Volunteering 2024

[Chazwozza]

As tickets seem to be getting more difficult to get hold of I'm thinking of the volunteering route for next year.  Do people think it would help to register interest with the various groups this early on, or would I be better waiting until after the summer holidays season?

[amfy]

For most it makes no difference. Applications become active early next year. You will only be registering an interest before then.

……Unless you can do 2 Oxfam festivals before the end of this festival season which would give you priority and make it ALOT easier to get a place for Glastonbury next year.

[golden egg]

You can still do two festivals this summer with Oxfam which would give you priority for glasto next year 

[DareToDibble]

I've been having this thought a lot myself. There a fair amount of friends on this forum who work every year and love it. I'm very tempted. 

I think I would still prefer a normal ticket but it would be daft not to explore the working options I think.

[philipsteak]

Might as well register interest. Not committing to anything at this stage

[Funkyfairy!]

6 hours ago, DareToDibble said:

I've been having this thought a lot myself. There a fair amount of friends on this forum who work every year and love it. I'm very tempted. 

I think I would still prefer a normal ticket but it would be daft not to explore the working options I think.

Explore it - you know you want to 🙂 . In all honesty its great but only if you value time before the festival to explore and don;t mind missing some of the acts then its superb 

[incident]

7 hours ago, DareToDibble said:

I've been having this thought a lot myself. There a fair amount of friends on this forum who work every year and love it. I'm very tempted. 

I think I would still prefer a normal ticket but it would be daft not to explore the working options I think.

If you're on the fence, then I'd suggest that you could explore the concept a bit by signing up to work at a Festival you're not as fussed about and probably wouldn't buy a ticket for. You can get to understand how working shifts would impact your enjoyment, and even if you then decide it's not for you it hasn't cost you a Glastonbury weekend - worst case scenario is you use up a few days annual leave and in the process get to see a festival you wouldn't otherwise have been to.

[bexj]

There's some Oxfam spots for Womad starting next Wednesday just come up.  That firmly sits in the category of music I've no idea about but looking forward to whichever shifts I get and whichever music I see. 

I did Bearded in May, which firmly sits in the lots of music for me camp, but only ended up missing one must see, had a blast both volunteering and partying. 

I'm still none the wiser if that is helping my Glastonbury thoughts for next year! 

[DareToDibble]

On 7/19/2023 at 7:19 PM, incident said:

If you're on the fence, then I'd suggest that you could explore the concept a bit by signing up to work at a Festival you're not as fussed about and probably wouldn't buy a ticket for. You can get to understand how working shifts would impact your enjoyment, and even if you then decide it's not for you it hasn't cost you a Glastonbury weekend - worst case scenario is you use up a few days annual leave and in the process get to see a festival you wouldn't otherwise have been to.

This is a great shout to be fair. I think I might still be registered from when I was going to apply back in 2019 so will have a look into it. Would be good to try and align with people off here and see if I could meet up with them if working.

You need to do 2 this year to get priority for Glastonbury next year right?

[Gaz_88]

12 minutes ago, DareToDibble said:

This is a great shout to be fair. I think I might still be registered from when I was going to apply back in 2019 so will have a look into it. Would be good to try and align with people off here and see if I could meet up with them if working.

You need to do 2 this year to get priority for Glastonbury next year right?

Correct

[dotdash79]

On 7/19/2023 at 7:19 PM, incident said:

If you're on the fence, then I'd suggest that you could explore the concept a bit by signing up to work at a Festival you're not as fussed about and probably wouldn't buy a ticket for. You can get to understand how working shifts would impact your enjoyment, and even if you then decide it's not for you it hasn't cost you a Glastonbury weekend - worst case scenario is you use up a few days annual leave and in the process get to see a festival you wouldn't otherwise have been to.

This is what we are doing at kendal calling next weekend trying out volunteering. If we like it we know it’s an option for next year. 

[stuie]

12 hours ago, DareToDibble said:

This is a great shout to be fair. I think I might still be registered from when I was going to apply back in 2019 so will have a look into it. Would be good to try and align with people off here and see if I could meet up with them if working.

You need to do 2 this year to get priority for Glastonbury next year right?

 

11 hours ago, dotdash79 said:

This is what we are doing at kendal calling next weekend trying out volunteering. If we like it we know it’s an option for next year. 

Keep in mind that volunteering at Glasto has perks over volunteering at other festivals.  At Glasto you are highly likely to have shifts on Weds/Thurs (officially non-show days).  Glasto also has loads more crew bars than other festivals and you can go on Monday if you like, so it feels like you have much more downtime to explore the festival. 

[philipsteak]

Yep, you've got a reasonably good chance of a shift on the Thursday but that still leaves two over the festival itself. I've been lucky and I think only had one where I've had Friday,Saturday & Sunday shifts and you do feel a bit short changed. Although if you can do a post festival Monday shift that helps. 

[Gaz_88]

2 hours ago, philipsteak said:

Yep, you've got a reasonably good chance of a shift on the Thursday but that still leaves two over the festival itself. I've been lucky and I think only had one where I've had Friday,Saturday & Sunday shifts and you do feel a bit short changed. Although if you can do a post festival Monday shift that helps. 

I worked for Oxfam at glasto this year and had Wednesday morning, Thursday Night and Saturday daytime and got off at 10 so saw the majority of Guns n roses, so had Friday and Sunday fully off

[philipsteak]

10 minutes ago, Gaz_88 said:

I worked for Oxfam at glasto this year and had Wednesday morning, Thursday Night and Saturday daytime and got off at 10 so saw the majority of Guns n roses, so had Friday and Sunday fully off

Same shift pattern as me, only I finished at 9 as I'm a team leader.

Even if you get one of the later patterns you are still getting at least one shift out of the way before this kick off.

My post was in relation to other festivals where you'll likely be working more over the weekend itself

Edited July 21, 2023 by philipsteak

[amfy]

1 hour ago, Gaz_88 said:

I worked for Oxfam at glasto this year and had Wednesday morning, Thursday Night and Saturday daytime and got off at 10 so saw the majority of Guns n roses, so had Friday and Sunday fully off

It’s important that people also understand the flip side of the coin. We worked Thursday morning so one was out of the way, but our 2nd was a Friday overnighter, which wiped out Friday headliners and meant we couldn’t really go mad much before that either, & we were late starting/knackered on Saturday having not got to bed til nearly 7am after our shift. Then we worked Sunday afternoon which meant we potentially missed pretty much everything on Sunday (although Tbf in the end we did get away just in time to get to the edges of the field for most of Elton’s set)

We did still see a fair few bands though. It’s just that the idea of 3 shifts over 5 days can sound better in theory than reality.

I think it’s harder in some ways at Glastonbury than other festivals because there is ALWAYS something going on, and you are pretty much always going to have to walk miles to get to it! 
 

Not meant as a whinge, just making sure people know what they’re signing up for. It can be easy to oversell it!

[Tr234]

2 hours ago, amfy said:

It’s important that people also understand the flip side of the coin. We worked Thursday morning so one was out of the way, but our 2nd was a Friday overnighter, which wiped out Friday headliners and meant we couldn’t really go mad much before that either, & we were late starting/knackered on Saturday having not got to bed til nearly 7am after our shift. Then we worked Sunday afternoon which meant we potentially missed pretty much everything on Sunday (although Tbf in the end we did get away just in time to get to the edges of the field for most of Elton’s set)

We did still see a fair few bands though. It’s just that the idea of 3 shifts over 5 days can sound better in theory than reality.

I think it’s harder in some ways at Glastonbury than other festivals because there is ALWAYS something going on, and you are pretty much always going to have to walk miles to get to it! 
 

Not meant as a whinge, just making sure people know what they’re signing up for. It can be easy to oversell it!

Agree with this, planned some things to do around my shifts but found that I missed some stuff due to being knackered and needing a lie in from all the working/walking. Would definitely do it again but can see why some people don't enjoy it

[bexj]

From my vast experience of 1 (not Glasto) festival, its definitely not an easy ticket.  You will get some sh*t shifts, you will miss some things you really don't want to - and you will need to stay sober for later in the day shifts.  You will be knackered, you will walk miles.  I really enjoyed it and will do more - but still in 2 minds about whether doing Glastonbury is right for me, despite my desperation to go!

[Jay Pee]

Look at other options than Oxfam also. WaterAid work is almost all inside "the wire" so you are amongst the acts even when working and the roles very rarely include any work at all overnight. There are some early starts (06:30) which may mean reigning it in a bit the night before but generally the shifts are more conducive with keeping a routine sleep wise.

[goldfishboy]

I switched to volunteering a few years ago. Previously I thought it would be a shame to to be working for any part of the festival, but in reality there's so much you miss anyway and it feels great to play a part in this event that I've loved for many years. Plus there are some neat perks like a quiet campsite and showers.

The main downside for me is the timing of the shifts. As an Oxfam steward you typically get one early start, one overnight and one afternoon shift, so my body clock is all over the place by the end.

I also do at least two festivals a year so get priority which is a huge benefit as it takes away much of the stress of ticket day.

[Leyrulion]

On 7/19/2023 at 9:56 AM, Chazwozza said:

As tickets seem to be getting more difficult to get hold of I'm thinking of the volunteering route for next year.  Do people think it would help to register interest with the various groups this early on, or would I be better waiting until after the summer holidays season?

The number 1 tip I would give is to start now. 

What you need to know is that most, if not all, Glastonbury volunteering spots are effectively taken by March so last minute finding of spots is incredibly hard.

It is a lot easier to get a spot if you already have some sort of connection. A load of spaces aren't even available publicly and are through word of mouth by local groups for people who have done something with them before. 

 

[Festival Sounds Podcast]

It’s different drivers for everyone but for me, volunteering is the first choice.

For experience of Oxfam give this a listen 

 

[Crazyfool01]

[stuie]

1 hour ago, Crazyfool01 said:

 

Also, opportunities are still available for Boardmasters (same weekend as Boomtown) Reading/Leeds and ArcTanGent. 

 

[Chazwozza]

Thanks all for the insights and ideas - I like the idea of Water Aid, the loo crew seems like an… interesting?… option but not sure I could stand the stench.  Or am I putting the worst possible interpretation on things?