Camping
Never camp at the bottom of a hill
Camping on a hill behind the family fields means you’ll get the least amount of traffic and the cleanest and least-busy toilets. Arrive as early as possible on Wednesday to pick the best camping spot – it gets very busy after that. Have a rough idea which acts and stages you are most likely to spend time on and set up camp in a good proximity from those. And never, ever camp at a bottom of a hill or near a main stage. Redhead7711
Pitch your tent on a gentle slope
I wouldn’t camp anywhere too flat or low-lying, especially round the Other stage. I was there in 2005, the year of the big thunderstorm and downpour, and I saw what it looked like! If you camp on a gentle slope and you should be OK. Carefree
Don’t take the sleeping bag
Take a duvet rather than a sleeping bag – it’s much more comfortable. I used to spend the summers working the festival circuit and became a minimalist packer, but this really made the difference when I was living in a tent half the week, week after week. subfusc
Get there early
Go as early as you possibly can to get a camp site that won’t become a bog or a path. I wouldn’t leave later than Thursday at dawn, but Wednesday is best. Phil Hayward
Compartmentalise for cleanliness
A tent with two compartments will make things infinitely more comfortable, whatever the weather, as it will be easier to keep your sleeping area fairly clean. Redhead7711
Send your tents ahead with early arrivers
If you’re in a big group and want to camp together, send all the tents with those who are arriving first, so that they can pitch the tents together. It is impossible to save pitches. This is a lot of work, so buy them a beer to say thanks. If you leave a communal space in the middle, expect to wake up in the morning and discover that someone has pitched their tent there in the night. Don’t stress out – they didn’t know, and you’d have done the same. ID001778
Don’t get caught out by tiny holes
Check the floor of your tent for blim holes, so that when you come back after six hours of rain there isn’t two inches of water in the bottom and you have to go and beg for some gaffer tape from the theatre stage. Make sure your tent is a tent and not a windbreak before you leave! CarsmileSteve
Toilets
Go far and wide for the cleanest, quickest ablutions
The best way to avoid disgusting toilets is to visit two or three less-busy toilets nearer the camping fields, which often have shorter queues and stay a lot cleaner. Often, it’s quicker to walk a little further than queue in front of the busiest anyway. Camping on a hill behind the family fields means you’ll get the least amount of traffic and the cleanest and least-busy toilets. Redhead7711
It’s all about technique
Learn how to use the turdis. Flush first, bit of paper, then dump, then flush. If you are claustrophic, try the long drops. Boddingtons
Composting is the future
The long drops and turdises are a feature of Glastonbury, as is the smell and appearance. Those with a sensitive nose can be spotted exiting quickly with a grimace that speaks volumes and a grip on their noses, as though the stink monster is trying to crawl up there. Never fear, the solution is here! Composting toilets are springing up all over Glastonbury. Their bright decor makes them easy to spot and they’re also high to allow for the composting bins underneath. Grab a tub of sawdust on the way in, do your thing and sprinkle! There’s no smell, nothing disgusting to upset the sensitive dispositions of some and the byproducts ends up being usable rather than going to be processed. What’s not to like? ID0445659
Stray from the beaten path
Use the toilet furthest from the path. cubanarwel
Eating and drinking
Go organic
Refuel with a Manic Organic breakfast: delicious, healthy and massive, it’s the perfect way to prepare for another party-packed day. Visit the treehouse cafe next to the Park stage, watch the festival wake up to a new day from one of the best spots with a cup of tea, or sit in the shade of the trees on a sunny afternoon and maybe catch a game of strip frisbee. ID001778
Find the permaculture corner
Recharging yourself at the festival is a must for me, and the place to do it is at the permaculture corner at the bottom of the Green Futures field. It’s a secluded corner filled with different herbs and seating areas then at the bottom if you carry on walking through, you will come to an area to sit and just soak up nature and buy cheap but amazing food. Imed Nosideh
Don’t take anything that needs a fridge
Take alcohol that tastes good without being refrigerated, or purchase cold mixers from the catering stands. Guy MF
Remember, it’s only fuel
Food tends to be reasonably priced – veggie stuff usually more exciting, flavour-wise. Fruit smoothies are amazing and a great way to stay hydrated. Don’t expect much, just think of food as fuel and stick to something easy and uncomplicated. Drink lots of water. Redhead7711
Wrap up your lunch
For the last two years, the Green Futures farmers’ market has had a stall doing fantastic wraps in flatbread and tapas boxes for £5. There’s a whole load of fillings to choose. It’s fresh and yummy! It’s popular for a good reason, so get there early for a tasty, light, satisfying lunch. ID0445659
Planning your days
Keep it simple
Don’t plan to see loads of bands, as the site is enormous and can take ages to get across. Explore the circus and healing fields, and sit high up the Park field hill as the sun is going down to get a spectacular view. ID5745900
Go nocturnal
Sleep during the day and experience the festival between 7pm and 7am. It’s quite boring during the day, especially if hot. raphph
Start with a sauna
The middle of the tipi village is the secret Lost Horizon sauna. Best cure for a night before that you could think of. It’s a cute wood-fired sauna in an insulated yurt, with pretty changing rooms and a tipi with a warm fire to hang out in afterwards. And the best bands play on the solar-powered stage for relaxed gigs with appreciative audiences. likestochat
Pick one band or another – not a bit of both
When you get your lineup booklet on arrival, make a rough plan of which bands you definitely want to see, and which acts you can juggle depending on circumstances. Some acts perform twice, so you get more chance to see those. There always will be a dilemma over which headliners to watch, and you will simply have to go with who you most want to see. Make no plans to watch half a set, and attempt to see the second half of another headliner – you will end up trapped in crowds of people trying to get from one stage to another. At busy times, allow for at least 30 minutes to get between stages, and forget about being in the front for the big acts – unless you are prepared to set camp at least several hours in advance. Redhead7711
Embrace the variety
Plan to see a few of your favourite bands, but also to leave time for bimbling aimlessly around the site. Glastonbury is about so much more than the top-name bands on the biggest stages – you’ll be amazed by the wonderful variety to be enjoyed. PrincePhilip
It’s not all about the music
The art installations of Trash City and the Unfairground are just as good as the music and create an amazing atmosphere. Guy MF
Take time for yourself
Wander round the festival on your own, particularly the Green and Healing fields. Try a craft: spoon-carving, pedalling while a man shapes a bit of wood into something that looks suspiciously like a butt plug but is probably meant to be a mushroom, silversmithing … Have a treatment: massage, osteopathy, chiropractics. Take a movement class. Lie on the ground while a man plays the didgeridoo over you. Listen to a talk. ID5745900
Be willing to improvise
Pick three things a day to definitely do, and then see what else takes your fancy. On at least one night sack off the headliners and get down the naughty corner early before the queues start. CarsmileSteve
And if it rains …
Take the railway track
If it rains, getting to places like the John Peel stage and dance tents and the circus/comedy/cabaret area are hard work, but the railway track is a great way to get across the site when it’s muddy – you can cut across to the green fields, the Park stage and the Other stage without getting bogged down in, well, a bog. The top half of the Pyramid stage field is on a slope, so it also doesn’t get too soggy, and there are benches dotted around, so you can sometimes find somewhere solid and dry to sit down. If you are at Glastonbury in a wet year, the need to sit somewhere dry that isn’t a wobbly camping stool does become desperate after three or so days! Carefree
Avoid denim
Prepare for rain. Always take wellies! Don’t wear anything that might trail on the ground, as it will suck up mud, water and anything found on the floor of the toilets. *Shudder*. Aim for short skirts and tights or shorts. Avoid denim. ID001778
And some other random pieces of advice …
There are special tents that let you drop off your valuables. My advice is to pitch your tent near one of these. raphph
Respect your surroundings: leave no trace you were there, apart from your photos. Guy MF
The Green field shower is amazing – worth doing on an early morning on the Friday or Saturday, especially if there’s no queue and you’ve been at Glastonbury since Wednesday. The downside is that once your’e clean, you notice everyone else stinks. ardiarditime
I love taking a liquid refillable backpack – you can dance and drink at the same time. No issue of spilling your drink, just head to the bar and fill up the bag. Genius! katiewoo11
