Glastonbury is Extortionate!

[Gnomicide]

According to The Telegraph. They suggest other stuff you could do instead, some are possible, others are bollocks.

Warning, they use this picture of a Glastonbury punter to put you off...

Here's their column:

Glastonbury is extortionate – here’s what you could get for your money instead
The popular festival will be a whopping £360 in 2024, but there are so many holiday experiences you could have instead

ByNatalie Paris, TRAVEL WRITER8 October 2023 • 5:00pm

The price of Glastonbury Festival tickets has risen again, not that this will dampen the event’s popularity. The internationally-famous music festival is an experience like no other, a euphoric world full of moments that make your heart swell and crowds of strangers unite.

It is, of course, not to everyone’s taste. Every year sees mud, unsanitary toilets and overcrowding to contend with. And in June 2024, a ticket for four nights will set you back £355 – plus a £5 booking fee. Perhaps it is time to ask: what else could I be doing with that money instead? Yes, sequined leotards and surprisingly potent cider make a fun combination, but an exciting summer escape can involve other ingredients too.

While Glastonbury is a great laugh, there's so much more you could get for your money.
The following holidays and mini-breaks all cost less, per person, than a ticket to Glastonbury Festival but are great alternatives for getting together with friends.

A more luxurious festi-holiday, Portugal 
Not all festivals mean you have to camp during the temperamental British summer. For the price of a Glastonbury ticket you can fly to the Portuguese city of Porto for Primavera, a music festival that involves many of the same acts as Michael Eavis’s extravaganza but has the option of bedding down at a hotel each night. Primavera curates impressive lineups and the Porto edition takes over the Parque da Cidade, with buses running to the site from the city centre.

You can get a flight, hotel and entry to Primavera in Porto for the same price as a Glastonbury ticket.

How to do it: A three-day ticket for Primavera Porto from June 6-8 costs £131. Flights from London to Porto are currently £100 return with easyJet. An apartment for two complete with a kitchenette in a historic building at Lost Apartments costs from £96 each for three nights.

Relax and unwind, Cotswolds 
A weekend’s pampering at a spa hotel is far removed from the endurance test that is Glastonbury, but it might be just what you and your friends need. 

Get a group together for a relaxing couple of days at Cowley Manor Experimental, a grand, golden-stone pile with oh-so romantic gardens, grottos and cascades. The hotel is located near Cheltenham and its interiors have recently been spruced up a treat. Smooth and chunky contemporary shapes abound that give the building’s traditional cornicing and high ceilings a funky edge, while the long bar is particularly sleek for a chat over a cocktail. 

How about a spa weekend at the sumptuous Cowley Manor

Experimental?
Afterwards, dine on the fanciest grilled meat and French puddings at Jackson Boxer’s restaurant, amid floor-to-ceiling wood panelling. The hotel’s Cotswold-stone spa is a dream, with a sauna and steam room joined by a large, heated outdoor pool and a sophisticated green slate indoor pool that looks onto trees from behind a wall of glass.

How to do it: Two nights with breakfast in a double room at Cowley Manor Experimental (01242 870900) costs from £288 per person.

Stadiums and a sw*nky stay, London
Swap the festival for a city break and enjoy live music in comfortable surroundings with plenty of brunch options for the next day instead. 

On Saturday, June 15, you could see indie rockers James play the O2 Arena in London, supported by Razorlight. Or perhaps you and your friends hit the jackpot and already have coveted tickets to Taylor Swift’s sold-out show at Wembley Stadium. 
Why not round up seven friends and stay in the The Royal Charm, a gorgeous, modern home in Notting Hill? 
For less than it costs to go to Glastonbury, eight friends can stay at The Royal Charm, a gorgeous, modern home in Notting Hill, for a leisurely weekend. No leaky tent for you, the four bedrooms will be an absolute joy to roll into after an evening of singing your heart out. Best of all are the three bathrooms, one of which has a freestanding, black stone bathtub.

How to do it: The Royal Charm is a four-bedroom house that costs from £259.65 per person, based on eight sharing (plumguide.com). Tickets to James at the O2 cost from £50.

Dance until you drop, Ibiza
Avoid spending next year glued to the Glastonbury weather forecast and book guaranteed sun in Ibiza instead. Sashaying about Pacha or Ushuaia requires a different wardrobe to Glastonbury but don’t worry, your hotel has ample space to unpack, along with real beds. 

Get your dancing shoes on for Pacha in Ibiza instead.
Stay on a half-board basis at the Apartamentos San Miguel Park & Esmeralda Mar and you can lounge by the pool before checking out some of the world’s best DJs. Bedrooms have a balcony or terrace and the hotel lies 350m from Puerto de San Miguel beach.

How to do it: Five nights at the Apartamentos San Miguel Park & Esmeralda Mar on a half-board basis costs from £354 per person (based on two sharing), including easyjet flights from London; departs June 22–27.

 

Alternative healing fields, Yorkshire
Glastonbury’s healing fields are a brilliant place to discover everything from a Tibetan sound bath to Reiki healing. If you can’t afford a ticket though, swap the rolling fields of Somerset for the wild moors of Yorkshire.

The Tree runs respected yoga retreats that are open to all and include guided breathing sessions, yoga, meditation, vegetarian food, massages and the use of a sauna and hot tub. The weekend finishes with Sunday lunch. Homely accommodation in The Old Chapel features rooms that sleep up to three people, so it’s ideal for a group of friends.

How to do it: A yoga and mindfulness weekend at The Tree costs from £355 per person, staying in The Old Chapel (based on two sharing).

A less intense experience, Devon
Embrace the unpredictability of early summer weather in Britain by whisking your friends off to the coast for a quiet and exclusive weekend catch-up. The houses, lodges and cottages offered by Unique Homestays are mouthwateringly handsome and occupy some beautiful locations in the UK, often for less than £360 per guest. 

Arrange a reunion with five of your friends at The Brandy Thief, for example, and hear the roar of waves from your front door. Located in Ilfracombe, Devon, this cottage has wooden beams and three sumptuous bedrooms with sea views. The coastal path passes overhead and there are even standing stones nearby, if you want to recreate that stone circle experience without the intensity of Glastonbury.

How to do it: The Brandy Thief sleeps six and costs from £349 per person. 

 

[Skip997]

5 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Every year sees mud, unsanitary toilets and overcrowding to contend with.

When are these myths going to stop?

The only one with any validity here is the overcrowding.

[stuie]

19 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

According to The Telegraph. They suggest other stuff you could do instead, some are possible, others are bollocks.

Warning, they use this picture of a Glastonbury punter to put you off...

Here's their column:

Glastonbury is extortionate – here’s what you could get for your money instead
The popular festival will be a whopping £360 in 2024, but there are so many holiday experiences you could have instead

ByNatalie Paris, TRAVEL WRITER8 October 2023 • 5:00pm

The price of Glastonbury Festival tickets has risen again, not that this will dampen the event’s popularity. The internationally-famous music festival is an experience like no other, a euphoric world full of moments that make your heart swell and crowds of strangers unite.

It is, of course, not to everyone’s taste. Every year sees mud, unsanitary toilets and overcrowding to contend with. And in June 2024, a ticket for four nights will set you back £355 – plus a £5 booking fee. Perhaps it is time to ask: what else could I be doing with that money instead? Yes, sequined leotards and surprisingly potent cider make a fun combination, but an exciting summer escape can involve other ingredients too.

While Glastonbury is a great laugh, there's so much more you could get for your money.
The following holidays and mini-breaks all cost less, per person, than a ticket to Glastonbury Festival but are great alternatives for getting together with friends.

A more luxurious festi-holiday, Portugal 
Not all festivals mean you have to camp during the temperamental British summer. For the price of a Glastonbury ticket you can fly to the Portuguese city of Porto for Primavera, a music festival that involves many of the same acts as Michael Eavis’s extravaganza but has the option of bedding down at a hotel each night. Primavera curates impressive lineups and the Porto edition takes over the Parque da Cidade, with buses running to the site from the city centre.

You can get a flight, hotel and entry to Primavera in Porto for the same price as a Glastonbury ticket.

How to do it: A three-day ticket for Primavera Porto from June 6-8 costs £131. Flights from London to Porto are currently £100 return with easyJet. An apartment for two complete with a kitchenette in a historic building at Lost Apartments costs from £96 each for three nights.

Relax and unwind, Cotswolds 
A weekend’s pampering at a spa hotel is far removed from the endurance test that is Glastonbury, but it might be just what you and your friends need. 

Get a group together for a relaxing couple of days at Cowley Manor Experimental, a grand, golden-stone pile with oh-so romantic gardens, grottos and cascades. The hotel is located near Cheltenham and its interiors have recently been spruced up a treat. Smooth and chunky contemporary shapes abound that give the building’s traditional cornicing and high ceilings a funky edge, while the long bar is particularly sleek for a chat over a cocktail. 

How about a spa weekend at the sumptuous Cowley Manor

Experimental?
Afterwards, dine on the fanciest grilled meat and French puddings at Jackson Boxer’s restaurant, amid floor-to-ceiling wood panelling. The hotel’s Cotswold-stone spa is a dream, with a sauna and steam room joined by a large, heated outdoor pool and a sophisticated green slate indoor pool that looks onto trees from behind a wall of glass.

How to do it: Two nights with breakfast in a double room at Cowley Manor Experimental (01242 870900) costs from £288 per person.

Stadiums and a sw*nky stay, London
Swap the festival for a city break and enjoy live music in comfortable surroundings with plenty of brunch options for the next day instead. 

On Saturday, June 15, you could see indie rockers James play the O2 Arena in London, supported by Razorlight. Or perhaps you and your friends hit the jackpot and already have coveted tickets to Taylor Swift’s sold-out show at Wembley Stadium. 
Why not round up seven friends and stay in the The Royal Charm, a gorgeous, modern home in Notting Hill? 
For less than it costs to go to Glastonbury, eight friends can stay at The Royal Charm, a gorgeous, modern home in Notting Hill, for a leisurely weekend. No leaky tent for you, the four bedrooms will be an absolute joy to roll into after an evening of singing your heart out. Best of all are the three bathrooms, one of which has a freestanding, black stone bathtub.

How to do it: The Royal Charm is a four-bedroom house that costs from £259.65 per person, based on eight sharing (plumguide.com). Tickets to James at the O2 cost from £50.

Dance until you drop, Ibiza
Avoid spending next year glued to the Glastonbury weather forecast and book guaranteed sun in Ibiza instead. Sashaying about Pacha or Ushuaia requires a different wardrobe to Glastonbury but don’t worry, your hotel has ample space to unpack, along with real beds. 

Get your dancing shoes on for Pacha in Ibiza instead.
Stay on a half-board basis at the Apartamentos San Miguel Park & Esmeralda Mar and you can lounge by the pool before checking out some of the world’s best DJs. Bedrooms have a balcony or terrace and the hotel lies 350m from Puerto de San Miguel beach.

How to do it: Five nights at the Apartamentos San Miguel Park & Esmeralda Mar on a half-board basis costs from £354 per person (based on two sharing), including easyjet flights from London; departs June 22–27.

 

Alternative healing fields, Yorkshire
Glastonbury’s healing fields are a brilliant place to discover everything from a Tibetan sound bath to Reiki healing. If you can’t afford a ticket though, swap the rolling fields of Somerset for the wild moors of Yorkshire.

The Tree runs respected yoga retreats that are open to all and include guided breathing sessions, yoga, meditation, vegetarian food, massages and the use of a sauna and hot tub. The weekend finishes with Sunday lunch. Homely accommodation in The Old Chapel features rooms that sleep up to three people, so it’s ideal for a group of friends.

How to do it: A yoga and mindfulness weekend at The Tree costs from £355 per person, staying in The Old Chapel (based on two sharing).

A less intense experience, Devon
Embrace the unpredictability of early summer weather in Britain by whisking your friends off to the coast for a quiet and exclusive weekend catch-up. The houses, lodges and cottages offered by Unique Homestays are mouthwateringly handsome and occupy some beautiful locations in the UK, often for less than £360 per guest. 

Arrange a reunion with five of your friends at The Brandy Thief, for example, and hear the roar of waves from your front door. Located in Ilfracombe, Devon, this cottage has wooden beams and three sumptuous bedrooms with sea views. The coastal path passes overhead and there are even standing stones nearby, if you want to recreate that stone circle experience without the intensity of Glastonbury.

How to do it: The Brandy Thief sleeps six and costs from £349 per person. 

 

Why would the writer assume you want a spa break or a stay in a lodge instead of glasto?

They should have chosen other festivals or similar experiences.

[Ayrshire Chris]

24 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

According to The Telegraph. They suggest other stuff you could do instead, some are possible, others are bollocks.

Warning, they use this picture of a Glastonbury punter to put you off...

Here's their column:

Glastonbury is extortionate – here’s what you could get for your money instead
The popular festival will be a whopping £360 in 2024, but there are so many holiday experiences you could have instead

ByNatalie Paris, TRAVEL WRITER8 October 2023 • 5:00pm

The price of Glastonbury Festival tickets has risen again, not that this will dampen the event’s popularity. The internationally-famous music festival is an experience like no other, a euphoric world full of moments that make your heart swell and crowds of strangers unite.

It is, of course, not to everyone’s taste. Every year sees mud, unsanitary toilets and overcrowding to contend with. And in June 2024, a ticket for four nights will set you back £355 – plus a £5 booking fee. Perhaps it is time to ask: what else could I be doing with that money instead? Yes, sequined leotards and surprisingly potent cider make a fun combination, but an exciting summer escape can involve other ingredients too.

While Glastonbury is a great laugh, there's so much more you could get for your money.
The following holidays and mini-breaks all cost less, per person, than a ticket to Glastonbury Festival but are great alternatives for getting together with friends.

A more luxurious festi-holiday, Portugal 
Not all festivals mean you have to camp during the temperamental British summer. For the price of a Glastonbury ticket you can fly to the Portuguese city of Porto for Primavera, a music festival that involves many of the same acts as Michael Eavis’s extravaganza but has the option of bedding down at a hotel each night. Primavera curates impressive lineups and the Porto edition takes over the Parque da Cidade, with buses running to the site from the city centre.

You can get a flight, hotel and entry to Primavera in Porto for the same price as a Glastonbury ticket.

How to do it: A three-day ticket for Primavera Porto from June 6-8 costs £131. Flights from London to Porto are currently £100 return with easyJet. An apartment for two complete with a kitchenette in a historic building at Lost Apartments costs from £96 each for three nights.

Relax and unwind, Cotswolds 
A weekend’s pampering at a spa hotel is far removed from the endurance test that is Glastonbury, but it might be just what you and your friends need. 

Get a group together for a relaxing couple of days at Cowley Manor Experimental, a grand, golden-stone pile with oh-so romantic gardens, grottos and cascades. The hotel is located near Cheltenham and its interiors have recently been spruced up a treat. Smooth and chunky contemporary shapes abound that give the building’s traditional cornicing and high ceilings a funky edge, while the long bar is particularly sleek for a chat over a cocktail. 

How about a spa weekend at the sumptuous Cowley Manor

Experimental?
Afterwards, dine on the fanciest grilled meat and French puddings at Jackson Boxer’s restaurant, amid floor-to-ceiling wood panelling. The hotel’s Cotswold-stone spa is a dream, with a sauna and steam room joined by a large, heated outdoor pool and a sophisticated green slate indoor pool that looks onto trees from behind a wall of glass.

How to do it: Two nights with breakfast in a double room at Cowley Manor Experimental (01242 870900) costs from £288 per person.

Stadiums and a sw*nky stay, London
Swap the festival for a city break and enjoy live music in comfortable surroundings with plenty of brunch options for the next day instead. 

On Saturday, June 15, you could see indie rockers James play the O2 Arena in London, supported by Razorlight. Or perhaps you and your friends hit the jackpot and already have coveted tickets to Taylor Swift’s sold-out show at Wembley Stadium. 
Why not round up seven friends and stay in the The Royal Charm, a gorgeous, modern home in Notting Hill? 
For less than it costs to go to Glastonbury, eight friends can stay at The Royal Charm, a gorgeous, modern home in Notting Hill, for a leisurely weekend. No leaky tent for you, the four bedrooms will be an absolute joy to roll into after an evening of singing your heart out. Best of all are the three bathrooms, one of which has a freestanding, black stone bathtub.

How to do it: The Royal Charm is a four-bedroom house that costs from £259.65 per person, based on eight sharing (plumguide.com). Tickets to James at the O2 cost from £50.

Dance until you drop, Ibiza
Avoid spending next year glued to the Glastonbury weather forecast and book guaranteed sun in Ibiza instead. Sashaying about Pacha or Ushuaia requires a different wardrobe to Glastonbury but don’t worry, your hotel has ample space to unpack, along with real beds. 

Get your dancing shoes on for Pacha in Ibiza instead.
Stay on a half-board basis at the Apartamentos San Miguel Park & Esmeralda Mar and you can lounge by the pool before checking out some of the world’s best DJs. Bedrooms have a balcony or terrace and the hotel lies 350m from Puerto de San Miguel beach.

How to do it: Five nights at the Apartamentos San Miguel Park & Esmeralda Mar on a half-board basis costs from £354 per person (based on two sharing), including easyjet flights from London; departs June 22–27.

 

Alternative healing fields, Yorkshire
Glastonbury’s healing fields are a brilliant place to discover everything from a Tibetan sound bath to Reiki healing. If you can’t afford a ticket though, swap the rolling fields of Somerset for the wild moors of Yorkshire.

The Tree runs respected yoga retreats that are open to all and include guided breathing sessions, yoga, meditation, vegetarian food, massages and the use of a sauna and hot tub. The weekend finishes with Sunday lunch. Homely accommodation in The Old Chapel features rooms that sleep up to three people, so it’s ideal for a group of friends.

How to do it: A yoga and mindfulness weekend at The Tree costs from £355 per person, staying in The Old Chapel (based on two sharing).

A less intense experience, Devon
Embrace the unpredictability of early summer weather in Britain by whisking your friends off to the coast for a quiet and exclusive weekend catch-up. The houses, lodges and cottages offered by Unique Homestays are mouthwateringly handsome and occupy some beautiful locations in the UK, often for less than £360 per guest. 

Arrange a reunion with five of your friends at The Brandy Thief, for example, and hear the roar of waves from your front door. Located in Ilfracombe, Devon, this cottage has wooden beams and three sumptuous bedrooms with sea views. The coastal path passes overhead and there are even standing stones nearby, if you want to recreate that stone circle experience without the intensity of Glastonbury.

How to do it: The Brandy Thief sleeps six and costs from £349 per person. 

 

I just hope @Crazyfool01is getting royalties from the daily torygraph for using his photo 😉😊

[Gnomicide]

7 minutes ago, stuie said:

Why would the writer assume you want a spa break or a stay in a lodge instead of glasto?

They should have chosen other festivals or similar experiences.

The one that gets me is staying in a "sw*nky London hotel" and seeing James and Razorlight. 2 nights in a hotel and one gig. Smashing.

There's a good chance James will be at Glastonbury, you're not in a sw*nky hotel but you could easily see another 15 acts over the weekend, probably more.

[Jacksamthompson]

"And of course the cheapest option of all - simply sit at home alone crying in the shed" 

[moogster]

If some people find these alternatives appealing, then they should go for it and make ticket day a slightly less stressful experience. Thank you journalist.

I find the unsanitary thing quite offensive, especially when you see the effort put in by the fest to provide clean water, not-that-bad toilets, medical support etc. 

Haters gonna hate...

[Mardy]

31 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

 

There's a good chance James will be at Glastonbury,

Hold on, I'm confused G-man, whose side are you on here? For or against?

[stuie]

28 minutes ago, moogster said:

If some people find these alternatives appealing, then they should go for it and make ticket day a slightly less stressful experience. Thank you journalist.

I find the unsanitary thing quite offensive, especially when you see the effort put in by the fest to provide clean water, not-that-bad toilets, medical support etc. 

Haters gonna hate...

Not denying the effort that goes in to keeping them sanitary but we’ve all open the door to an unsanitary long drop haven’t we? 

[Gnomicide]

7 minutes ago, Mardy said:

Hold on, I'm confused G-man, whose side are you on here? For or against?

😁

You'll like this, James with orchestra and choir at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall is the best thing I've seen this year.

[Lycra]

1 minute ago, stuie said:

Not denying the effort that goes in to keeping them sanitary but we’ve all open the door to an unsanitary long drop haven’t we? 

 Hail all the mud and unsanitary reports. Especially if they make getting a ticket easier.

[Skip997]

5 minutes ago, stuie said:

Not denying the effort that goes in to keeping them sanitary but we’ve all open the door to an unsanitary long drop haven’t we? 

Not for many years. However I only use the long drops in the morning. 

[Yokel Again]

Well, it is the Telegraph. 

[The Nal]

Tis a fair point though. Wouldnt call it extorionate mind you considering the value you get compared to how much gigs are these days but they've certainly priced a huge part of the population out of going in the last 2 years.

[CaledonianGonzo]

The cost is a symptom of the operating environment- as opposed to the organisers trying to fleece people.  Unless they dramatically scale back the offering or decrease the charity element costs are only ever going rise year on year.

[baggienick68]

I agree wholeheartedly with this. Please will nobody buy tickets...... and so leave one for me. 😉

[balti-pie]

I cant help but sing this thread title to the tune of 'la donna e mobile' 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

I particularly appreciate the use of the click-bait headline for the thread title @Gnomicide

There are some fair points in there, actually. I'd particularly endorse the Primavera option, but for Barcelona. Usually a strong and varied lineup, sleeping in an actual bed every night, great city, perfect weather. It's a nice way to festival, if you've grown weary of the discomforts of camping, certain conditions, lugging equipment in and out, potential for poor weather, etc. Definitely offers a viable alternative to the farm, if you're unsuccessful, but probably works out a touch more expensive, all things considered

[stuie]

18 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Not for many years. However I only use the long drops in the morning. 

Certain times and places are worse than others.  Enter a railway line log drop past 2am at your peril! 🙂 

[moogster]

5 minutes ago, stuie said:

Certain times and places are worse than others.  Enter a railway line log drop past 2am at your peril! 🙂 

Yes but you know that they'll be nicely cleaned up in a few hours. Let's say the ratio of drunk people using them/wateraid army cleaning the mess is at least equal if not better than the ratio not drunk driver / petrol station loos cleaning.

[gfa]

Ibiza with accommodation and flights only for about £10 less - sounds like a blast lol

or London to see James and Razorlight vs 100 stages of music 😂 (no offence to James)

[Ayrshire Chris]

What are we going to do without Telegraph readers buying tickets. It’s going to be deserted. The Eavis will be giving away free tickets with every packet of worthy farm cheese.  Billy Bragg will be devastated without his core audience😊😉

[Crazyfool01]

Torygraph replacing Kate Moss and her hunters with a photo of me to try and put people off . Is it today’s paper ? Need to get a bird scarer 😀

[stuie]

11 minutes ago, gfa said:

Ibiza with accommodation and flights only for about £10 less - sounds like a blast lol

Then you have a choice between sitting in your Ibizian hotel room or spending another grand or two by going out. 

[MEGABOWL]

More of this please. Anything to potentially shift a few casuals out of my way.