunteering at a smaller festival last year and absolutely loved the experience, meeting and working with great people and still having plenty of time (and energy) to enjoy the entertainments.

Whisty has the best advice: Think about it as a working experience first, build everything around that and do a good job, thus making sure that you do your bit to make it a great festival for everyone else. As a worker at a festival you are the smiling face of the festival in whatever role you are in and the best attitude to bring is a positive one.

[matthewsdad1968]

This will be my 5th year in a row working for Festival Medical Services. It is a great way to be involved at the festival if you can't get a ticket. Would recommend working to any one not lucky enough to get a ticket.

[garc1a]

worked it almost every year for the last approx 10 glastos and now i wouldnt have it any other way.

A few tips tho, i would say if you do have pals that go on tickets you would certainly be doing it seperately from them, maybe only meeting up on your clear nights and next mornings off. other wise its a dangerous road of not being in a condition to do your next shift and letting people down.

I love working it, you get a lot of perks.. you ll smell nicer than anyone else, you ll save a fair bit of money and actually when your off you ll get to remember a whole lot of experiences in a different way.

You do have to plan your festival around your shiftss and you will not be able to make plans such as must see bands.. ive missed a good few of my favourite bands over the years, but got to see many more.

You ll meet loads of amazing people who are doing the same and you will have your party time, but the key is there your party time you cannot dictate when it is.. plan it right and youll have a ball.. party at the wrong time and youll let so many others down, look like a fud and blow any opportunity you have of a working your way in to the festival in the future..

your down for two weeks??? fantastic, what an amazing time. your going to see the festival before the gates open. One of my favourite nights at the festival is the tuesday night before the gates open. theres still thousands upon thousands of workers on site, i always goto the stone circle that evening, sit with a fat one and a couple of tins and appreciate the ambience, the kind of calm before the storm. its a great feeling.. the anticipation of whats to come.

someone mentioned the stress free walking in, we are fortunate enough to get dropped off by bus right at our camp site. no humffing stuff at all. its superb, plus getting picked up there after our crazy last night. you cant beat it..

thing is, i wouldnt do it any other way now if i had the choice.. i get up, shower, shave, check myself out in the mirror.. iron clothes if need be, get my cooked breakfast.. have a shit in a real toilet.. that kind of thing. used to the luxuries now. all for what? being part of the greatest festival in the world

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

Pretty much what garc1a said to be honest - I have only worked one festival and the only reason I decided to work at the time was because I hadn't managed to get a ticket, then I saw the line up and had a real moment of having to be there whatever way I could. I luckliy worked on a bar with a friend so I was able to share that experience. It was one of my favourite Glastonburys for number of reasons but one of them is that you are almost forced to enjoy different parts of the festival, being completely sober at 4am after a shift is a novelty and allows you to see parts of it with a completely different set of eyes and wake up with different memories.

I would certainly work the festival again but right now my current employer has a large financial close off period every year that Glastonbury is on and I work in the finance department so I can't really get time off. I think it could be time to get a new job now I think about it :-)

[slamdunkdafunk]

All these stories from long term workers has me tempted for future festivals.

How does it work? How do you apply?

Do you take all you normal camping gear or do the put you in pre-errected tents? Is it paid work or just the ticket (I wouldn't be fussed either way just asking). Do you get your food and stuff? What type of hours are you expected to put in over the week?

What other perks are there?

Based on what's written above, I'm tempted just to have a different experienced. Sorry for so many questions.

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

A number of charities will provide volunteers to festivals, you just need to apply normally. They will ask for a deposit that you get back after the festival (or can donate to the Charity if you are feeling philanthropic) for that you normally get a ticket to the event for free, a crew camping area (nice showers, food, plenty of space) and sometimes a meal or discounted food whilst on shift. In return for that you do 3x8 hour shifts or a variation on that so you may do 4x6 hour shifts which will be during the fesitval so you do miss some of the fun.

It really is a great experience if you are go into it with your eyes open, a few of the people on my bar team or working on the bar I was on had obviously gone into with slighlty skewed expectations and had a dreadful time of it or just decided to quit after one shift - my advice would be to go and do it, get involved, embrace the work and have some fun while doing it.

I do know that some festivals will have paid work available such as catering etc but I have no experience of that, I mean I barely have experience of volunteering but you get the picture ;-)

[garc1a]

All these stories from long term workers has me tempted for future festivals.

How does it work? How do you apply?

Do you take all you normal camping gear or do the put you in pre-errected tents? Is it paid work or just the ticket (I wouldn't be fussed either way just asking). Do you get your food and stuff? What type of hours are you expected to put in over the week?

What other perks are there?

Based on what's written above, I'm tempted just to have a different experienced. Sorry for so many questions.

[slamdunkdafunk]

it really is completely different from organisation to organisation.

im fortunate in the sense i get transported from glasgow, couple of meals a day.. usually take the cooked brekkie to set me up and a hot dinner, few beers a day, unlimited soft drinks, secure camping (yer own tent), showers, toilets.. etc.

i dont get paid, my wages goto the charity that i represent and im more than happy with that. shifts vary, normally no more than 6 hours long.

its pretty difficult to get a space at the work i do at glasto (wbc bars), depends on who you know and if you are prepared to work at more festivals than just glasto.

as an example i organise the team for my charity, i usually prefer workers who will do more than one festival as i could fill my spaces at glasto ten times over.

you get stewards, gate staff, car park staff, bar staff, litter picking.. plus your electrical etc.. all sorts of staff.. maybe make contacts at the festival this year to apply for next year?

the reason i started doing it was that ive been going since the turn of the 90s, as times went on i have kids and shit who want a holiday and i cant justify the expenditure of glasto for me and not to take the kids on holiday, this is my way of still getting to glasto.. as i said above, now it would be my first choice without question.. working before a ticket, even if i could afford glasto and holidays.

[stardustjunkie]

This has been interesting to read, I've never worked a festival but I was thinking about doing some festival work this summer. I finish uni in June and I'm going to try to crash somewhere in London while I get some more event work experience and a couple of festivals would suit me perfectly. I work in a pub so I'd probably apply for bar work, or wrist banding interests me.

I need to hurry up and decide though, a lot of applications have opened for a lot of festivals now.

Although I've never done it, I think it'll be a worthwhile experience. I'm sure you wont regret it, you still get to go to Glastonbury, you're just seeing it from a different perspective. I hope you enjoy it.

[russycarps]

working at the festival is one thing I could never do. Getting bossed around by some power crazed little hitler, whilst watching everyone around you having the time of their lives while off their face....no ta!

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Well I have worked at Glastonbury and other events for the past 25 years and I have to wonder why you applied in the first place as not getting a ticket is a poor starting point.

[glasto-worker]

All these stories from long term workers has me tempted for future festivals.

How does it work? How do you apply?

Do you take all you normal camping gear or do the put you in pre-errected tents? Is it paid work or just the ticket (I wouldn't be fussed either way just asking). Do you get your food and stuff? What type of hours are you expected to put in over the week?

What other perks are there?

Based on what's written above, I'm tempted just to have a different experienced. Sorry for so many questions.

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

working at the festival is one thing I could never do. Getting bossed around by some power crazed little hitler, whilst watching everyone around you having the time of their lives while off their face....no ta!

[slamdunkdafunk]

Thanks for all the info...i'm sold on the idea

[russycarps]

I worried about this as well when I went but genuinely our bar managers and supervisors were absolutely brilliant and looked after everyone - it was tough at times though seeing my mates coming into the bar to get drinks at 2am!

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

If you have to manage by shouting at people then you can't manage in my opinion. It's hard to believe (but I do) that there would be such tossers being employed at Glastonbury.

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

I guess some people get a different coloured tabard on and it all gets a bit Animal Farm