Glamping...how many

[guypjfreak]

As it says does anyone know how many glamping sites there are nowadays..was talking to a friend who works block 9 and we couldn't find a number lol.

All I do know is that its definitely changing the festival..but thats just an opinion...

[guypjfreak]

Soz for double post 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

I was surprised how many there are, when driving in this year (coming in from the Glastonbury town direction). On both sides of the road. There are loads. Even the Apple Tree pub has "diversified". And despite that (in addition to a lot of volunteers pitching up outside the fence), camping space still feels limited for regular punters.

I don't feel like it's changing the vibe of the festival though, like others do.

[stuie]

I also don’t buy the idea that it’s changing the festival but there are quite a few now. 

If anything they help the festival to survive - neighbouring land owners that make a bit of money out of the festival are no longer fighting against it! 

And they help the festival to stay popular amongst certain demographics that just wouldn’t go otherwise. 

Off the top of my head:

Windinglake Farm

Love Fields

Camp Kerala

Ziggucamp

Pop-up hotel

 

[Nestacres]

Tangerine fields

[CaledonianGonzo]

Pennard Orchard 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

5 hours ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

Pennard Orchard 

I got married at Pennard House. At that time they told me (2014) that a record company had booked the previous years, and intended to do so for another few years. at least. That was a fair time ago now though, so don't know the set up now. We went to Glasto that year too. Oh, and we stayed in one of their wigwams the night before the wedding. Oh, and we drank the bar dry - something that the bloke running it said had not been achieved before. 

[Skip997]

On 11/1/2023 at 9:38 PM, guypjfreak said:

As it says does anyone know how many glamping sites there are nowadays..

Way too many

i.e. more than zero

Edited November 8, 2023 by Skip997

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

2 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Way too many

i.e. more than zero

Why do you think they're such a bad thing, Skip?

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

Why do you think they're such a bad thing, Skip?

It's only really the ones outside the fence that bother me.

Doesn't fit with my, clearly outdated, idea of how the festival should be.

Way too expensive, likely to affect the demographic negatively (IMO). They provide (again IMO), the "wrong" experience; spas, silver service, pamper parlours etc

But I guess they may be necessary to attempt to contain the excess people that GFL have decided to accommodate.

As I've said several times before, GFL have created an "out of control monster", that IMO really needs reeling in somehow. The proliferation of clamping sites is part of this. 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

1 minute ago, Skip997 said:

It's only really the ones outside the fence that bother me.

Doesn't fit with my, clearly outdated, idea of how the festival should be.

Way too expensive, likely to affect the demographic negatively (IMO). They provide (again IMO), the "wrong" experience; spas, silver service, pamper parlours etc

But I guess they may be necessary to attempt to contain the excess people that GFL have decided to accommodate.

As I've said several times before, GFL have created an "out of control monster", that IMO really needs reeling in somehow. The proliferation of clamping sites is part of this. 

As someone who's attended over a number of decades, I appreciate your opinion on it. I've never used a glamping site for Glastonbury myself, I've always preferred to be amongst the great unwashed. In my experience, I feel like I get a more authentic experience that way. However, I do think that they have a place. Someone made a good point a week or so ago that they provide a certain demographic with more comfortable accommodation, allowing them to attend year after year. I'm sure there are other benefits, other than the ability to straighten one's hair.

The influx of these campsites I'd imagine is largely out of GFL's control. As long as they don't affiliate themselves directly with the festival, there's not much they can do, and I have to say, although I've only attended since 2008, I haven't noticed a significant change in the vibe or ever had any adverse experience with anyone, whether they pitch up inside or outside of the fence. Definitely no "them and us" division, at least. Inside the fence is where it matters, and as I say, it still feels the same to me. Your own personal experiences may differ, of course.

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

I haven't noticed a significant change in the vibe or ever had any adverse experience with anyone, whether they pitch up inside or outside of the fence. Definitely no "them and us" division, at least. Inside the fence is where it matters, and as I say, it still feels the same to me. Your own personal experiences may differ, of course.

I've never had any serious adverse experiences either, few brief ones with idiots.

For me the vibe has seriously changed since I first started going (1985): far more sanitized and "main stream". As previously mentioned on numerous occasions, there is a lack of spontaneous creativity (IMO) one of the best things about the event "back in the day". I first noticed this sometime in the mid to late 90's. I still occasionally get reminded that I swore never to go again at that point after proclaiming that the event had become too main stream/commercial.

Not saying that glamping is the sole reason, it's a combination of several things, the biggest (IMO) being broadcasting it on T.V.

[stuie]

13 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Not saying that glamping is the sole reason, it's a combination of several things, the biggest (IMO) being broadcasting it on T.V.

Interestingly, these two points are amongst the main reasons the festival has survived as long as it has.  Local landowners now profit from the festival instead of object to it. And the TV coverage shows locals what goes on inside the big fence isn't as bad as what they once thought. 

 

 

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, stuie said:

And the TV coverage shows locals what goes on inside the big fence isn't as bad as what they once thought. 

Or maybe a change in demographic* has led to it no longer being as "bad" as it once was.

* Along with other factors such as the "super fence", uniformed police being "allowed" on site (no more open drug selling), and the "banning" of "new age travelers".

[CaledonianGonzo]

It's been a televised festival for far, far longer than not.

And, of course, they made a movie of the second one.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

4 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

the "banning" of "new age travelers".

That's interesting. Was that an official thing? Or was it on the back of the riots in 1990?

[stuie]

5 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Or maybe a change in demographic* has led to it no longer being as "bad" as it once was.

* Along with other factors such as the "super fence", uniformed police being "allowed" on site (no more open drug selling), and the "banning" of "new age travelers".

I'm sure that's all true but I don't need to tell you it's not 1980 any more and we live in a different world.  Appreciate the time you had back then - we now more have licencing and law enforcement requirements.

[Skip997]

1 minute ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

That's interesting. Was that an official thing? Or was it on the back of the riots in 1990?

It was a official thing introduced by Michael.

There used to be a field set aside just outside the fence on the SE side of the festival. From this field there was an un-manned entrance, no ticket required.

All you had to do was turn up and say I'm a "traveler" and you'd be directed to this field. I used it in 1990.

[Crazyfool01]

its the onsite stuff that frustrates me more .... not sure how much thats increased since the superfence but that hoarded off area near the JP this year was ridiculous and general camping seemed much tighter 

[DeanoL]

Not really a ban, just not giving them free tickets any more.

Honestly stopping giving out free tickets to certain groups of people would be a good way to improve things once more, though it's a very different group that get those freebies these days!

[CaledonianGonzo]

Is there still a culture of travelling communities - in the nomadic free festivals, raves and sound systems sense - the way there was in the 1980s and 1990s?  Genuine query.

[Crazyfool01]

calling @Sawdusty surfer to thread 

[Skip997]

Just now, CaledonianGonzo said:

Is there still a culture of travelling communities - in the nomadic free festivals, raves and sound systems sense - the way there was in the 1980s and 1990s?  Genuine query.

Not really.

There are still plenty of these people about, but not in the large convoys of the 80's/early 90's. Loads of those people have "settled down", but are still living in the same way and many of them still do a festival circuit, but it's a very different one.

I'm not aware of any free festival scene as such, but there is still a free party/rave scene.

People who were involved in the traveling communities of the 80's/90's still form the backbone of several areas a the festival, most notably: Shangri-La, Unfairground, Green Futures, Healing Fields and Craft Field.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

7 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

It was a official thing introduced by Michael.

There used to be a field set aside just outside the fence on the SE side of the festival. From this field there was an un-manned entrance, no ticket required.

All you had to do was turn up and say I'm a "traveler" and you'd be directed to this field. I used it in 1990.

Ah, so you were there in 1990? That must have been fun

[Superscally]

On 11/1/2023 at 10:12 PM, stuie said:

I also don’t buy the idea that it’s changing the festival but there are quite a few now. 

If anything they help the festival to survive - neighbouring land owners that make a bit of money out of the festival are no longer fighting against it! 

And they help the festival to stay popular amongst certain demographics that just wouldn’t go otherwise. 

Off the top of my head:

Windinglake Farm

Love Fields

Camp Kerala

Ziggucamp

Pop-up hotel

 

I'd rather it didn't appeal to those that wouldn't go otherwise ta...definitely changing the vibe. People are kidding themselves if they think otherwise 

Not talking about accessible campsites btw...