Anyone get the sense the end of Glastonbury is nigh?

[stuartbert two hats]

The only bad one I have read (and it happens every year, so nothing new) is this..

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/01/glastonburys-rubbish-green-ethos-ruin-festival-worthy-farm-tents

That doesn't really seem to say anything about 2015 specifically, just that the constant littering did a newbies head in.  Fairly understandable to be fair - it is bad.  But I've not heard that it was worse this year (not that I was actually there)

[Pinhead]

I reckon removing the car parking option might liberate anything up to a 5th of the additional land and associated rent cost for the festival and provide sufficient funds to then reallocate to the rents required for the rest of the grounds and other services. This would mean the loss of the £25 per car however, though this could instead be added either to the price of running regular bus shuttle services from nearby towns to get people who have arrived by train / coach there, or to an expanded coach / ticket package to cover additional cities around the country.

[EasyUserName]

 ... So I'll say this: If you pissed in the hedges, snuck in without a ticket, or gave money to any unofficial off-site campsite (especially love fields), then fuck you. You're helping to dismantle the Festival.

 

What was wrong with Love Fields?  I don't know anything about them - had to look them up on the internet.  I see they are close in (I've always wondered who the tents were next to Gate C campervan field).

[incident]

Whats the deal with this Love fields then did see it as was camped in CV fields ,what are they all about?

I don't think you'll get a full answer on here, certainly not from me as I don't know what's stone cold fact and what's rumour. But it's safe to say that the Land Owner is not a friend of the festival.

[EasyUserName]

I don't think you'll get a full answer on here, certainly not from me as I don't know what's stone cold fact and what's rumour. But it's safe to say that the Land Owner is not a friend of the festival.

 

But he isn't adverse to making money from it?  Seems like an involved tale then!

[Wellyboot]

Im really glad the Press are putting GF down hopefully it will put people off and make ticket day in October a more pleasant experience for those who know how good it really is.

 

Could not agree more with this!!

[DeanoL]

I don't think it's all that dire, but it also doesn't take a genius to see that, from an organizational perspective, this was one of the toughest years yet.

 

Having to find two last minute replacement headliners, a couple more medium-size last-minute cancellations.

The land-pee pollution was an unexpected issue - you could see as the methods used to spread the messaging were not the usual ones, those were emergency measures.

Some sound issues with sound being too loud of site.

An increase in tent thefts.

Issues with rental of some of the surrounding land (old Oxfam campsite)

 

It was a tricky one.

 

Doesn't mean they'll move, but if that's on the cards, it may make it more likely. The movement of the fallow year also suggests that something hasn't gone to plan.

[blackred]

Could not agree more with this!!

 

While it would be nice for us, the festivals cashflow is clearly reliant on getting that money in early. There were serious issues when the expected sellout didn't happen in 2008, reading some of the stories it seemed to put the festival under some financial pressure.

 

They may have a bigger buffer against this kind of thing happening now, though the introduction of the deposit scheme, then pushing the deposit date into the previous year makes me think it's still a concern. They also don't have a big backer/partner like other events (and GFL did until recently with Festival Republic) that would better help them weather any cashflow issues.

 

If the festival failed to sell out deposits instantly I reckon there would be issues, if it failed to sell out completely its future would be in jeapordy.

[Jackmypie]

Who's talking shit about Glastonbury? I'll knock them in the gabber m8

 

Seriously though this was the best glastonbury since 2010 imo, may even be better than that.

[mazola]

I thought it was as good as ever this year. maybe you are just getting old

[The Nal]

Who's talking shit about Glastonbury? I'll knock them in the gabber m8

 

Seriously though this was the best glastonbury since 2010 imo, may even be better than that.

 

Agree 100%. Its been a while since I've had that real "left everything at Glasto" feeling. It was the missus' 3rd Glasto and shes been whimpering on and off since we got home which she didn't do for 13 or 14, as much as she loved it. 

 

Simply unmissable next year.

[st dan]

It'll only be over if and when it moves from Worthy Farm. As long as it stays there, the festival will live on.

[Space Shanty]

Who's talking shit about Glastonbury? I'll knock them in the gabber m8

 

Seriously though this was the best glastonbury since 2010 imo, may even be better than that.

 

There are always a lot of things that come together to make it that bit special but this year was definitely one of my best I thought... right up there with 2003 for the most part.

I'm not sure how to get people to throw their fucking rubbish in the bins but it probably has come to the stage where something needs done. 

As for the pissing in the hedges, it should be mandatory that anyone seen doing it is kicked into said hedge and banned from going again.

[pecks]

Who's talking shit about Glastonbury? I'll knock them in the gabber m8

 

Seriously though this was the best glastonbury since 2010 imo, may even be better than that.

 

Out of upvotes, but yes, best since 2010

[Stokesy10]

If you listen to what and how the media report it then GF is doomed.

 

If you take the time to read and listen to what ME and EE actually say then GF probably has a long term future...... though maybe not in the same location in a few years.

I think this is the point the OP is making. The End.

[O'Doyle Rules]

Why don't they dismiss people who piss against the bushes/fences? However, I do understand peoples' (especially girls') frustrations at the huge queues for toilets...

[Tyonks]

I don't think it's a problem just with Glastonbury. Anywhere that has a huge mass of people, there will be an unholy amount of litter/waste. There is no doubt British society is largely very lazy too, just look at the edge of motorways etc. Litter everywhere. I do think it's a little prudish to think that in ye olden days Glastonbury wasn't a wasteland after the festival. Rose tinted spectacles are a strange beast.

 

And before anyone asks I did clear all my crap up at my campsite and used the bin when I was stumbling around the site.    

[Keithy]

Don't think the end is nigh but equally don't think it has long left in it's current incarnation. Obviously they have a 10 year licence but the land availability issues appear to be coming to a head more than ever this year and I think the pee pollution may trigger *something* to change.

 

For me, line up wise, 2015 wasn't a vintage year. The Sunday night sub and headliner farce, the Foo's unfortunate withdrawal, the late friday sub announcement, a few cancellations over the weekend, The Who set-time changing late, the Kanye saga, some odd stage placements. Felt there was a less political side this year though that might have been my expectations of a strong festival reaction to the election. I remember 2013 and 2014 having quite a strong (anti-tory) political thread through the festival.

 

None the less, still a great festival. The crowd was one of the best in recent years, the weather was pretty much perfect.

[jcd_lowe]

The rugby team I support now charge £1 for rigid plastic cups that you can return for a refund - and they wash them instead of producing the waste (albeit recyclable).  The were doing it at Twickenham for this year's final as well.

 

I imagine the number of cups required and cleaning facilities would make it impossible.  Plus Glasto will have about 3x as many people as a sold out Twickenham, drinking over 5 days rather than 2-6 hours.  Could the equivalent scheme work with the cardboard cups?  I reckon a lot of people still wouldn't give a shit and you could probably pay for a bit of your ticket by picking a few up!

[Wanderlei]

Each time I opened that stupid reversable programme and started reading it upside down I thought "Glasto is finished!" lol.

 

Nah, I think it's good for a while. There's a lot of uncertainty, but nothing that suggests and imminent demise.

[5co77ie]

It's never going to last forever - I was told at least two decades ago to that you should treat every Glastonbury as though it's the last

[One Tonne Baby]

You must have been at a different festival! We spent a lot of time walking through the circus, greenfields and craft fields this year and it's never felt so much like what glastonbury is all about.

If you feel it was flat you must have been around the main stages quite a lot?

not at all, saw one on the other and 3 on the pyramid, spent most of the time at the park. Agree the green fields and circus ones feel like glasto bu the atmosphere was still flat.

[Glastoboy]

I think the festival is still in rude health and it is now a very big money making machine with lots of employment attached to it.

However, the litter and pissing was really bad this year. And I'm not sure how they tackle that effectively. I wouldn't be surprised if it was postponed for a year under threat of losing the license some time in the future. It might jolt these arseholes into positive action.

[cham08]

Agree 100%. Its been a while since I've had that real "left everything at Glasto" feeling. It was the missus' 3rd Glasto and shes been whimpering on and off since we got home which she didn't do for 13 or 14, as much as she loved it. 

 

Simply unmissable next year.

I had this feeling until I got in the car, turned the radio and heard the news about Tunisia.  Think the news felt even more awful given the happy state my mind was in at the time.

 

I keep thinking it is time for a break from the festival only for each time I come out, thinking definitely going again next year.  As long as the majority of people feel like this, then I would say the festival is fine.

[sunnyshoes]

I didn't get that feeling at all and I felt the Glastonbury spirit - not sure if to do with not being around the main stages. I don't think it'll move sites - I think that's Michael Eavis having a bit of a rant. And I genuinely think the Eavis family love it as much as we do so think there's a long future ahead.