I remember my first visit to Glastonbury festival like it was yesterday. It was the summer of 1999, I was with six very excitable, bucket hat-wearing, student mates. We pitched our cheap tents underneath a pylon between the Pyramid Stage and the Guardian tent, and the weekend was filled with non-stop laughs, joyful bewilderment and music from the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Manic Street Preachers, Hole and Gomez.
There have been a further 18 pilgrimages to Worthy Farm since. I’ve done it in many different formations – with that same group of university friends, with just my boyfriend, taken my younger sister on her inaugural visit, and even camped out in a group of 20 – and each experience has been magical in its own way.
I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy performances from legends such as David Bowie, Beyoncé, the Rolling Stones, Kendrick Lamar and Diana Ross. I’ve mingled with Kate Moss, Pete Doherty and Jarvis Cocker, and I even made it on to Kanye West’s guest list to get a last-minute ticket in 2015.
Glastonbury has grown from a handful of stages back in 1999 to a 365-hectare (900-acre) behemoth, catering for more than 140,000 attendees, so it can get pretty confusing when you’re with friends who want to enjoy different things. But there are some failsafe tricks that help to make it a stress-free, joy-filled experience. Whether there are two of you or you’re a party of 10, here are my top tips to get organised for your best festival yet.
Choose your camping spot ahead of time
Glastonbury is huge. It can feel like you’re navigating a small city, so get ahead of the crowds and decide where to camp before you get there, especially if you and your mates are arriving at different times. Study the site map on the Official Glastonbury 2025 app, powered by Vodafone, to pick the best spot for you and your friends based on the stages whose lineups you like the most.
The quickest way to do this is by checking where your favourite artists are playing using the Glastonbury app. Then use the map to locate the closest camping grounds, for example: Oxlyers campsite is good for the Other Stage, the Park Stage, Arcadia and Silver Hayes, while Hawkwell and Hitchin Hill are near the Pyramid Stage, Woodsies and public transport drop-offs.
Campsite decided, use the app’s map to locate your closest pedestrian gate and head for car parks nearest to it – this is crucial, as the walk from your vehicle to the campsite can be a bit of a slog with all your belongings. My mates and I always stop for a drink to break up the journey (with something soft for the drivers) and embrace it as part of the Glastonbury experience.
Create and share your own personal lineup
With about 100 stages and more than 2,000 acts performing at Glastonbury, it’s impossible to see everything. Use the Glastonbury app to find and highlight all your favourite acts and create your own personal lineup. This way, you can spot any potential clashes – and the shared-lineups feature now automatically updates, which means it’s even easier to keep track of what your friends are seeing. Last year, Idles and Fontaines DC played at almost the same time and split my group of friends down the middle. However, we all managed to meet up for the last few songs of Fontaines DC (who were on a little later) by using the Glastonbury app’s pin location function to find each other.
Allow time to check out non-music areas such as the Green Fields, Carhenge and the Theatre & Circus fields – these are all great places to hang out with your whole group of friends or chill out as a pair, and also get some great photos.
There is one thing that does make planning tricky: secret acts. In the past, my friends and I have caught last-minute performances by artists including the Libertines, Foals, the Charlatans and Lizzo. If you don’t want to miss out, check the Glastonbury app for “TBA” slots in the weekend’s programming and watch out for bands with fake-looking names – the Foo Fighters were listed as the Churnups in 2023. Also, keep an eye on the app’s news section, listen to the on-site radio station Worthy FM (87.7FM) and speak to staff at the stages in question for a cheeky tip-off.
Pack layers and fancy dress outfits
Despite the odd rain shower, there hasn’t actually been a muddy Glastonbury since 2016, and to be honest, I haven’t packed wellies for years. Instead, I opt for less cumbersome trail shoes or walking boots.
My top tip would be to pack items that can be layered, to get you from mild mornings through hot sunny afternoons into chilly evenings – plus the possible rain shower. Also, speak to friends about sharing clothes and footwear to avoid overpacking. My sister and I are the same size and have similar tastes, so we managed to swap items around over the weekend.
Also speak to your mates about fancy dress themes – this is particularly popular for the “legend slot” on the Sunday afternoon. My friends and I opted for sequins for Kylie Minogue, a 1970s theme for Diana Ross and matching Elton John tops for his headline performance in 2023. This year, Rod Stewart takes the legend slot – so it’s blond mullet wigs at the ready.
If you do forget something, there are plenty of stalls on-site selling everything from wellies to preloved vintage items at reasonable prices. Check the Glastonbury app powered by Vodafone for store locations.
Try not to lose your friends
I’ve managed to lose mates when we were simply walking from one stage to another – it only takes one unplanned toilet or food stop. If you do get split up, use the new live location function on the Glastonbury app to find each other – this is especially helpful if you’re at the festival as a pair and don’t fancy being by yourself for too long.
Long gone are the days of the vague “meet you at the left of the mixing desk” instructions – instead, use the pin drop functionality in the app to arrange meeting spots ahead of headliners, when stage areas are at their most crowded. It’s also a good way to find your way back to your camping spot – in a sea of tents that all look exactly the same after a few pear ciders.
The festival ground is so vast that by the end of the weekend you might feel as if you’ve walked and danced a marathon. This year, the new step-counting feature on the Glastonbury app will show you just how much ground you’ve covered. And you can share the news with friends!
Despite your best intentions, there’s one thing that can scupper all your plans: running out of phone battery. Back in 1999, coverage was sketchy and once we were out of charge, our phones were useless for the rest of the festival. Now, Glastonbury is powered by Vodafone, with phone masts providing fast and reliable connectivity over the entirety of the site.
Head to Vodafone’s Connect & Charge area for access to wifi, and a place to charge your phones for free. If you don’t want to waste time waiting around while your mates are off seeing bands, instead buy a fully charged battery pack (these can be pre-ordered), which can be swapped free once a day for a fully charged one when yours runs out. For every battery pack purchased, Vodafone will donate a pre-loaded sim card to a range of charities in the south-west that support digitally excluded people. That way, you can give something back to the local community while also making sure you don’t miss a moment with your friends.
Vodafone, connecting you to Glastonbury this summer
The Official Glastonbury 2025 app is available now! Download the free app, powered by Vodafone
