Fields of fun: Making the most of Glastonbury

United Kingdom | | 23 June 2008

So you finally got yourself a ticket to the most anticipated festival of the summer calendar?  Consider yourself a hardened festival goer? That’s great, then let’s skip to the finer points of how to survive Glastonbury, because this is like no other festival you will ever attend. If you’re not prepared, it becomes an endurance test of marathon proportions.  If you are prepared, it becomes the best weekend of your life.

Here’s a few tips to remember:

GETTING THERE

Whether you arrive by train, bus or car the biggest thing to remember is don’t bring too much stuff.  Once you arrive you will walk for what seems like miles to get in and find a place to camp.  Pack the bare minimum.  Don’t be one of those people who leaves a trail of pointless camping paraphernalia through out the car park in an attempt to lighten your load.

CAMPING

Get there early and camp on high ground.  Above the John Peel Stage, the top of the Pyramid Stage field or up near the Park Stage, way up past the Other Stage are prime locations.  Learn from the mistakes of those who camped before you in 2005 and 2007 when lakes formed in the valleys as rivers of rain streamed down the hill.  Don’t forget to ask what camp ground you’re in because when you try to return in the wee hours, it will seem much farther away and there are guaranteed to be 10,000 more tents pitched since you were last there.

CLOTHING

Waterproofs may be the single best investment you ever make.  If you stay dry, you’ll stay happy.  Packing layers is the key.  It may seem ridiculous to dig out your winter coat, hat and gloves for a summer festival, but you should - and you’ll be glad you did. It may be baking hot during the day (we live in hope that this is the case), but it gets very cold at night down on the farm.  Those shorts and flip flops will be useless once the sun goes down.

FOOTWEAR

With big stages and small stages - about 20 in all over the 1,000 acre site - you will walk for miles every day.  Ditch the trendy shoes that hurt your feet and take your trusty trainers.  Do not, under any circumstances, forget to bring WELLIES.  Putting bin bags around your feet and slipping them into your trainers won’t work.  The current weather predictions indicate there will be no wash out this year, but this is Glastonbury and you can pretty much guarantee it will rain at some point over the weekend. 

FINDING YOUR WAY AROUND

The site is huge and sprawling but the main stages - Pyramid, Other, Jazz World, Dance Village, Left Field, Acoustic and John Peel - are all located on a long circular thoroughfare, so stick to the path and you'll be fine. The Green Fields, including Shangri La, and the Glade stage are a little further out. The best way to ensure you don't get lost is to download Orange's new mobile guide, GlastoNav, which will give you essential maps, line ups and updates. Find out more HERE.

OPEN YOUR MIND

Do take a trip up to the Greenfields and the Leftfield.  It’s not just about the music at Glastonbury.  Indulge your inner hippie and altruist, if only for a weekend.  If you don’t watch the sunrise from the sacred space, home of the stone circle, at some point over the weekend, you’ll miss one of the craziest mass bonding sessions you’re ever likely to experience.  If you’re only there for the music, go to the sacred space anyway.  It’s guaranteed to create the finest people-watching moment of your entire life.

ESSENTIAL ITEMS TO BRING

- Wet wipes and plenty of them.
- A torch - its hard enough to see straight after a long day of rock n roll and getting into someone else’s tent by mistake might not go down so well. 
- A toothbrush - no matter how dirty you, get clean teeth will get you through.
- Imodium – the last thing you need is a dodgy tummy due to poor hygiene when you’re faced with porto loos.
- Extra plastic bags to keep your stuff dry. 

Here’s some advice of what not to bring:

Don’t bring anything you can’t live with out or that you don’t mind getting ruined.  As safe as Glastonbury is, after a few ciders you’re bound to lose that all important ipod, jewellery or fall in the mud wearing that uber expensive trendy festival outfit.  Tents can never be that secure and the odd theft does occur, so don’t be a victim.  You’ll need cash, so when you go to sleep, put your wallet at the bottom of your sleeping bag. 

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

Don’t take any advice too seriously.  Glastonbury is the best festival on the planet so get stuck in and have the best weekend you can. Enjoy!

Glastonbury Festival 2008 takes place at Worthy Farm, Somerset, from 27-29 June.

by Alison Kerry