Alternative ways of getting into Glastonbury Festival 2016

[GeorgeKingdom]

So basically I've been to Glastonbury the past few years and fallen in love with it, went to get tickets last weekend and didn't even manage to get onto the holding page...

 

I thought I'd just ask about 'other ways' of getting into Glastonbury? I've read accounts of fence hoppers, notably the infamous "Twix" story, but unfortunately it seems like these days there's not much luck with trying to scale it and more luck getting in via the entrance itself by distracting stewards in the early hours of the morning/paying security/knowing someone who's working there. Gonna definitely try for a ticket in the resale obviously, but considering the whole high vis jacket thing and trying to blag my way in if not.

 

Do any of these tactics actually work? Would it be possible to know someone who's working there and get them to give you a crew wristband? Apparently there are areas of Glastonbury which are dominated by people wearing crew wristbands as security have been accepting payment for them?

 

I'm doing all in my power to go legitimately as well: I'm a music writer who has covered major festivals in the past and know people who trade there, but if worst comes to worst what is the best method?

Edited October 10, 2015 by GeorgeKingdom

[guypjfreak]

work

but remember if you dont do the work youll be black listed from all working parties ie....clean up team, oxfam,ect ect

[e_p]

What % of people do a runner from their volunteering responsibilities each year?

[incident]

What % of people do a runner from their volunteering responsibilities each year?

A handful, not many though.

Let's be honest here, it'd take a complete arsehole to deliberately screw over a charity for their own benefit.

[Spindles]

It seems, from what I've read and from people I've spoken to, that gatecrashing has been on the rise again the last few years, whereas in the years after 2002 it was reputed to be basically impossible.  2013 in particular I met several and friends who worked security had plenty of tales of the how and where they were found getting in.

 

I think that the risk to the festival that some proclaim about gatecrashers is totally overblown.  There is a video from Saturday night subheadline in 2000 which shows that when the place was "dangerously overcrowded" it was barely even close to how crowded it is today.

[glasto-worker]

What % of people do a runner from their volunteering responsibilities each year?

 

Years ago the actual security deposit was not reflecting the actual ticket price but these days its between £200 and £250.

 

On paper the WBC should have the highest because no volunteer pays a security deposit but as they don't recruit from the Internet Organisers are very careful in who they nominate so the amount of  no shows are very low - sure it still happens but lucky enough not from my Team - whoever does a Houdini can kiss goodbye to any prospect of being a volunteer in the future - one joker who vanished had the brass balls to reappear on the Monday and tried to get on the London Crew Coach lucky enough they were spotted by the Coach Coordinator and they were tossed off that coach - now that is trying to take the piss.

[giantkatestacks]

if you've fallen in love with the festival then give something back and work rather than scamming your way in.

[incident]

I think that the risk to the festival that some proclaim about gatecrashers is totally overblown.

You're utterly wrong on that. If anything it's at the other end of the scale. People have become far, far too complacent over the past 5 or so years about the future of the Festival. There's a lot of threats to it continuing in its current form long term and numbers through the gates are definitely one of them. It may not be the single biggest risk at this point in time (water pollution is), but it's definitely still an issue and several issues can (and do) combine to put pressure on GFL.

The licence now is a lot more specific and prescriptive than it was 15 years ago. Generally speaking the aspects where you see the Festival try to impose rules (gate restrictions, noise limits, water pollution, etc) are all because things are a lot more closely monitored now than they used to be and any one of those could easily cause the Festival to end up in court.. Enough court appearances and the Festival will end entirely.

[e_p]

Anyone who doesn't do their volunteering shifts needs to take a long hard look at themselves.

[Thearg]

I have a friend who suggested this,I reprimanded him accordingly.

[Nick S]

I saw so many people at this years festival without a wristband. got talking to a load aty the stone circle, and the most common method (95% of the time) was that they had a friend who was a trader, or had paid a trader to to hide in their vehicle upon entry! Apparently that's rife.

[glasto-worker]

I saw so many people at this years festival without a wristband. got talking to a load aty the stone circle, and the most common method (95% of the time) was that they had a friend who was a trader, or had paid a trader to to hide in their vehicle upon entry! Apparently that's rife.

 

I am a sure that happened more in the past but this year they were checking far more than any other year - we arrived by crew coach Tuesday afternoon and we had a GFL official checking the coach out - they checked their records { WBC staff have to be registered in advance } with a iPad - then we were handed our crew pass - coach moved in to the first gate and security came on and checked we all had crew wristbands - coach then moved to a second stop and they checked again and there was a third check as we entered the production road so even if we had paid security it would not have done any good - In some previous years there was far less checking but when they found out a Company was driving in so called workers in a minibus they cracked down when he showed up with double his quota.

[GeorgeKingdom]

Do you reckon that you could still allegedly pay security to let you in? Or is that not a thing these days?

The trader thing sounds like it could be true, although don't they check any stalls/storage on arrival?

[Nick S]

Do you reckon that you could still allegedly pay security to let you in? Or is that not a thing these days?

The trader thing sounds like it could be true, although don't they check any stalls/storage on arrival?

 

My girlfriends brother trades at Glasto every year and said they didn't even ask him to open his van doors this year! (He didn't sneak anyone in though, just an observation on his part).

[incident]

My girlfriends brother trades at Glasto every year and said they didn't even ask him to open his van doors this year! (He didn't sneak anyone in though, just an observation on his part).

Can I ask which day that was? Security does ramp up quite a bit during and immediately before the festival, so I'd expect that on the Saturday before (when everyone's in work mode and nobody expects someone to turn up and last low for 4 days), but not on say the Tuesday and especially not once the gates are open.

[glasto-worker]

Do you reckon that you could still allegedly pay security to let you in? Or is that not a thing these days?

The trader thing sounds like it could be true, although don't they check any stalls/storage on arrival?

 

 

Can I ask which day that was? Security does ramp up quite a bit during and immediately before the festival, so I'd expect that on the Saturday before (when everyone's in work mode and nobody expects someone to turn up and last low for 4 days), but not on say the Tuesday and especially not once the gates are open.

 

There is not just one Security check but ' incident ' is correct as Security does change depending which day a person does enter.

 

Now I have worked there before the festival week so its a lot more laid back but ' they still check as a person enters a crew/trader area. Sure its possible but people who don't have a crew/trader wrist band before the festival starts stands out like a sore thumb and then they have to camp somewhere.

 

I am sure some people who make these claims are not telling the whole story so leaving out they had to hide away for a few days .

 

its one thing to mingle in with a few hundred thousand but when you are there five days before the event starts they are easy to spot even not checking their wrist band as people are there working so they walk with a purpose.

 

Put up a tent in the wrong place and Security will be all over it . 

 

[Joshuwarr]

I had two friends this year who got in because they knew someone doing security. Quite astonished they made it.