Near the front at Pyramid

[Magic Rat]

What time would you realistically need to be there to get reasonably near the front of the pyramid headliners?

First Glastonbury this year and my wife is a big Killers fan. She would like to get as near as possible while I on the other hand still want access to beers. Don't fancy standing around for hours.

 

Thanks

[Nobody Interesting]

3 minutes ago, Magic Rat said:

What time would you realistically need to be there to get reasonably near the front of the pyramid headliners?

First Glastonbury this year and my wife is a big Killers fan. She would like to get as near as possible while I on the other hand still want access to beers. Don't fancy standing around for hours.

 

Thanks

Hard to say without knowing the subs as there is a lot of crowd movement before and after acts.

There are some who go into the front and stay more or less all day so if you want the barrier front and centre then forget the rest of the day which IMHO is pointless and rather silly.

We have been in the front pit for headliners in the past and got in fairly easily arriving near the end of the sub and then waiting til they finished.

Good luck - but where ever you end up you will love it.

 

[drunk pumpkin]

45 minutes ago, Magic Rat said:

What time would you realistically need to be there to get reasonably near the front of the pyramid headliners?

First Glastonbury this year and my wife is a big Killers fan. She would like to get as near as possible while I on the other hand still want access to beers. Don't fancy standing around for hours.

 

Thanks

As NI already mentioned its really dependent on so many factors. The Sub on before them, the headliners on the other stages can all impact movement of the crowd. 

If you are polite and patient inn the time you take to get to where you want to be you can normally manage to get fairly close to the front in the middle.

Lots of time there is space there where the edges are jam packed.

Remember though once you're in and the crowd starts to fill up it becomes much harder to get out and then back in so just the facilities before you go.

Finally dont take a chair thats a C-nts trick!

I'll see you front and centre for the killers!

[Gnomicide]

Do you mean a few rows from the front or just inside the barrier/pit? The latter is relatively easy, just arrive as the previous band are finishing and wait down by the side. I don't know what it will be like for The Killers but be prepared for a bit of pushing and shoving as people try to get in and out. I got there for The Stones at the end of Primal Scream and you had no choice but go in, the crowd was going that way and there was nothing you could do to stop it.

[BambooShanks]

Like the others have said, it's largely dependant on the subs on the pyramid and acts elsewhere, as well as how well you can/are willing to move in dense crowds.

Generally though, if you start moving into the crowd halfway through the sub you should be able to make good inroads and get a good spot.

Either way, where ever you end up I'm sure the atmosphere in the crowd will be amazing.  As long as you're relatively close to a speaker stack and can get a glimpse of the stage / screen, you'll have a great time AND you'd have a little easier access to toilets / bars than you would if you are in the thick of the crowd

[shuttlep]

the closets i have ever been to the front of the pyramid, is by the left of the sound desk

 

I am too old for all that pushing and shoving malarky and when I start throwing shapes I need my space

[BambooShanks]

21 minutes ago, shuttlep said:

the closets i have ever been to the front of the pyramid, is by the left of the sound desk

 

I am too old for all that pushing and shoving malarky and when I start throwing shapes I need my space

These days our group base ourselves by the speakers to the right of the sound desk.  It's got the best balance of sound, view of the stage and screen and much needed space to dance.

I won't say the days of getting in the thick of the crowd on the Pyramid are behind me but they are most certainly a more considered affair

[shuttlep]

14 minutes ago, Kinkyinuit said:

These days our group base ourselves by the speakers to the right of the sound desk.  It's got the best balance of sound, view of the stage and screen and much needed space to dance.

I won't say the days of getting in the thick of the crowd on the Pyramid are behind me but they are most certainly a more considered affair

we are to the left of the sound desk (as you look at the stage) just slightly behind it so you can see the big TV thing, plenty of room there always is 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

3 hours ago, Magic Rat said:

What time would you realistically need to be there to get reasonably near the front of the pyramid headliners?

First Glastonbury this year and my wife is a big Killers fan. She would like to get as near as possible while I on the other hand still want access to beers. Don't fancy standing around for hours.

 

Thanks

I've been able to get pretty close (the next row of bodies behind those glued to the actual barrier) during the sub changeover. Your quickest and best entry point is via the left hand side (as you look at the Pyramid), follow the merch stalls and hug the fence as you come along. Be patient, be polite, interact with your fellow punters en route, have a big smile on your face and you'll get where you want to be without having to sacrifice standing there all day.

[Gnomicide]

40 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

I've been able to get pretty close (the next row of bodies behind those glued to the actual barrier) during the sub changeover. Your quickest and best entry point is via the left hand side (as you look at the Pyramid), follow the merch stalls and hug the fence as you come along. Be patient, be polite, interact with your fellow punters en route, have a big smile on your face and you'll get where you want to be without having to sacrifice standing there all day.

What he said.

The only downside to being in the front on Saturday night is it will take ages to get out and you probably won't make it for the start of Hobo's midnight show at Avalon Cafe.

[Nobody Interesting]

2 hours ago, shuttlep said:

the closets i have ever been to the front of the pyramid, is by the left of the sound desk

 

I am too old for all that pushing and shoving malarky and when I start throwing shapes I need my space

I will be 54 soon and still love my mosh pits.

I refuse to get old even though my body keeps telling me to slow down.

[shuttlep]

8 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

I will be 54 soon and still love my mosh pits.

I refuse to get old even though my body keeps telling me to slow down.

Good going, I just like to dance and not have anyone in my space, people barging me would just ruin my vibe

[MaseTMT]

I couldn't think of anything worse than waiting at the front for hours in a good spot for a headliner, especially if the subs didn't interest me.
I'd recommend spending that time doing other things around the fest that interest you and turning up towards the end of the sub's set. Once the sub ends start making your way forward as people who don't want to watch the killers are leaving. I always find plenty of space when central as the sides fill up.

[Lycra]

One thing to bear in mind is the differential in people's height. The ground near the stage is flat and so those not so tall tend to get poor views due to being swamped by 6' plus giants. This happened to 5'7" Mrs Lycra when we saw Killers in the John Peel at the last fest. We were only 20' from the stage (that's 6m for the millennial's) and she hardly saw a blooming thing! Unless you can get right to the front a better view can be had a bit further back out toward the sound desk as the ground begins to rise.

[glasto-worker]

just need a time machine to get back to the way it used to be in the 80's - no barrier at all - jokers used to climb up on stage # although they did start pouring oil down the front # but I did see one guy make it ' even when he was covered in oil ' - there was a big roar when he made it - the guy was taken to the side but did not try to interfere with the performer.

No way would I dream getting that close as its just not worth it - one of my friends is a big Stones fan and he went down at 3pm and stayed ' without going to the toilet ' until after the Stones ended - have not a clue how he managed it - I first saw the Stones in 1965 and have seen them loads but there is no way would I wait in the same spot for 8 hours { or so as I forget when they wound up } 

 

[Magic Rat]

Thanks all.

Well used to doing big gigs and festivals just not the scale of Glastonbury. Both hitting 50 this year so looking forward to it.

[vintagelaureate]

I got relatively close for the Foos, but I wanted to see The National too. 

After Katy Perry, a lot of the front started to clear so I just made my way in. I could have moved more central but I didn't have to force my way in any further than I was. 

 

[kalifire]

In my experience, walking up to the back or side of a packed Pyramid field, it looks impossible, but it's not. Try to move through as few people as possible by making your initial approach at the sides, ideally the left side as you look at the stage, because it has a hard border. You should have little trouble getting close to the front, albeit at the far side. From that point, slowly but deliberately make your way through. The best time to do this is when the previous act has finished. There will be a natural movement heading towards you but you should be able to use this to find a pathway through.

This should get you into the front 'section'. If you want the front row or few behind it, you'll need to be in that section when the act before finishes, and move your way forward. The ease of doing so will depend on the fan overlap between that act and the next one. It can be surprisingly easy if you're quick and attentive.

All that said, I'd recommend avoiding the very front. Full appreciation includes taking in the crowd, and you can't do that until you're some way back. I'm quite partial to the back of the front section, but really it's about who's next to you. There's no joy to be found in being close to the front but feeling the piss splash on your leg from the guy behind you who couldn't hold it in, or those irritating little tossers who persist in creating a big empty circle with their mates by pushing everyone else out of the way. Nah. Hold your position a little further back where you're more likely to find adults, and appreciators of the spectacle.

Edited March 28, 2019 by kalifire

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

18 hours ago, Gnomicide said:

What he said.

The only downside to being in the front on Saturday night is it will take ages to get out and you probably won't make it for the start of Hobo's midnight show at Avalon Cafe.

And miss "Country Boy" 

[Funkyfairy!]

On ‎3‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 12:55 PM, Gnomicide said:

What he said.

The only downside to being in the front on Saturday night is it will take ages to get out and you probably won't make it for the start of Hobo's midnight show at Avalon Cafe.

How many 'slots' do Hobo normally do. I saw them once in Avalon and always wanted to catch them again , and friends have never seen them ... whats the 'norm'?

 

[Gnomicide]

12 minutes ago, Funkyfairy! said:

How many 'slots' do Hobo normally do. I saw them once in Avalon and always wanted to catch them again , and friends have never seen them ... whats the 'norm'?

 

It's usually 2 these days. Open Avalon on Friday and the midnight show at the Avalon Cafe on Saturday. 

[Funkyfairy!]

1 hour ago, Gnomicide said:

It's usually 2 these days. Open Avalon on Friday and the midnight show at the Avalon Cafe on Saturday. 

Thank you

[Watergirl]

Some hardcore fans stay put in the front all day. You can get in and out for drinks, toilets, as you’ll get to know your ‘neighbours’ and can ask them to keep your spot. With the diversity of the Glastonbury bill it can mean watching acts that you wouldn’t choose to see though. The Nick Cave/Mumford and Sons changeover was very amusing. I also remember Morrissey not being impressed that his front row was taken up by U2 fans. 

Even for acts that I am a really big fan of I would not sacrifice a full Glastonbury day. And as another poster said, you don’t get the overall vibe way down the front.

[Homer]

My mate knows someone who got a space at 10am for Bruce Springsteen. Seems like a waste of a whole day at Glastonbury to me! Plus Springsteen was, in my opinion, pretty dull anyway!

[Watergirl]

6 minutes ago, Homer said:

My mate knows someone who got a space at 10am for Bruce Springsteen. Seems like a waste of a whole day at Glastonbury to me! Plus Springsteen was, in my opinion, pretty dull anyway!

See my post above. “Acts that I am a really big fan of”... that would be Bruce first and foremost. I have queued for days for his own concerts, but didn’t at Glastonbury. I was in the middle of the pit. Good view, surprisingly poor sound. Seems the bass was coming right at me, and we were like sardines in a tin, so moving wasn’t an option. It looked better on the BBC than it was in my experience. It wasn’t his finest hour.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Watergirl