Glastonbury is almost upon us! And that means the time is fast approaching to prep for a week at Worthy Farm.
For the uninitiated, that also means figuring out what exactly to bring, and what to prioritise during their first ever festival experience. Glasto is a beast, and the long-time festivalgoers have plenty of tricks up their sleeve to help them make the most of it.
Here are some key tips to bear in mind.
Arrive on time – or early
Look, the queues at Glasto are long. Really long: picture 200,000 people all descending on Worthy Farm first thing on a Wednesday for when the gates open. That’s a lot of queueing, and a lot of waiting in heavy traffic for all the cars and buses to make their way to the respective campsites. Even going by train won’t save you – you can expect to wait for a few hours just to get off the platform at Castle Cary.
Try and get ahead of some of those people by arriving early. It’s not unusual for people to get up in the early hours (4am, for instance) to get the train down. At least it means you won’t be queuing for four hours to get in.
Get the footwear right
When it comes to Glasto, it’s always a good idea to pack a range of footwear. Yes, that includes wellies, because the threat of rain is an ever-present one: try and get something well-suited to the English countryside, like Barbour, whose range of wellies at this point are pretty iconic. And you can’t really go wrong with Dr. Martens. Fortunately, the brand has a version of its staple boot made from soft leather, so no wearing in is required – plus, they keep out the mud, and they do look great.
But make sure to also bring sandals: ideally something easy to slip on like Birkenstocks. They’ll be a lifesaver when it comes to getting up to go and pee in the middle of the night, or navigating the campsite first thing in the morning – far better than forcing your sockless feet into sweaty wellies. Plus, they’ve launched a new Florida sandal style: extra chic.
Apart from that, make sure to pack the right kind of trainers; lightweight, comfortable and hardwearing enough to survive 16 hours a day of dancing. For the fashion-conscious, that means investing in a good brand: try New Balance, which combines functionality with fashion and will be able to stand up to 16-plus hours of being on your feet. Their 960 models are a good mix of sturdy and fashionable, as are the 740s.
One more must-have: blister plasters.
Raincoats at the ready
Yep, it might well rain: this is British summertime after all. And because it’s best to be prepared, that means packing a good, heavy-duty raincoat or two, ideally something that won’t soak through after half an hour of relentless wetness.
Use earplugs
Yes, they’re important: think of your future hearing! Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to look good while being sensible about noise protection: Loop earplugs are being worn by all the cool kids these days. They’ve also partnered with Glastonbury this year to provide sensory spaces and calm zones as well as donating 5,000 earplugs to performing artists, backstage crew and those working in the calm zones. Pick up the Experience 2 for hearing protection that will do you proud in the middle of the club (they cancel out up to 17dB of noise levels) or the Switch 2, which shifts between three modes (Quiet, Experience and Engage) depending on what you’re doing and the amount of noise cancellation you’d like.
Factor in walking times
Glastonbury is big. Like, really big. For that one week in June, it’s the world’s most densely populated city, with 200,000 people all crammed into a couple of square miles. That also makes it hard to get around. Crowds must be factored into any walking time, as well as the sheer distance; to walk from one end of the festival to the other will easily take about an hour to do.
All of which is to say, it’s simply not feasible to bop around one from stage to another in the ten minutes between sets. It’ll take half an hour at least, even if you’re popping from the Other Stage to the Pyramid Stage – so pick your unmissable gigs carefully, and if they’re back to back, be prepared to miss some of the next.
Pick your camping spot carefully
There’s an art to it – it’s why many people try and get to the festival early, the better to nab a prime spot. As for what constitutes ‘prime’: stay away from the toilets, as a rule, because there’s no running water and they really start to stink as the week goes on. Stay away from footpaths, the better to avoid the noise, and try and avoid pitching a tent at the base of a hill. You’ll be collecting all sorts of stray items as the week goes on, and if it rains, well – water flows downhill.
Get your sleepwear sorted
Glasto gets cold at night. Like, really cold. So however hot it feels in the day, remember to pack layers of jumpers, a sleeping bag and a good inflatable mattress – because let’s face it, nobody wants to be sleeping on a yoga mat for five nights. After the first night, the aches and pains just start to multiply.
This also goes for those precious 5-6 hours of sleep you’ll be getting for the days of the festival: invest in some good noise cancelling earplugs. Plus, Glasto has no showers (famously), so if you want to make sure your hair looks great the next day, try using something like a silk bonnet, which will protect the hair and make it last longer between washes. Silke does a great range of them made from mulberry silk, as well as heatless curlers that you can sleep in. It’s just common sense, really.
Make use of the lockups
People tend to view the lockups with a fair amount of suspicion – is it safe to leave your valuables with strangers? – but this is unjustified. They’re run by volunteers and are by far the easiest and best place to leave anything you really don’t want to lose. Like, for instance, car keys. Or ID. Or a spare debit/ credit card, in case the first gets lost.
Remember to eat
With everything that’s going on, it can be hard to remember to eat. The good news is that Glastonbury offers a whole host of excellent food for those who know where to look. No soggy burgers and limp fries here – you can dine like a king, on a range of cuisines from all over the world. For the budget-conscious, the Hare Krishna tent offers free veggie food, but the Healing Fields are generally a pretty good bet for good value snacks and meals.
Plus, if you’re ever in need of essentials, the Coop on-site is a life saver. It offers both food and drinks – though the alcohol is expensive. Stock up on essentials here – and indeed, mixers – but bring the spirits yourself in a plastic bottle. It’ll save money.
Portable chargers are king
Forget about a reliable electricity supply: Glasto is old-school. It’s only recently that the festival got good data, courtesy of the Vodafone mobile masts that are dotted around (Vodafone also offers free e-sims for the week of the festival, and it’s a good idea to avail yourself of one: if only for the excellent internet access you’ll get). But the same doesn’t really apply for reliable charging ports.
Get around this sticky situation by investing in a couple of portable battery packs. Charge them before the big day, and use them sparingly over the course of the week. The savviest among us will even put their phones on airplane mode, the better to conserve power for when it’s really needed.
Think about when to leave
We know that it’s tempting to stay until the very end of the festival. But the sad fact is that everybody else thinks the same thing, too. The queues for the shuttle to leave Glastonbury on Monday morning can be apocalyptic: imagine queues that stretch for up to six hours.
Can these be skipped? Absolutely – think about leaving on Sunday night (which, to be honest, is when most of us are flagging anyway) – or enjoy the ‘secret sixth day’ of Glastonbury. By which I mean, grab a pint and sit at the Stone Circle until the festival starts to close at 5pm. You’ll miss the crowds and waltz right onto the train with no delays at all.
