Idiots guide

[Nick_]

Is there an idiot's guide somewhere to how Glastonbury Festival works?  Everything I read is like coming in halfway through a conversation, and I don't have the context to make any sense of it.

I asked the official Glastonbury Festival support email address, but the little I got back from them made even less sense!

 

I am in my 60s, have never been, and fancy trying to see what it's all about while my body still vaguely works.

[Skip997]

You need - some sort of shelter, whether that is a tent (canvas or otherwise), something to sleep on, something to sleep in, some clothes (it can get very cold around 10pm), waterproofs, sensible waterproof footwear (ideally not wellies), some cash, a water bottle.

More or less everything else is optional.

Don't fret about arrival times or where you're going to camp.

Try not to obsess about seeing everything in your list of acts, relax, take time out.

Stay hydrated, eat well.

Try to take time after you're set up to orientate yourself and learn a bit about the site layout.

Chill and go with the flow.

[StoneCircle]

58 minutes ago, Nick_ said:

Is there an idiot's guide somewhere to how Glastonbury Festival works?  Everything I read is like coming in halfway through a conversation, and I don't have the context to make any sense of it.

I asked the official Glastonbury Festival support email address, but the little I got back from them made even less sense!

 

I am in my 60s, have never been, and fancy trying to see what it's all about while my body still vaguely works.

https://www.glastoearth.com/ is what you need!

[balti-pie]

I revisit the Glastoearth site about once a year, its so magnificently in-depth and knowledgeable, and its thrilling to nose thru when youve been a load of times - i cant even imagine how exciting it'd be before your first glastonbury, i'd probably explode with excitement 😄

[PassingCloud]

Tort's Guide, which i think is the above glastoearth

[sunnyshoes]

Are there any particular questions that you have in mind that we could help with? 

[Cleoclaptrap]

9 hours ago, Nick_ said:

Is there an idiot's guide somewhere to how Glastonbury Festival works?  Everything I read is like coming in halfway through a conversation, and I don't have the context to make any sense of it.

I asked the official Glastonbury Festival support email address, but the little I got back from them made even less sense!

 

I am in my 60s, have never been, and fancy trying to see what it's all about while my body still vaguely works.

I think it's wonderful that you want to have the Glastonbury experience. It truly is a huge wonderful festival.

Read through Glastoearth its really in depth and should cover lots of your queries.

Ask us if you need furth information. We all have different experiences of the festival as there is so much to see and do. Everyone will have a different approach and expectation.

You can bring your own booze and drink it anywhere unlike lots of other festivals. There is a vast choice of food all day and night.

Loads of stages, bars, music, places to dance, theatre, cabaret and people. Its awe inspiring.

Once bitten totally smitten.

[Neil]

16 hours ago, PassingCloud said:

Tort's Guide, which i think is the above glastoearth

indeed an idiot's guide, properly described.

[Nick_]

On 4/22/2023 at 8:49 AM, Neil said:

indeed an idiot's guide, properly described.

Sorry, man.  Didn't realise.

[Nick_]

On 4/21/2023 at 1:31 PM, StoneCircle said:

https://www.glastoearth.com/ is what you need!

That looks good - thank you very much for the link.  There's a lot of it, but hopefully it will give me a good enough understanding.

[Nick_]

On 4/21/2023 at 7:49 PM, sunnyshoes said:

Are there any particular questions that you have in mind that we could help with? 

Right now I think it's "everything"!  All I know of Glastonbury is occasional shots on the media, plus I watched a few of the performances from last year on the BBC, when I heard that a few young people at work were going.  Not had a chance to talk to any if them about it though.

I don't know if the music "concerts" are all of it, or there is more stuff going on around those.  Other than knowing that some people camp, I have no idea how accommodation works.  The process for getting tickets is a complete mystery to me - I tired in tranche 1 a couple of months ago and was told I wasn't allowed to buy and had to come back for tranche 2, but I can't see how that works.

The people who run it seem to assume that everyone who wants to come already knows everything, so don't publish any information, as far as I can tell.

So, yeah, everything, really😀

[Nick_]

On 4/22/2023 at 7:51 AM, SGS said:

I have sent you a private message if that helps

Thank you.

[Nick_]

I am, though, now wondering if at my age and lack of knowledge and experience about this sort of thing, whether I will ever be able to catch up.  I suspect it's better for my own sanity and the peace of others that I give up on the idea.

[Mich1268]

Don't give up. Ask one of your colleagues who go to explain it face to face. 

[Losing my hair]

14 minutes ago, Nick_ said:

I am, though, now wondering if at my age and lack of knowledge and experience about this sort of thing, whether I will ever be able to catch up.  I suspect it's better for my own sanity and the peace of others that I give up on the idea.

Don't give up. I did my first at 64, this year will be my fourth. 

[Nick_]

3 hours ago, Mich1268 said:

Don't give up. Ask one of your colleagues who go to explain it face to face. 

I'll try.  Then do tend to be a lot younger than me, and nowadays there's less overlap in the office than pre-covid though, so it's not always easy to have a conversation 

[Nick_]

2 hours ago, Losing my hair said:

Don't give up. I did my first at 64, this year will be my fourth. 

Thanks.  How much of it all was new to you for that first one?  I don't really know what to expect of any festival.

[Losing my hair]

35 minutes ago, Nick_ said:

Thanks.  How much of it all was new to you for that first one?  I don't really know what to expect of any festival.

It was all new, I hadn't done a festival for years but got fed up just watching Glastonbury on tv. Luckily got myself a ticket for 2017 and went on my own. The whole experience blew me away, best thing I ever did. Now I'm an addict.  

You will have to be dedicated to get a ticket. 

First step is to register once the registration page is open again (it's closed at the minute because of today's ticket sale).

Then keep a track of what's going on on here for details of the ticket sale for 2024, which will most likely be late October.

If you're no sure about anything then ask on here.

[incident]

1 hour ago, Nick_ said:

Thanks.  How much of it all was new to you for that first one?  I don't really know what to expect of any festival.

In all honesty - if you don't really know what to expect of a festival, and at this point you're all but locked out of Glastonbury 2023 - take the opportunity to visit a different festival this year and find your feet. The UK (ok, really just England and Wales) is blessed with a large number of excellent festivals and most* of them would be a gentler introduction.

Glastonbury is often considered the "gathering of the tribes" - the big one where everyone comes together, but many of the smaller festivals cater to more specific audiences and in terms of catering to that specific niche many of them do it better than Glastonbury does.

If you can say what most interests you about Glastonbury, and what music you're drawn to, then people here would likely be able to recommend something that's easier and cheaper than Glastonbury. You won't get the "everything" experience anywhere else, but you can certainly get a good grounding and have an amazing weekend - and be more prepared for next year.

*except Boomtown, which would be a way more intense introduction.

Edited April 23, 2023 by incident

[bexj]

Nick, welcome, and its great that you're asking questions about Glastonbury.  I'm in my mid 50s but have been going to festivals since I was a teenager! Most festivals cater for camper vans and most (although not all) you'll find a wide range of ages from newborn babies up to, well, how old is too old!!  Most are easier to get tickets for than Glastonbury and all are physically easier!  Its a bit like going on a city break after a rural life and choosing New York as the first city you visit! 

Think about what concerns and likes you have. Most festivals are where strangers chat to and hug each other. All festivals are exposed to the elements, 24/7, and can be brutally hot or knee deep in mud, or sometimes both. Most festivals have an "arena" where the entertainment is, with the camping /camper lying outside of the arena.  Most festivals you will see people drunk or on drugs mixing with families.  All festivals have grotty toilets and limited shower/washing facilities. Most festivals you eat from food stalls, some are great, a lot are awful.  Most festivals have a mix of different music, and many have non musical entertainment, from science to comedy and theatre.  

If you think you like the ups and downs, then let us know what sort of music you like and someone will give recommendations! 

 

Ps, people can and do Glastonbury for the first time in their 60's...my mum was 63, but it helps to be curious and find out what you're letting yourself in for! 

All the best, happy to answer any questions! 

[Mich1268]

23 hours ago, Nick_ said:

Thanks.  How much of it all was new to you for that first one?  I don't really know what to expect of any festival.

First time, didn't really know how to get tickets. Tried and failed. Then the research started. The newspaper Somerset live helped if I can remember. Then when I got a ticket the next year, I camped onsidte. That was harsh. It was wet. But once I had been I could not want to go. 

[p.pete]

On 4/24/2023 at 3:15 PM, Mich1268 said:

First time, didn't really know how to get tickets. Tried and failed. Then the research started. The newspaper Somerset live helped if I can remember. Then when I got a ticket the next year, I camped onsidte. That was harsh. It was wet. But once I had been I could not want to go. 

Exactly.  It sucks that everyone can't go - you can't just decide you're going to go and buy a ticket and then turn up.  So lots of hoops to jump through, registering, being lucky with tickets etc.  Definitely there is a learning curve, which is not something you expect to encounter when you decide to go to a music festival.  If you're interested you'll do the research, spend time on here, ask questions.  

@Nick_ hope you make it - it's not an impossible dream.  Things will go crazy on here over the next couple of months with people getting excited about this years festival.  After that attention will turn to how do we get tickets for next year.  We'll be more than happy to help, offer advice and try to break things down to what's the essential need-to-know stuff (as well as the way-too-detailed stuff)

Once you have registered, that registration will stay valid for years - so it's something you only need to do once (and then keep your info up to date, e.g. if you change address).  It's basically your name and address and a photo - and then they give you a registration number.  When you're trying to buy tickets if you're lucky enough (hard for all of us!) to get through to the ticket page then you need that registration number and your postcode so that a ticket gets added to your account.  Similarly if you want someone else to help you get tickets that same reg number and postcode is what you share with them.