Glastonbury 2022 - overcrowding rumours & thoughts

[5co77ie]

On 7/5/2022 at 8:22 AM, Chubby Dude in a Tiny Car said:

i've been to every one since '94 and the only time i've felt anything like those crowds before was in 2000 - that year the crowds were fanning out through campsites from stages as there was simply nowhere else to go, it was a great festival but felt scary at times.

THEORY: Interesting point - fanning crowd randomness is not good from a ergonomic crowd flow point of view, and this is a concerning observation.

 

it suggests the crowd was not self policing, usually as found at football matches or gigs - experienced attendees manage the crowd, often unintentionally but because they’re familiar with the route in/out, and it’s human nature to follow the person who looks knowledgeable/relaxed in getting somewhere. 

As anyone who is a fan of the Whisperers on Walking Dead (or John Wayne’s The Cowboys) knows - it’s about herd movement mentality. 

You need at least a few crowd controllers who know what they’re doing and where they’re going and that controls the massive numbers. Usually at major crowd control events this is in addition to your proper crowd control staffing. Which is why newly created events can expect to need more Marshalls to control a Virgin crowd.
 

The thing with 2000 was loads of those experienced crowd herders left (the wall meant they knocked it in the head).

this year probably saw the same number of veteran know what they’re doing crowd controlling retirees - due to the long break.

As we all know from festival crowds if you can be aware of at least one person (a cowboy) who knows what they’re doing they can settle the herd, without them large bunches of cattle go wandering off randomly.  

Cattle (or zombies) wandering off randomly and creating their own ‘new’ traffic flows is not a good thing, that’s not the objective. 

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by 5co77ie

[moogster]

14 hours ago, 5co77ie said:

 

it suggests the crowd was not self policing, usually as found at football matches or gigs - experienced attendees manage the crowd, often unintentionally but because they’re familiar with the route in/out, and it’s human nature to follow the person who looks knowledgeable/relaxed in getting somewhere. 

 

This is indeed very interesting.

First I can't wait to watch the new Woodstock 99 that's out this week, on how things can go VERY wrong.

Another interesting I read recently, is how there's been an increase of accidents linked to crowdsurfing/stagediving in France. This is due to the fact that the practice has gone from a let's say metal/rock environment to a wider group. Now pop artists want to stage dive, hip hop artists want to crowdsurf. But the audience there tends not to have the "skills" to deal with it.

So new people join the fest crowds but don't have the "know how" (yes you can roll your eyes) to deal with festival crowd movements.

Anyway, I could see a link.

 

And this reminds us that we are all responsible, not only GL org.

[Suprefan]

https://www.stereogum.com/2194981/music-festivals-2022-crowds-chaos/columns/sounding-board/?fbclid=IwAR32oq8EfZGdKTsVh7i4n-Jzc5B3GyRcL_KDS_XmQtffs1eVCGJEQ-PPE4k

[moogster]

13 minutes ago, Suprefan said:

https://www.stereogum.com/2194981/music-festivals-2022-crowds-chaos/columns/sounding-board/?fbclid=IwAR32oq8EfZGdKTsVh7i4n-Jzc5B3GyRcL_KDS_XmQtffs1eVCGJEQ-PPE4k

Interesting. And pretty much most of the reasons we mentioned  here! (Staffing, newbies, counter programming...)

 

[circus92]

5 hours ago, Suprefan said:

https://www.stereogum.com/2194981/music-festivals-2022-crowds-chaos/columns/sounding-board/?fbclid=IwAR32oq8EfZGdKTsVh7i4n-Jzc5B3GyRcL_KDS_XmQtffs1eVCGJEQ-PPE4k

Good read.

Glastonbury being praised for being well run - “festivalgoers say Glastonbury ran quite smoothly this year on every front. “I can’t really praise Glastonbury enough,” Kinney says.”

Even though lots of people have been complaining about Glasto this year, it sounds like considering the problems the industry in general has been facing they actually did a brilliant job.

[dotdash79]

30 minutes ago, circus92 said:

Good read.

Glastonbury being praised for being well run - “festivalgoers say Glastonbury ran quite smoothly this year on every front. “I can’t really praise Glastonbury enough,” Kinney says.”

Even though lots of people have been complaining about Glasto this year, it sounds like considering the problems the industry in general has been facing they actually did a brilliant job.

There is always things to improve, and every year is different. But I felt safe all weekend it was busy but fine. 
but I can see why some people might not feel that way. 

[philipsteak]

At Womad I was told, quite confidently by two different people, that there were at least 50000 extra people at Glastonbury this year

[tarw]

2 hours ago, philipsteak said:

At Womad I was told, quite confidently by two different people, that there were at least 50000 extra people at Glastonbury this year

I’ve been told quite confidently by four of my neighbours that Johnson has been a good Prime minister. 

It depends on who they were and what access they had to information how much weight you give it.  
I’d say that it was definitely busier but it didn’t feel to me as much of a seismic shift as the increase in 2006.

Everyone has their own perception of events 

Edited August 4, 2022 by tarw

[philipsteak]

6 minutes ago, tarw said:

I’ve been told quite confidently by four of my neighbours that Johnson has been a good Prime minister. 
 

Oh yeah, we are very much making the same point here

[tarw]

Just now, philipsteak said:

Oh yeah, we are very much making the same point here

Sorry whoosh moment 🥴

[philipsteak]

20 minutes ago, tarw said:

Sorry whoosh moment 🥴

To be fair, it wasn't as clear a point on screen as it was in my head.

[stuie]

3 hours ago, philipsteak said:

At Womad I was told, quite confidently by two different people, that there were at least 50000 extra people at Glastonbury this year

Rumours spread. 

Even if there was a scouse tunnel, of which there is no evidence, 50,000 people going through it would make it as busy as Ped Gate B!

[Hugh Jass II]

Personally, and this was only my own experience and is not intended to belittle or deny those who had different experiences, I didn't think it was noticeably busier than previous years. The festival has felt "too busy" for a few years now but this year didn't feel any busier than 19 for instance.

Then again I've been at it for a good number of years and am able to anticipate where will be busy - I went nowhere near Arcadia for instance when the big acts were on, I stayed well clear of Sugababes and McFly in Avalon when it was blatantly obvious they would be packed to stupid levels. Even stuff like Wet Leg I didn't just turn up 5 minutes before they were on and look surprised that it's packed. Got there just as Orlando Weeks (lovely soft spoken polite young man) was finishing, went in down the side by the bar and pretty much walked straight up to the barrier. Had a great spot and loved their set. Diana didn't feel as packed for a legend slot as Kylie did, we had a spot in between the towers and there was plenty of room, only issue came after Chain Reaction when I went to the loo and couldn't get back in through the crowd crust. Gave up and went to watch Fontaines DC instead (right decision).

Thing is though, it's easy for me to say "yeah well I knew what I was doing", I imagine there of first timers and people who may not have been as experienced who wouldn't know all this.

 

[clarkete]

16 minutes ago, Hugh Jass II said:

Personally, and this was only my own experience and is not intended to belittle or deny those who had different experiences, I didn't think it was noticeably busier than previous years. The festival has felt "too busy" for a few years now but this year didn't feel any busier than 19 for instance.

Then again I've been at it for a good number of years and am able to anticipate where will be busy - I went nowhere near Arcadia for instance when the big acts were on, I stayed well clear of Sugababes and McFly in Avalon when it was blatantly obvious they would be packed to stupid levels. Even stuff like Wet Leg I didn't just turn up 5 minutes before they were on and look surprised that it's packed. Got there just as Orlando Weeks (lovely soft spoken polite young man) was finishing, went in down the side by the bar and pretty much walked straight up to the barrier. Had a great spot and loved their set. Diana didn't feel as packed for a legend slot as Kylie did, we had a spot in between the towers and there was plenty of room, only issue came after Chain Reaction when I went to the loo and couldn't get back in through the crowd crust. Gave up and went to watch Fontaines DC instead (right decision).

Thing is though, it's easy for me to say "yeah well I knew what I was doing", I imagine there of first timers and people who may not have been as experienced who wouldn't know all this.

 

My experience was similar, but I'm lazier so avoided same as you but also didn't try to get over for wet leg (had been fortunate to see very recently) and pretty far back for Diana - who i also thought was not as packed as some previous Sunday slots. 

[chuckles07]

3 hours ago, Hugh Jass II said:

Personally, and this was only my own experience and is not intended to belittle or deny those who had different experiences, I didn't think it was noticeably busier than previous years. The festival has felt "too busy" for a few years now but this year didn't feel any busier than 19 for instance.

Then again I've been at it for a good number of years and am able to anticipate where will be busy - I went nowhere near Arcadia for instance when the big acts were on, I stayed well clear of Sugababes and McFly in Avalon when it was blatantly obvious they would be packed to stupid levels. Even stuff like Wet Leg I didn't just turn up 5 minutes before they were on and look surprised that it's packed. Got there just as Orlando Weeks (lovely soft spoken polite young man) was finishing, went in down the side by the bar and pretty much walked straight up to the barrier. Had a great spot and loved their set. Diana didn't feel as packed for a legend slot as Kylie did, we had a spot in between the towers and there was plenty of room, only issue came after Chain Reaction when I went to the loo and couldn't get back in through the crowd crust. Gave up and went to watch Fontaines DC instead (right decision).

Thing is though, it's easy for me to say "yeah well I knew what I was doing", I imagine there of first timers and people who may not have been as experienced who wouldn't know all this.

 

Agree with all of this. Similar experience. 
 

and welcome back. 

[stuartbert two hats]

On 7/8/2022 at 9:51 PM, MEGATRONICMEATWAGON said:

Since when have there been fireworks on the Wed? 😯

Still tho, was it as busy at the Park as it was at the Stone Circle? 

I really hope that all the loopholes and fence jumping places are tightened for 2023.

 

Many, many years.

[Mich1268]

21 hours ago, Hugh Jass II said:

Personally, and this was only my own experience and is not intended to belittle or deny those who had different experiences, I didn't think it was noticeably busier than previous years. The festival has felt "too busy" for a few years now but this year didn't feel any busier than 19 for instance.

Then again I've been at it for a good number of years and am able to anticipate where will be busy - I went nowhere near Arcadia for instance when the big acts were on, I stayed well clear of Sugababes and McFly in Avalon when it was blatantly obvious they would be packed to stupid levels. Even stuff like Wet Leg I didn't just turn up 5 minutes before they were on and look surprised that it's packed. Got there just as Orlando Weeks (lovely soft spoken polite young man) was finishing, went in down the side by the bar and pretty much walked straight up to the barrier. Had a great spot and loved their set. Diana didn't feel as packed for a legend slot as Kylie did, we had a spot in between the towers and there was plenty of room, only issue came after Chain Reaction when I went to the loo and couldn't get back in through the crowd crust. Gave up and went to watch Fontaines DC instead (right decision).

Thing is though, it's easy for me to say "yeah well I knew what I was doing", I imagine there of first timers and people who may not have been as experienced who wouldn't know all this.

 

Finally persuaded my husband to go in 2019, part of the persuasion was that it is not as busy as it looks. I did in fairness avoid the obvious busy spots and times but he really enjoyed it and was surprised at how right I was. He came this year and said if it had been as busy in 19 he may well have not come back. He really noticed the difference and these are the only years he has gone.

[morph100]

On 7/16/2022 at 5:15 PM, morph100 said:

Scouse tunnel stinks, I think it’s an urban myth and was just dodgy staff/security letting people in and scouse accents are more noticeable 

https://youtu.be/6gzV07lRRVE

I’d heard the rumours but good to see it finally documented. Hopefully it’s managed to ease the over crowding issues but no one really knows how many went through it 

Old video may have been seen discussed a million times before but I’m old and slow 😄

[gfa]

27 minutes ago, morph100 said:

https://youtu.be/6gzV07lRRVE

I’d heard the rumours but good to see it finally documented. Hopefully it’s managed to ease the over crowding issues but no one really knows how many went through it 

Old video may have been seen discussed a million times before but I’m old and slow 😄

was a thread for this a few months back. not sure this is the scouse tunnel and i can't remember the conclusion on whether we thought it was legit either. this guy does a lot of similar stuff tho

[Paul ™]

Glastonbury Festival: Changes planned after reported crowd issues at Sugababes and Wet Leg in 2022 - Somerset Live