Unplanned but brilliant…

[CantWaitForGlasto22]

Thought I’d start a new thread for people to share things they’ve done at Glastonbury that were unplanned but brilliant. Hopefully some ideas for those new to the festival, but also for those (like me) who’ve been quite a few times but still have stuff to discover.  Positive vibes only please 😉 

Here are a few of mine:

- wander up to Crows Nest late at night to see the view of the festival from up there. Best when all the lights are on. Now our Sun late night tradition. 
- catch an early session in one of the tents for a band you don’t really know. 49th & Main in acoustic on Sat morning was an unplanned highlight for us last year. Ditto Sports Team who played early on JP stage  

- catch a late session on the Truth Stage - prefer live music to DJs and had some fun down there last year after headliners finished 

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

I have a vivid memory from 2011 of leaving the pyramid stage and going for a wander, then ending up in what felt like a proper inside bar but with a wrestling ring in it and a full on match with ref etc.

Still one of the absolute best random events for me and I don't think I can ever be 100% sure it really happened 

[-TLR-]

2010 - watching Pet Shop Boys and my feet and legs were aching so much i could hardly stand anymore so i left my friends and headed off.

earlier in the day we had been in the Kasbah chatting with whoever and talking about the Piano Bar - i'd never been before, never even tried to find it before, so i thought f**k it lets go have a look.

so i found it, went in, drank mead, and ended up sitting on a little bench seat that was sort of carved into the top of the door frame above the main door.

then a little later, out of nowhere, my friends arrived - seems that subconsciously we'd all had the same idea after the conversation earlier.

later on still, Michael Eavis popped in for a song!

completely unplanned - and one of the best festival nights EVER. 

[Skip997]

2008 I think

Was headed over to see Sinéad O'Connor at the Acoustic tent, passing WH on the way I was stopped in my tracks by the sound of Estelle,

Never made it to Acoustic.

[Neil]

17 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

2008 I think

Was headed over to see Sinéad O'Connor at the Acoustic tent, passing WH on the way I was stopped in my tracks by the sound of Estelle,

Never made it to Acoustic.

reminds me, mid-nineties, was heading up the man drag towards the stone circle when the sound of sinead with jah wobble doing 'visions of you' hit me from the left from the jazzworld stage (as it was)and i had to go and check it out, i lost my momentum and my mates not sure where i went.

[The Nal]

After being in the Rocket Lounge and seeing Mick Jones playing with a band (and meeting him), on the way home at 5am walked by some random stage (no idea where) where Keith Allen was playing with a band and the guy who played Neil in the office was on stage too.

 

[BambooShanks]

31 minutes ago, BBC7BBCHEAVEN said:

I have a vivid memory from 2011 of leaving the pyramid stage and going for a wander, then ending up in what felt like a proper inside bar but with a wrestling ring in it and a full on match with ref etc.

Still one of the absolute best random events for me and I don't think I can ever be 100% sure it really happened 

It did!  it was one of the bars between Pyramid and SH / Woodsies.  I was working it that night they had the wrestling on.  Great times!

[fred quimby]

Not sure what year it was. Had come up giggling anyway but that kind of went, wondered and we ended up in Astrolabe for the last show. Was this group of people who dressed up as various stars, personnas and they lip synced. Now I know that they were good and it was a comedy show, but, I have never laughed as much as I did at their show. Uncontrollable laughter, tears rolling down my cheeks, howling.  Had to Bury my face into the wife several times so I didn't disturb everyone else. Went on for an hour. Felt so good after. 

I would relive that anyday

Edited June 12, 2023 by fred quimby

[ivepiercedmyfootonaspike]

1 hour ago, BBC7BBCHEAVEN said:

I have a vivid memory from 2011 of leaving the pyramid stage and going for a wander, then ending up in what felt like a proper inside bar but with a wrestling ring in it and a full on match with ref etc.

Still one of the absolute best random events for me and I don't think I can ever be 100% sure it really happened 

I was there and it was amazing. I've found some of my pictures of the scenes.

[Xeph1995]

20 minutes ago, ivepiercedmyfootonaspike said:

I was there and it was amazing. I've found some of my pictures of the scenes.

This looks like the funniest thing to stumble upon. 

[CantWaitForGlasto22]

43 minutes ago, ivepiercedmyfootonaspike said:

I was there and it was amazing. I've found some of my pictures of the scenes.

Brilliant! Love this 

[oakdown]

Gave up on trying to get into McFly at Avalon last year and wandered into T&C in a bit of a funk where I bumped into this mad turtle thing and wound up conga-ing around it to the YMCA. Think I was doing loops round it for about half an hour in the end, tunes were brilliant and some kind soul gave me a few swigs of their flask on every pass. Turned my day right around, left with a massive smile on my face.

 

Also went into Rocket Lounge for the first time around 4am on the Friday night to get a cocktail and stayed through to sunrise watching a brass band (potentially Das Brass?) play covers. Some of the most fun I've ever had afterhours!

Edited June 12, 2023 by oakdown

[becs94]

I vaguely remember this from 2011. It was fairly muddy at the start of the week and had sore feet/tired legs, we randomly stumbled across this hotel themed venue in Shangri la. I vaguely remember swapping my wellies for slippers at the door and it was bliss. 

[rubenz]

Popped in to have a look in a building in the Common one yes only to realise we had stumbled across the big tomato fight.

Frantic scenes with people hurling tomatoes at each other in the mud.

Was pretty funny thing to come across mid afternoon!

 

[Dreamingofsunnydays]

One for the Mrs- Walking past the other stage on the way to Avalon at the exact point Mel C came on to sing spice up your life with The Blossoms. One of the best moments ever apparently! 
 

Mine was randomly walking past stormzy on Friday morning in Williams Green, had a nice littile nod of appreciation between us. 

[donthaveacoolname]

I remember heading to the hurly burly cafe after U2 to get warm and dry off for a bit, as we all decided it was time to head back to the tents, the weather had done us in, two of us needed the loo so popped into Bella's field to the nearest ones, as I was waiting fro my friend to finish I was presently swaying away to the Ska track coming from behind us, she came out bopping away to the same beat so went to investigate and that's how we discovered The Wheel Of Four Tunes, woke us right up and we continued the party on for another couple of hours, great night

[mouserat]

One of the issues of having a massive group at Glasto is trying to all end up in the same place at the end of the night. I can remember one year where the 20+ of us had bold plans to catch someone in particular in the SE corner (can't remember who) but I don't think we ever made it further than a bar somewhere around Avalon which was playing cracking music and had us all dancing on the tables for what felt like hours. 

In general, I'd say the best late nights I've had at Glasto were all unplanned, ending up in somewhere like the Bimble Inn dancing to a random DJ rather than pushing through crowds to get to the centre of Arcadia etc.

[BBC7BBCHEAVEN]

3 hours ago, ivepiercedmyfootonaspike said:

I was there and it was amazing. I've found some of my pictures of the scenes.

This is incredible, I honestly had no way of proving this since 2011 and half of my mates thought I had made it up or just had a fever dream!

[Tranquility of Solitude]

After The Cure in 2019, myself, my son, my daughter, my niece and her boyfriend went into The Woods for a few drinks by the fire, to unwind and recap the whole festival. Ended up spending a couple of hours in there, sharing stories of who we’d seen, what we’d done etc.... we were joined by several more people, all got chatting. It was a bit bittersweet, because the festival was ending, and I confess to doing more listening then talking, but seeing how much they had all had a blast, and were desperate to return made it magical.

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

3 hours ago, ivepiercedmyfootonaspike said:

I was there and it was amazing. I've found some of my pictures of the scenes.

Ahh we got there too late for this. Well, we arrived in what we thought was plenty of time, but the queue was massive and we gave up. Looks great though