Would you like the festival to be smaller?

[Skoo]

I've been pondering a LOT since my return from this year's festival. Something about the festival has changed for me.

Change is obviously always going to happen, but I've spent a bit of time trying to figure out what exactly has changed to give me this slightly sad feeling that the festival may be losing its magic for me.

My first visit was 2007, and the first thing that's obvious is that back then, the site had a much smaller capacity. Going back through my old photos, the thing that stands out is the amount of SPACE. I think I really liked that, the feeling of being actually breathe in the busier spots! To wander around and explore without constantly getting caught in a huge bottleneck.

The other big and obvious change is the addition of a lot of night time entertainment venues, in a concentrated location (the naughty corner). I remember back in the day, after headliners, again, just bimbling around, coming across a random bar playing tunes, and usually ending up at the stone circle, where there'd be lots of people all socialising. Now it feels like everyone is off in a club raving somewhere, and bimbling after dark I find pretty tough with the crowds.

Before my first Glasto in 2007, my previous festival experience was primarily Reading festival - I'd been about 10 times, and anyone who has been knows how much of an edge that festival has after dark, everyone's rampaging through the campsites being a bit anarchic.

Coming to Glasto for the first time, and experiencing this festival with absolutely NO EDGE - just this real feeling of love and giving - was a total eye opener.

I actually think that Glasto, with the huge expansion of people, and addition of loads of club venues all clustered together + Arcadia, now has an edge that it didn't have before. For me, this is actually quite a sad thing.

What do you guys think? Do you feel like it's getting an edge now that it didn't have before? Would you like it to be a bit smaller?

Please believe when I say how much I still love the place. I guess I've just got the fear that it's all changing for the worse and I'll never again recapture that original magic.

 

[Titters]

The last time I really remember bottlenecks was 07 - Hitting a patch of extra sticky mud causes people to slow right down, with big bunches of people joining the back of the queue.  

I don't remember the same happening in 14 and 15? But I may just be forgetting.

 

The exception is the SEC. Last time I tried to go down there after hours was 2011, and it was too cramped for my liking. The guide suggests there is SO MUCH happening down there, it actively encourages everyone to join the party, without really suggesting alternatives (Arcadia / Beat Hotel excepted, but that is just 1 act, not the variety in SEC).

If it was announced there were to be South East, South West and North West corners to explore, I would see that as a positive.

 

Edited June 30, 2016 by Titters
hadn't finished

[shuttlep]

I wouldn't like it to be smaller, but they do need to sort out the problems with the naughty corner, getting in and out was a nightmare, so much that I didn't go back after Friday night.  It needs moving around so it isn't all in one place. too many people heading the same way. Arcadia was a massive problem getting to out camp meant a massive detour unless you wanted to be crushed in the crowd

[stuartbert two hats]

Glastonbury not having an edge in the naughties was the anomaly, it certainly had one before the fence came up. It's got a good balance now IMHO.

But yeah, too many people.

[TheNewUnion]

Does anyone have any idea of the capacity increases in recent years. 2008 was my first Glastonbury and it felt like there was loads of space for pretty much everything bar the headliners. 

Yes, smaller for me 10-20,000 fewer perhaps. 

Edited June 30, 2016 by TheNewUnion

[Nick S]

I agree. Over the last two years, each time i've thought "It's way way too busy in here". They genuinely need to cut capacity by at least 40,000 as it definitely hinders the enjoyment of it.

[djdavejohnson]

I don't want the festival to become smaller - in fact the size of it is one of the things I love about it. But as has been said I think the busier areas, i.e. the SE corner just needs to be managed better. I'm not sure how they get away with it tbh! Surely licencing wouldn't be too happy with that from a Health & Safety perspective? Agreed the other areas need to be showcased more, and maybe some SE bits moved around the site. Glasto Latina maybe to another area. Block 9 and The Common to another?

[Skoo]

Yes to clarify, by being smaller, I mean less people, not actually reducing the size of the site - I love the bigness of it, the ability to get constantly lost

If I had my way, I'd probably do away with Arcadia entirely - or move it to the dance village.

Reduce the numbers by a certain amount.

And take away this huge focus on the naughty corner. As others have said, I have this feeling of missing out on something amazing, because I'm just not equipped to deal with the crowds, it makes me feel like I'm going to have a panic attack. As such, when I read on here about all the amazing stuff you've seen and experienced, I feel I've missed out on a big part of the festival.

Maybe bringing back something similar to Lost Vagueness that was much more relaxed, and then spreading some of those venues around the site a bit more?

 

 

[scaryclaireyfairy]

I also think it's too busy now.  The Pyramid field in particular gets ridiculous.  Ideally the site would stay the same size but capacity would drop a little.  It'd mean fewer of us getting a golden ticket every year but it'd be/feel a bit safer. 

[Larraht]

39 minutes ago, djdavejohnson said:

I don't want the festival to become smaller - in fact the size of it is one of the things I love about it. But as has been said I think the busier areas, i.e. the SE corner just needs to be managed better. I'm not sure how they get away with it tbh! Surely licencing wouldn't be too happy with that from a Health & Safety perspective? Agreed the other areas need to be showcased more, and maybe some SE bits moved around the site. Glasto Latina maybe to another area. Block 9 and The Common to another?

I agree. I don't mind crowds as such...occasionally at Glastonbury I feel a little overwhelmed and I tend to enjoy Green fields/theatre and circus areas the most as they are a bit more chilled. Saying that I would not want it smaller. Hard enough to get tickets as it is! Late night areas need sorting - move common and block 9...silver hayes seemed rather sparse this year, wonder if there is space there or if the sound bleed would be too much. Offer late night options all over site rather than concentrated in one area. Saying that we went shangri-la Sunday after the headliners and it seemed fairly quiet in there...but as we left around 1pm signs everywhere said it was closed as it was full?

[YetAnotherOldHippy]

Not personally been to the SE corner at night for a while, Arcadia was still there then, but ask anyone that was there in 2000 about the crushes.

Being completely unable to move on path in any direction for 15-20 minutes, or having to walk with the flow in the opposite direction was fairly commonplace and a bit scary at times. I'm sure a lot of people ended up at stages they didn't want to be at due to the weight of the crowds!

The idea of splitting the late night areas around the site seems obvious and is being tried with Arcadia, The Park and even The Woods with it's fire for us old cnuts. Then again there were a lot more sound systems in every field in the 80s before they banned vehicles from camping areas. No, I don't want to go back to that, probably

[Trout Mask Replica]

You could lose all the late night rave tents, silvery hayes, arcadia and SEC for me. 

Not interested at all. Have a separate dance themed festival if you must. Once the band's have finished it's acoustic music only. Would be a lovely chilled fest and fewer druggy young uns as well.

[ManchesterGlasto]

Nope I don't want it smaller. Crowds don't bother me - I just find something else to do. Had so much fun around Avalon, Park, Williams Green after hours that I didn't go back to the SE after Thursday night. Reduce the numbers = less chance of a ticket. Maybe they just need to be more creative of how they manage the site.

[Nobody Interesting]

I still think all the bottlenecks and therefore the feeling it was more crowded are because of the mud.

Earlier today I looked back at some sets from the last 2 years and also some videos I took and the Pyramid and Other fields were far far busier the last 2 years and yet this year getting out felt harder especially near the loos at the Pyramid.

We went to Arcadia last year and this year and found it quieter this year except on the entrance nearest the Other and that was due to 12 inches of mud on half the walkway in and not more people.

Don't forget, if they made the festival smaller and reduced the numbers you would still have the same area per person so realistically would achieve nothing.

Keeping the same area and reducing numbers is fine as long as nobody then complains that the tickets go up to over £300.

[stardustjunkie]

The crowds bother me, but they wouldn't if people just had a bit of respect. It's the pushing/barging through that I hate and makes me feel claustrophobic and unsafe - I'm only little!

I would love for there to be less people but the idea of not being able to get a ticket tells me to 'be careful what you wish for!'. 

My favourite moment in 2015 was wandering in to the healing fields (or similar.. somewhere in that area!) and there was a fire pit. the whole field was basically empty apart from a couple of people round this fire pit. It was beautifully quiet and peaceful and we just sat down and relaxed. Everyone else was rammed in to the SE corner and Arcadia and we just found this little haven that made us so happy.

But it's easy for me to say that because I can't think of anything worse than spending the night in the SE corner haha. Each to their own!

[johnomatic]

Other than Saturday in the SEC Corner I actually think there were less crowd issues this year, especially with the moving of John Peel, which was a big help I think. I certainly saw less huge crushes and bottlenecks anyway.

Those I did get caught up in were usually because of the mud, and though I did have more problems with the sheer scale of the site this year than before I think that's probably only because of the conditions. 

[Pinhead]

It seemed busier because it was wet. We havent had a wet one like that since 2007 I reckon. The SE needs to be broken up simple as. If they get away with what they do in the SW corner now for as late as they do then I reckon they need to think along these lines.

[SwedgeAntilles]

46 minutes ago, Trout Mask Replica said:

You could lose all the late night rave tents, silvery hayes, arcadia and SEC for me. 

Not interested at all. Have a separate dance themed festival if you must. Once the band's have finished it's acoustic music only. Would be a lovely chilled fest and fewer druggy young uns as well.

What about all the druggy old uns?

[Skoo]

7 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

It seemed busier because it was wet. We havent had a wet one like that since 2007 I reckon. The SE needs to be broken up simple as. If they get away with what they do in the SW corner now for as late as they do then I reckon they need to think along these lines.

That's the thing though, 2007 was my first one and I don't remember being caught in any crushes at all. The only one time it happened was trying to get into the bottom of the stone circle in the small hours over that little bridge, where people were getting stuck in the mud and a policeman was there helping people across.

There were big crowds of people around the headliners, but no proper bottlenecks that I remember. Perhaps rose tinted glasses.

Edited to add that getting into Lost Vagueness was also a non issue back then. Could just wander in and explore. Good times. Zero stress!

Edited June 30, 2016 by Skoo

[AiiShotTheDJ]

I would love it to be a bit smaller- maybe 20k less or something.  I'd love to spent a full night in the SE corner but for the last 3 times I've been, we walk in and walk out due to the crowds.  There's also bars that play the type of music I like (indie/ rock etc) and unless you get there really early (which often meant cutting stuff short for us) then we didn't have a chance of getting in or even close to the tent.  I can hack it as is but I would like ti to be smaller- the bottlenecks can be scary sometimes too (particularly around the Pyramid to The Other).

[fur_q]

Ah then annual lets decrees capacity (but I'm not volunteer to give up my ticket or pay more) and remove all the areas I don't personally like.  

 

 

[Respectfatfrog]

Dont think it should be smaller at all are you happy to be one of the 20k-40k who doesnt get a ticket? Also the conditions really have an affect on it in the sun you can walk on the grass and not worry in the rain you almost have to stick to the paths. How would vendors react to saying we are going to cut 20-30% of the punters? 

 

As for the late night areas true they need looking at but some people love these areas as much as the headliners etc and is just as much part of the festival as the pyramid stage for me.

[ghostdancer1]

at a minimum they need to change the layout of the SE Corner. Shangri-La area has less space than The Common and Glasto Latino, but is far more people than them. they should at least swap them around.

[Pinhead]

In 2007 though it had got so wet that everywhere was flooded so people didnt even bother condensing into just the trackways. The type of mud makes a great deal of difference regards traffic flow and conjestion I reckon.

[musky]

It's worth pointing out that 2007 had the same number of punters as this year, and on top of that the space available has been increased. If there were less people on site that year it would have been because of the number of people that left in the dire conditions.

The naughty corner was there in 2007 as well.

I'd say the main difference this year was the difficulty in getting about causing more people to stick to the paths, and unlike 2007 we didn't see a large number of people leaving.

It's largely a matter of perception, but I've a feeling you would have hated 2000.