How to Plan a Weekend at the Glastonbury Festival

Posted by Anonymous , 9/4/2007 Tags:PlanWeekendGlastonburyFestival
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How to Plan a Weekend at the Glastonbury Festival

Introduction

Undeniably the mother of all British festivals, Glastonbury Festival is more than just a weekend of music. Held in organiser Michael Eavis' beautiful Worthy Farm, in the village of Pilton in Somerset, Glastonbury Festival is like nothing you've ever experienced before.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Getting Started

Steps

1

Step One

Get hold of a ticket. These sell out within hours of going on sale, although there usually are some smaller sales of tickets closer to the time. In an attempt to stamp out ticket touting, recent festival goers had to register before buying a ticket.
2

Step Two

Make sure you're one of the lucky owners of a Glastonbury ticket. Get all your mates on the internet and on their phones. If there's enough of you, someone might get through to bag tickets for your whole group.
3

Step Three

Stay positive if you don't get a ticket on the big day. Many competitions in the run-up to the festival offer weekend tickets and there are opportunities to work at the festival in exchange for free entry.
4

Step Four

Decide how to get there. If you drive, you can take a lot more with you, and leave clean clothes and food in your car. The downside is queues for the car park can be nightmarish, and you could be waiting in traffic for up to three hours. Taking the bus means you must carry your stuff on your back, but it's more environmentally friendly. You don't have to pay for parking, and the festival buses drive right up to the campsite. Going to Glastonbury via train is probably the most difficult option. There's a shuttle bus taking festival goers from the local station, Castle Cary. However, it's a small station and at the end of the festival you could be waiting in the rain for hours before you even make it onto a platform.

What to Pack

Steps

1

Step One

Prepare yourself for every type of weather, because there's just as likely to be blazing sunshine as there is torrential rain. Sun cream, sunglasses and shorts are just as important as wellies, raincoats and umbrellas.
2

Step Two

Invest in a good tent. It will last many years and protect you from rain and wind much better than a cheap one. Those with a??porch' areas outside give you a useful place to store your muddy boots. Make sure your sleeping bag is warm. Take some tracksuit trousers and a big jumper to sleep in, as the nights get frigid even in summer.
3

Step Three

Buy a camping mat or blow-up mattress so the ground doesn't leach heat from your body while you sleep. A mat or mattress also will save you from severe backache the next morning.
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Step Four

Design a makeshift flag to stick on the top of your tent. It'll definitely come in handy when you're searching for your tent amongst the thousands of other identical ones. Bring a torch.
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Step Five

Remember to carry a basic first aid kit, painkillers, medication, deodorants, condoms, toothbrushes, toothpaste, contact lens supplies and anything else you need. Big stocks of baby wipes and masses of toilet paper also are essentials.
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Step Six

Take a few cereal bars or other small snacks to keep your energy up. Leave your cooking equipment at home because food at Glastonbury is excellent. You've a choice of cheap, freshly made food from all over the world at your fingertips. Enjoy it!

What to Do When You're There

Steps

1

Step One

Use the free guide that's given to you at the entry gates to plan which bands you're going to see on which stages and when.
2

Step Two

Visit The Pyramid Stage for the biggest name acts all through the day, and some impressive lighting and sound displays.
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Step Three

Head to The Other Stage for some slightly more alternative stuff a?? try and get up close, as it's harder to see the stage due to the flat land and the lack of screens.
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Step Four

Enjoy the most eclectic combination of music at the Jazzworld Stage, whilst you sit amongst the dozens of silk flags decorating the area. Some of the tastiest food stalls (serving everything from traditional Thai food to bangers and mash) also are near here.
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Step Five

See some of your favourite artists performing one-off acoustic sets at the Acoustic Tent.
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Step Six

Go mental at one of Glastonbury's Dance Stages a?? The West or East Coast a?? to the soundtrack of international DJs and electronic artists.
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Step Seven

Find new up-and-coming bands at The John Peel Stage.
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Step Eight

Stay up all night listening to anything from ambient beats to banging techno at The Glade.
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Step Nine

Visit The Lost Vagueness area for a wild combination of a silver service restaurant, burlesque performers, a lavish ballroom and a chapel (yes, really!).
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Step Ten

Don't forget there's so much more to Glastonbury than live music. Find time to visit the Cinema Field, the beach area, the Theatre Field and The Circus and Cabaret Tents.

Tips & Warnings

  • Lay out all the clothes and equipment you plan to take, and then half it. Remember you could be walking up to 30 minutes from the carpark to your campsite. You don't want to be carrying a massive bag of unnecessary things on your back.
  • Don't worry if you forget something, or if you lose something important. You can buy everything you need onsite, even tents.
  • Don't take anything that you can't afford to lose or ruin. Tent theft at Glastonbury has decreased since the erection of the new "superfence, but there's no way to make your tent completely secure.
  • You're not allowed to bring glass into the campsite. If you want to take spirits, decant them into plastic bottles or take wine in boxes.
  • Buy any alcohol you take before you reach Pilton, as both the local shop and pub close for the duration of the festival.
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