So I'm not going to Glastonbury and it's fine

[CharlotteB]

A lot can be said for the smaller festivals. We had a great time at Green Gathering this year.

[SPW]

I was disappointed yesterday, but not as down about it as I thought I would be (and my wife had feared!). Possibly helped that expectations were low as we were a small group and got even smaller owing to others having a registration issue last minute.  Biggest blow was others I know that usually get every year, didn't and I was kind of hoping on them for the resale chances. But as someone else said, made me even more grateful for getting and going this year which was a pretty perfect line-up for me (noting that the line-up is only a part of it).

 

I am at a stage in life that I have been thinking about doing some volunteering of some description as a warm up to filling time when I retire (next 5 years possibly) so think it may be time to possibly do something at festivals. My wife who already gives a lot of time volunteering for Samaritans isn't interested in working a festival so it wouldn't be the same as going together as punters but I am happy to go down that route and this has given me a nudge!

Edited November 18 by SPW

[-TLR-]

i've been to every one since '94...  friends actually seemed worried that i'd be in a terrible state at not getting tickets because, as they put it, they "completely associate me with Glastonbury Festival..."

 

they were kind of shocked at my reaction of...       oh well.....

 

 

 

literally only ONE person i know actually got tickets - and that was the person that came with us this year for their very first Glastonbury... rather than feeling crazy jealous (which i guess really is how i thought i might feel if this happened) i simply feel happy for them to be able to go again (they, obviously, had a freakin' awesome time).

[broken monkey]

No tickets for me this time (yet) but still hoping to be succesful come April. Looking into other smaller festivals just incase. I'm lucky enough to have been 15 times previously, so cannot grumble or complain.

[sisco]

I’ve said it before here but honestly missing out last year although initially gutting was the best thing for me/us.  I’d been to maybe 7 in a row, like I say gutted and wondering what to do but then we decided to go to IOW.  It was the most fun we’ve had at a festival and so much so we decided to not try for Glastonbury this year and try something new again (Rock Werchter).  
 

I appreciate Glastonbury is a big part of some (most) of your lives (as it was mine) but honestly there’s so much more out there.  Don’t be downhearted, go enjoy something new.

[mjfromthelane]

I seem to have had awful ticket luck since 2019 - was absolutely gutted on ticket day last year and it took me about a week to get over it, was dreading having to watch on TV/see social media etc. It was mainly down to my brother going for the first again as he had a 8/9 year hiatus due to kids, and also telling myself that I was due a ticket again.

 

Ended up having a great summer with a mixture of gigs, trips away (Ibiza which massively scratched the party itch) and other bits instead, and realised Glasto isn't the be all and end all, particularly after speaking to some mates this year who went and felt the busyness everywhere was increasingly affecting the enjoyment of it.

 

No luck yesterday but I'm already fine with it this morning. Got 4 weekend gigs already lined up for July/August next year and likely to add Linkin Park at Wembley to that on the Glasto weekend. Might try for the resale if I have annual leave left but it is what it is. I haven't been as many times as most on here but feel fortunate to have even done two Glastos and I always tell myself 2019 will be hard to top considering the line up and the groups of mates I had there.

[gooner1990]

16 minutes ago, broken monkey said:

No tickets for me this time (yet) but still hoping to be succesful come April. Looking into other smaller festivals just incase. I'm lucky enough to have been 15 times previously, so cannot grumble or complain.

 

Same for me, been to the last 16 in a row....if its not meant to be then so be it. 🙂 

[eatingglitter]

We had already decided not to go, but I had a last-minute "You know what... if the universe says it's ok, we'll go for it".

Didn't get past two bars and that's ok. But equally, I feel like even trying in the future might not even be worth it. I've been fortunate enough to go several times, and happy to pass the torch on if needed. 

This will obviously be the year that all my favourite bucket list bands turn up though, right?

[rubenz]

Last year was 13 in a row for me using the f5 button bashing system and finally defeated by the green bars of despair! Mind you last year got tickets at 9. 24 in the resale so there is always hope! Not devastated tbh as had a good run but hopefully will still find a way. 

I worry that if I go to another festival I'll just moan it's  not as good as glasto so will probably go away somewhere instead.

[Talcroft]

How do you know when it's time to call it?

 

I didn't get tickets yesterday and was heartbroken even though I'm 90% certain of a worker's spot. And yet each year feels a little less special - fewer friends in attendance, fewer special interactions, less on the lineup I'm actually interested in, the feeling of having 'seen' the other bits in the ten times I've been. Am I heartbroken because I didn't get a thing I thought I wanted, rather than actual Glastonbury? How do I know the difference? 

[balti-pie]

4 minutes ago, Talcroft said:

How do you know when it's time to call it?

 

I didn't get tickets yesterday and was heartbroken even though I'm 90% certain of a worker's spot. And yet each year feels a little less special - fewer friends in attendance, fewer special interactions, less on the lineup I'm actually interested in, the feeling of having 'seen' the other bits in the ten times I've been. Am I heartbroken because I didn't get a thing I thought I wanted, rather than actual Glastonbury? How do I know the difference? 

Good question! hard to analyse FOMO - am i gutted to miss the thing itself, or all the buildup and fuss about the thing? The more i go to glastonbury the more i do non-music things (the music doesnt tend to be my kind of music, i prefer heavier stuff and theres precious little of that) and now its trickier to get tickets, mates are falling by the wayside, a group who always get tickets havnt got them this year, and as it stands ill only know one other person there this year.

Working it is a little bit less exciting, cos it needs to be planned hedonism based on shifts etc. I think its hard to know when to call it, as well, and i dont have any answers really, but if something else arises that takes your fancy, i say do it. 

I really enjoyed Bearded Theory last year, and really liked the smaller scale of it as well. I'm off to Bloodstock next year and being on the same site i know itll be much more compact and with less in the way of 20 mile hikes 😄 i think check our your options, and if something is talking to you, do that instead 👍 Glastonbury will always be happening, and missing out for a year or two might mean you move on to something else, or it might engage your enthusiasm for it again, and you'll come running back into the fields! 

[mungo57]

judging by the potential headliners discussed and likely wider lineup too I'm kinda glad I didn't get a ticket. My boss would also have been difficult about me having the entire week off which would have caused me an issue.

 

I'm now thinking of possibly going to Download with my Derby mates and volunteering at Arctangent like I had planned last year before that fell through for a festival double header this year (I work at the House of Commons and we were banned from booking leave last year between July and September due to the election - no such issue this year thank f**k).

[Talcroft]

5 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

 

I really enjoyed Bearded Theory last year, and really liked the smaller scale of it as well. I'm off to Bloodstock next year and being on the same site i know itll be much more compact and with less in the way of 20 mile hikes 😄 i think check our your options, and if something is talking to you, do that instead 👍 Glastonbury will always be happening, and missing out for a year or two might mean you move on to something else, or it might engage your enthusiasm for it again, and you'll come running back into the fields! 

 

It's a real shame to have lost Blue Dot in that respect and I think I would maybe forgo Glastonbury if that had continued - lineups suited me and friends (it was a festival even my husband would come to!), less than an hour to get there, 20,000 capacity so easy to navigate. We need to find an alternative but the North West is weirdly under-served by decent festivals (we're not interested in Kendal Calling). 

[MilkyJoe]

12 minutes ago, Talcroft said:

 

It's a real shame to have lost Blue Dot in that respect and I think I would maybe forgo Glastonbury if that had continued - lineups suited me and friends (it was a festival even my husband would come to!), less than an hour to get there, 20,000 capacity so easy to navigate. We need to find an alternative but the North West is weirdly under-served by decent festivals (we're not interested in Kendal Calling). 

Why not Kendal Calling just out of interest.

[joeltg]

More than fine with me. 

Still tried yesterday but mainly for others & was over it within the hour...rewind 5 years I would still be absolutely gutted a week later.

 

It is an incredible festival if you want to tick off 5/6 artists a day that would otherwise cost you 90 odd quid on tour, as well as all the more underground stuff, but found I am enjoying other festivals more now. 

 

Saying that I will probably skip them altogether next year, unless I find one abroad last minute that I like the look of - it's a lot of money which can be put to good use on so many other things. 

[Acid Loafers]

No luck here.

 

Or really bad luck. Technically got through twice, but Brave Browser looks like a VPN apparently & My gfs Chrome got a rejected Queue number.

 

Hurts more when you hear that some people just hit back to get more tickets. Like these safeguards might be working, but they are also not completely accurate & can clearly hit innocent users.

 

I'm mostly ok with it, sure I won't be when the posters are out.

 

Most of my group are aiming for a resale. I was ok to leave it & try something new, as have been since 2017.

 

Might try a resale & might spend more than I usually do getting a backup festival sorted too.

 

Just think my mood would be better if I'd only seen two bars, but seeing the bar fill & then die. Ugh.

[Woody-Club UK]

Non of our group got a sniff of tickets this year☹️

Had around 16 devices between the six of us in various locations which normally does the trick.
My wife and I had already decided to make this year’s our last but some friends really wanted to go in 25 so we tried anyway. 
We’ve been going on and off since the early 90’s and have been to around 15 if my aging/ addled memory serves me correctly.

It’s still one of my favourite places on the planet, it seems to reset your soul being around so many like minded hedonists but I’m 56 now which is why I’m more than happy for someone else to experience the magic and wonderment of the festival. 
Obviously it’s changed massively since we first started going and although it’s lost it’s “edginess”, so have we.

Also the last 2 years have been amazing weather wise and we had the old crew back together so had a proper blast still dancing at Genosys as the music finished at 5am Monday morning. 
We’ll never stop loving the festival and what it did for us as a young couple finding our way into the alternative culture that we were unaware of. 
Big Love ❤️ 

Woody

Edited November 18 by Woody-Club UK

[LSTx]

I was at peace with not securing tickets this year, until I came into the office this morning and was bombarded with “did you manage to get tickets” which brought it all back. 
 

my group was the only one out my 18 that didn’t secure them, we’ll be trying again in the resale though 🤞

[LSTx]

13 minutes ago, Woody-Club UK said:

Non of our group got a sniff of tickets this year☹️

Had around 16 devices between the six of us in various locations which normally does the trick.
My wife and I had already decided to make this year’s our last but some friends really wanted to go in 25 so we tried anyway. 
We’ve been going on and off since the early 90’s and have been to around 15 if my aging/ addled memory serves me correctly.

It’s still one of my favourite places on the planet, it seems to reset your soul being around so many like minded hedonists but I’m 56 now which is why I’m more than happy for someone else to experience the magic and wonderment of the festival. 
Obviously it’s changed massively since we first started going and although it’s lost it’s “edginess”, so have we.

Also the last 2 years have been amazing weather wise and we had the old crew back together so had a proper blast still dancing at Genosys as the music finished at 5am Monday morning. 
We’ll never stop loving the festival and what it did for us as a young couple finding our way into the alternative culture that we were unaware of. 
Big Love ❤️ 

Woody

I have a closing video of the last song playing at Genosys on Monday morning if you would like me to send this to you since you’ve mentioned this as one of your last moments!

[Talcroft]

1 hour ago, MilkyJoe said:

Why not Kendal Calling just out of interest.

 

Weather, indie sleaze line-up ("special guests: pigeon detectives") and crowd not really our vibe.

[MilkyJoe]

4 minutes ago, Talcroft said:

 

Weather, indie sleaze line-up ("special guests: pigeon detectives") and crowd not really our vibe.

All fair points. It's not for everybody and yes, weather! 😂 Thank you for the reply.

[Talcroft]

3 minutes ago, MilkyJoe said:

All fair points. It's not for everybody and yes, weather! 😂 Thank you for the reply.

 

It's a shame because we love Cumbria and it'd only be about 90mins! But yeh, not for us sadly. 

[MilkyJoe]

18 minutes ago, Talcroft said:

 

It's a shame because we love Cumbria and it'd only be about 90mins! But yeh, not for us sadly. 

I haven’t attended for a few years now for one reason and another but the line up over the last few years has been very underwhelming for me whereas it used to be great. I guess it’s nice for the younger generation to have somewhere in the north to go though apart from Leeds and the setting is just perfect but for me it’s lost a little bit of what made it so lovely in the early days.

[thatTFBguy]

Feeling pretty crap that we missed out today. First went in 2023, missed this year, and now next year too. Then with the off year, going to be a very long time before we ever go again (and that's assuming we have luck in 2027, far from guaranteed).  

 

The lineup rumours aren't helping. It's funny because to a lot of people around here, Fender/O-Rod/1975 is a worst-case trio, for us it would be 3 headliners that we would (and have) paid to see on their own tours, so very much up our street. 

[Crazyfool01]

More and more feel like this will be the last one for me ... ive no intention now of trying to game the buying system further to help me any longer its got to a point where thats enough .... if I could get in still with a device or 2 then I might try myself and my group .... but this year I think has upped the technology so much that Im questioning it