Queing on Tuesday night.

[simonthecyclist]

Im hoping to get a reasonable place to pitch a familly tent on the first day. Ive arrived on a tuesday before and noticed that some people seem well prepared to queue. Any tips?

[MrZigster]

Chair and a (possibly space) blanket.

[Avalon_Fields]

It's hard in an overnight queue, if you're early enough joining a queue Weds morning you can still get wherever you want to camp?? Just a thought.

[whisty]

Top tip Don't bother, it's horrible experience and ruins Wednesday. Ill be in that q at some point tho if it's not raining

[kalifire]

I arrived at Gate A last year at about 5:15am. There were people already there, some of whom - at the very front - did look as if they'd been there all night. Unless they had to for unavoidable reasons, they wasted hours of their time and probably had a worse Wednesday as a result. I joined the queue barely 20 meters from the front, and the queue didn't really get much longer until closer to 6am, which was the time coaches start to arrive in significant numbers. By 6:30am, the queue stretched as far back as I could see.

Frustratingly, even though I was towards the front of the queue, by the time you snaked round the fencing until the point you queued up for a wristband, Gate A's queue appeared to have merged with some other queue as well, so you were much further back than your initial position gave the illusion of being.

Anyway - point is, don't bother getting there on the Tuesday night if you're queueing at Gate A. I can't speak for any other Gate, though - it might be a good idea if you're in a car.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Top tip Don't bother, it's horrible experience and ruins Wednesday. Ill be in that q at some point tho if it's not raining

As Whisty says, I wouldn't necessarily bother with camping all night in the queue. I know a guy who did this in 2013 and spent the entirety of Wednesday catching up on sleep, wasting a day. Getting to the queue at a reasonably early time on the Wednesday morning should ensure you get a space in one of the family campsites. Maybe choose your preference ahead of time, head for the nearest gate to that field, queue there, take your tent and run to the area you want to camp in once you're through the entrance. Set up the tent, by which time your family could follow behind maybe carrying some of the lighter equipment? Then you could go back to your car and pick up the rest of your stuff? Just a thought and a bit of a pain in the ass but at least you'll get your preferred camping spot?

[Migraine]

Frustratingly, even though I was towards the front of the queue, by the time you snaked round the fencing until the point you queued up for a wristband, Gate A's queue appeared to have merged with some other queue as well, so you were much further back than your initial position gave the illusion of being.

Gate A has two start points the one from the coach park that you joined and another from the car parks which is the queue you encountered.

[kalifire]

Gate A has two start points the one from the coach park that you joined and another from the car parks which is the queue you encountered.

Ah, that explains it then! I was quite near the front of the coach park queue, but the car queue seemed to have been let in first and we had to work ourselves into their queue a bit, it seemed. The 'Gate A opens earlier than the others' thing didn't happen last year either.

[Aragorn]

Gate D is possibly the worst for Tuesday night queing - you need to get there stupidly early to be anywhere near the front

[gaxsa]

Top tip Don't bother, it's horrible experience and ruins Wednesday. Ill be in that q at some point tho if it's not raining

This

[tom22]

Got to gate B queue at 7.30 last year and took about 3 hours to get in and we though we were quite near the front.

Turned up at gate C similar time in 2013 and basically walked straight in.

[Pinhead]

Got there 2013 at about 5am and began queuing for Gate B in the hope of getting a pitch in Big Ground - didn't actually get to campsite until about 10am after queuing all that time and by then it was totally rammed with nothing over 1m² left available, so the best spots are basically gone by 10am...

[GoonerRob]

Got to gate D at 3am last year and was just outside the fencing they put up for the queue, queuing down the hill. Some people were definitely there all night, we walked past empty crates of beer and boxes of wine as we went in.

We are going to try and get there the same time this year as we got a great spot last year, and we need to put up 7 tents! If youre gonna do it to, bring a chair, wear plenty of layers (its freezing until the sun comes up at about 6.30) and try and sleep!

Rob

[Ex_ollie]

I got to the car park behind gate D about 4.30. Joined the queue by about 5.30 and was a good 50 meters back from the fencing that sends you back and forth. Got in about 9am and was pitched by 9.45 in Dairy.

This year we are taking everyone in out groups tent so planning on arriving about 30 mins earlier as there seemed to be a big rush just as we got there.

[evilduck]

We got into the queue at about 2am at gate D last year and was inside the fenced bit. We had about 20 tents set up by 10am and then had a well-deserved nap before a wander on Wednesday afternoon. Blankets, layers, booze and snacks are essential for the queue!

[p.pete]

Got there 2013 at about 5am and began queuing for Gate B in the hope of getting a pitch in Big Ground - didn't actually get to campsite until about 10am after queuing all that time and by then it was totally rammed with nothing over 1m² left available, so the best spots are basically gone by 10am...

Gate B is deceptive - great place to be parked if you're staying in big ground, but horrendous gate to get through - think we arrived at about 6 last year and in by about 11. Thus I've asked elsewhere whether the walk from B to C is possible - sounds tough.

Does B have people co-queuing from the E campervan fields or something? Would make sense if they're just popping out at the front of the queue...

[ghandi]

_{Yes we were one of those people that cues overnight on the Tuesday. Got to the front of the queue of near as damn it. Never again! We were dead lucky that it wasn't raining either. It was bloody cold though. Yes we got our prime spot where we wanted to be, to be ruined by a group of 20 teens who royally pissed us off most of the festival, so why did we bother? One of our lot ( the younger one) wants to queue again, he's gonna put up the tents and keep our spot until we get in, who am I to argue, these old bones can't hack that overnight stuff anymore!}

[congopowers]

Im hoping to get a reasonable place to pitch a familly tent on the first day. Ive arrived on a tuesday before and noticed that some people seem well prepared to queue. Any tips?

if you're happy with the wicket ground family field then there's absolutely no need to queue, never seen it remotely full.

we queue overnight, and quite enjoy it, it's cold but it's a laugh and it's never impacted on Wednesday's enjoyment..

Gate B is much worse than Gate A in my experience

[Jakkkkobz]

Never again

[imamazed]

We queued up from 11pm Tuesday night last year.

Honestly wasn't worth it. Judging by how quickly it filled out after that, I'd say it'd be good to try and get there for 6-7am Wednesday morning.

[Daniel_White]

We've arrived at gate D around 7pm on the Tuesday night the past two years and we love it, it adds an extra night onto the festival in our eyes. Sleeping is a bit rough and it does get cold, but being in the first couple hundred though the gate and having the choice to camp anywhere is worth it.

Plus who doesn't want to listen to Earth Song blaring out of our speakers at 3am?

[wilson123]

Done it a couple of times but will give a rest this year.

It doesn't really leave you any better off - other than a boast of being first on Pennard. I walked back to the car last year at around 11am to get the booze and Gate B was fairly empty. I had a little rest at the car and coming back through Gate B around 1pm it was still fairly empty.

Does look pretty good when the sun is coming up and fog is laying on the ground etc. but as someone said, definitely take layers - it is freezing!

[blackred]

Last year we got to the carpark Tuesday evening and had a kip in the car. Joined the queue at gate A just after sunrise (about 6ish?) and were in not long after gates opened, camped up in a near enough empty Oxylers. Judging by others stories I think we got lucky, hoping we do again this year.

[Mikeydread]

Done it different times since the Tuesday night was introduced. Last year we stayed in a local hotel had a shower about 5.00 and arrived at about 5.45 after a good night's sleep. Was camped up by about 9.00. That was gate A. Trying the same approach this year. But we do camp the quieter fields.

[JoeyT]

For those who intend on using gate C and have a pop up tent you could just make friends with someone in a camper and pitch up their for the night and get up 7ish then join the queue. Surely a much better idea than either sleeping in your car or queuing from the night before.