Sober Glastonbury

[Guest]

I'm contemplating a sober Sunday for a more pleasant journey home on Monday.

[hodgey123]

38 minutes ago, Lucy F said:

I'm contemplating a sober Sunday for a more pleasant journey home on Monday.

Makes sense and will definitely help the post-festival recovery period! I was very smug last year that as I did it sober I wouldn't need a week to recover, but caught COVID at the festival and spent the next week bed-bound feeling worse than I would've done if I was just on the usual post-festival hangover!

[Deviceing]

On 3/15/2023 at 12:36 AM, Beaver89 said:

Does anyone have any info on alcohol (and caffeine/chocolate) free options at the bars or am I to resign myself to stocking up at Co-op or bothering the ice cream vans for Fanta? If I weren't on the bus this year I'd load up with AF cans. ...tbf I guess I could still do that but would rather not carry the weight and warm beer isn't the one is it.

I've never seen anything at the bars but don't often check, but wouldn't be surprised as it's becoming more of a thing recently (was at the 6 Nations last month and they were pushing the 0% Guinness HARD).

But you don't 'bother' the ice cream vans, no one bats an eye if you just get a soft drink and all the food vendors have them too, even the ones with crap food (= no queue). All the fruit salad places have juice and there was a really good milkshake place last year.

But also, like, water? Just get a refillable bottle and bring it with you.

[kazbop]

I've really cut down on my drinking the last few months after my wife became ill with cancer. Just wanted to always be available and useful.

We were supposed to be coming to Glasto together but she died last month. 

I've kept the reduced alcohol intake up since to try and protect my mental health and I'm planning on keeping it up. I think I'll bring a few AF cans just for the taste and have the occasional cider. It's gonna be hard enough being there without her without adding in the emotional roller-coaster that being drunk causes in me... 

It's helpful reading everyone else's stories, definitely assists me with the resolve. 

Good luck everyone who's also trying it for the first time 

[Crazyfool01]

13 minutes ago, kazbop said:

I've really cut down on my drinking the last few months after my wife became ill with cancer. Just wanted to always be available and useful.

We were supposed to be coming to Glasto together but she died last month. 

I've kept the reduced alcohol intake up since to try and protect my mental health and I'm planning on keeping it up. I think I'll bring a few AF cans just for the taste and have the occasional cider. It's gonna be hard enough being there without her without adding in the emotional roller-coaster that being drunk causes in me... 

It's helpful reading everyone else's stories, definitely assists me with the resolve. 

Good luck everyone who's also trying it for the first time 

Are you going alone ? Or with Mates if it’s the former there are various meet ups about the farm and virtual meets on here you are welcome to drop into and say hello so you’ve got some familiar faces about the farm … next one is this sat at 7.30 link will be posted later 

[kazbop]

Luckily for me there is a decent gang of us going so I'll be well looked after. I don't think I'd have managed it alone.

Thanks for your consideration though, you're very kind 

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, kazbop said:

Luckily for me there is a decent gang of us going so I'll be well looked after. I don't think I'd have managed it alone.

Thanks for your consideration though, you're very kind 

ah thats great 🙂 have a great festival and enjoy the build up 

[stuie]

6 hours ago, Lucy F said:

I'm contemplating a sober Sunday for a more pleasant journey home on Monday.

I think I plan this every year! 🙂 

Seriously, good luck to you all.  With age I become less extreme but I'm not quite ready for a fully sober one yet. 

Something to consider though, working the festival keeps me in check - it's a more relaxed affair and as you have to take time out to be sober, rest and be fit for work, if might help some of you to consider this as an option in the future. 

 

[ian the worm]

Everyone has their own journey around alcohol and for me it’s 7.5 years sober with this being something like my 25th sober festival. 

Hopefully everyone here will enjoy their journey this summer  

 

 

[Beaver89]

5 hours ago, Deviceing said:

I've never seen anything at the bars but don't often check, but wouldn't be surprised as it's becoming more of a thing recently (was at the 6 Nations last month and they were pushing the 0% Guinness HARD).

But you don't 'bother' the ice cream vans, no one bats an eye if you just get a soft drink and all the food vendors have them too, even the ones with crap food (= no queue). All the fruit salad places have juice and there was a really good milkshake place last year.

But also, like, water? Just get a refillable bottle and bring it with you.

I't going to be my tenth time I know no one will bat an eyelid and I can more often than not be seen sporting a camelbak that is full of water (most of the time... it had cider for headliners and late night!) so more than familiar. Just wondered if there were any hidden gems or tricks worth knowing. I'm looking forward to exploring the Greenfield's and that area for interesting stuff - there has to be some good stuff up there!

[mandana]

I am also hoping to do this year alcohol free.. Just clocked in 19 days.. Will be keeping an eye out for AF options.

Currently been drinking tonic water when I go out these days. Hoping there are some other options too asides from water and soft drinks.

[ian the worm]

4 minutes ago, mandana said:

I am also hoping to do this year alcohol free.. Just clocked in 19 days.. Will be keeping an eye out for AF options.

Currently been drinking tonic water when I go out these days. Hoping there are some other options too asides from water and soft drinks.

Well done on 19days. I’m sober and I work in a cocktail bar. You can always ask at the bar for a mocktail. Just be super clear that you do not want alcohol and they will understand. xx

[stuartbert two hats]

I'm not planning on doing it sober, but I think I'm going to cut down a bit.  As usual, I drank the massive pouches of wine, but didn't really feel like I got much benefit out of it, so I don't intend to take them this year.

I'll still take cider and still go to the bar for beer and cocktails, but maybe won't hammer it with the booze quite as much, as it just wears me out the days afterwards.

Edited April 22, 2023 by stuartbert two hats

[mandana]

10 minutes ago, ian the worm said:

Well done on 19days. I’m sober and I work in a cocktail bar. You can always ask at the bar for a mocktail. Just be super clear that you do not want alcohol and they will understand. xx

Thanks Ian, thats reassuring!

[Thunderstruck]

On 3/16/2023 at 9:47 AM, dmedxb said:

Nice to see this thread pop up again! Currently at 445 sober days, going strong and looking forward to a second sober Glasto this summer. Hopefully a few more AF beers this time around to save me carrying an Ikea bag full of cans on the bus... 

Private messages always open if someone wants to chat about cutting down, quitting, anything AF really x 

Amazing sober spell! I'm day 41 today and planning my first sober Glastonbury - right now I'm feeling strong and actually looking forward to the different experience! 

[PassingCloud]

On 3/16/2023 at 4:47 PM, kazbop said:

I've really cut down on my drinking the last few months after my wife became ill with cancer. Just wanted to always be available and useful.

We were supposed to be coming to Glasto together but she died last month. 

I've kept the reduced alcohol intake up since to try and protect my mental health and I'm planning on keeping it up. I think I'll bring a few AF cans just for the taste and have the occasional cider. It's gonna be hard enough being there without her without adding in the emotional roller-coaster that being drunk causes in me... 

It's helpful reading everyone else's stories, definitely assists me with the resolve. 

Good luck everyone who's also trying it for the first time 

Sorry for your loss and hope you’re managing to do ok. Also hope you’re still going to be at the festival and celebrating in your wife’s memory.

[glimmers_of_hope]

I stopped drinking at the start of February and contemplating a sober glastonbury as well. I've actually done 2 glastos without drinking before. First one doesn't count because I did mushrooms and weed but the second one was when my wife was pregnant and she couldn't drink so I didn't either. I thought it was totally fine, perhaps it was a little tougher but really I put that down to the weather as it was really wet and normally I would drink through that. I don't drink caffeine either and so I think I will bring some AF beer with me. See what they offer but mainly I drink sparkling water. I think I'll be able to enjoy the atmosphere and just dance myself through it. I have gone to dozens of gigs and some nightclubs already this year sober and it doesn't make a bit of difference for me. Love being clear headed at the time and it is even better waking up the next day and not feeling terrible. 

[Quark]

Not going to go dry but seriously considering reducing my intake this year.  It's not the hangovers that kill me these days but the post-drinking comedowns, really find that it has an effect on my mood for days afterwards now.  Post-festival comedown is bad enough as it is without that adding to it!

[Skip997]

Just now, Quark said:

Not going to go dry but seriously considering reducing my intake this year.  It's not the hangovers that kill me these days but the post-drinking comedowns, really find that it has an effect on my mood for days afterwards now.  Post-festival comedown is bad enough as it is without that adding to it!

When I stopped drinking I found that my post festival recovery time was halved.

[RossTC]

Ive done Sunday sober for many years now, either because im driving home Sunday night or I've just had enough by then. It really gives me a different perspective of the festival on that day, last year was particularly brilliant i just went off on my own explored properly and caught some great music that i probably wouldn't of bothered with if i was drinking.

[stuie]

7 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

When I stopped drinking I found that my post festival recovery time was halved.

Half of the recovery time is for Mandy then? 😉 

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, stuie said:

Half of the recovery time is for Mandy then? 😉 

Along with general tiredness

[dmedxb]

3 hours ago, Thunderstruck said:

Amazing sober spell! I'm day 41 today and planning my first sober Glastonbury - right now I'm feeling strong and actually looking forward to the different experience! 

Congrats! Everyone's experience is a little different but I found the first 30 the toughest so huge well done for getting through that! 

It's certainly a different experience but a good one, promise. 

[mandana]

Just wondering how people got on who were thinking about going alcohol free this year? I managed it with the exception of a tonic and a friends G&T got mixed up and a got a swig of gin. Handed straight back.

Didn't really feel too different from the gang I was with most of the time. But (boxed) "red wine sunday" was painful - 6 litres between three of them by mid afternoon. Plus I was the only one who ended up with red wine spilt on my white t-shirt 🤨

[Thunderstruck]

Posted the below on a thread I thought was this forum but wasn't...Anyone else on the wagon this year?

 

--------

I'm trying again for my first sober one this year.

 

I was 70 odd days sober last year and fell off the wagon at glastonbury...this time I'll be 8 months alcohol free so I'm hoping i'll be a lot stronger.

 

I feel like the festival could help push the alcohol free stuff - there are some options but they could support something like an alcohol free bar - e.g. https://love-from.co/

 

The guy who runs this new place in Manchester is great, so much love for what he's doing. 'Cutting out isn't missing out!' is his mantra. They will have an alcohol free bar I believe at parklife this year 🙂