Crush

[Sketchead]

It's my first Glastonbury this year, I've done a few other festivals before. Crushing has almost always been an issue, if not during acts then after the final acts etc when everyone is trying to leave the stage. With there being so many people at Glasto, surely it's an issue all the time? Something that worries me (stupidly). I know Glasto is supposed to be more chilled out but we're all human, if a good act is coming on everyone is going to push forward etc. I'm guessing there are extra barriers or things to that affect put in place to stop these sort of incidents? Any bad incidents over the years?

[grumpyhack]

It's not a problem. Lots of space where you can still see well and get the atmosphere well clear of any crush.

[westwardhoboy]

It's my first Glastonbury this year, I've done a few other festivals before. Crushing has almost always been an issue, if not during acts then after the final acts etc when everyone is trying to leave the stage. With there being so many people at Glasto, surely it's an issue all the time? Something that worries me (stupidly). I know Glasto is supposed to be more chilled out but we're all human, if a good act is coming on everyone is going to push forward etc. I'm guessing there are extra barriers or things to that affect put in place to stop these sort of incidents? Any bad incidents over the years?

[ramragon]

Shangri-La is the late night (all night) entertainment, which you have to experience. There can be big crowds leaving the main stages after the headliners, all trying to get into late night areas. Either go before headliners finish or chill out somewhere for an hour before trying to get in.

[robith]

The last 2 years this area has been manic whilst trying to get in, it feels like the whole festival has turned up in a small corner for a cut of the action. Was so cramped last year we hardly stayed very long before retreating

[**claire**]

This is the Shangri-La experience for 90% of attendees

Stagger in slowly

Walk round in a loop

Leave

[phillyfaddle]

That's what we did last year. Planning on having a very different experience there this year by going earlier or later!

[johnmcga]

What everyone else said. Really, don't worry about it.

As well as Glastonbury I go to Reading most years (it's my home town) - despite having far fewer people there, the tiny size of the arena at Reading makes crowd build ups happen much more often. (I wouldn't call them 'crushes' - to my mind that implies something much more severe. Even at Reading, I've never felt in dange.)

The only time I've ever experienced anything similar at Glastonbury was at the right side of the Pyramid (as you look at it), when one popular act has just finished and another is about to begin.

You'll be fine.

[fowls]

Glastonbury doesn't really have crushes. I think it's because Glasto has more of a "stand still and sing along" kind of crowd rather than the jumpy aroundy crowds found at more rocky festivals. There were crushes at the front during Muse since everyone was jumping about, and even then it wasn't as bad as Reading/Leeds, but I doubt any of the three headliners will compare to that this year.

Just avoid going to Shangri La straight after the headliners...

Edited March 1, 2011 by fowls

[dip]

I was crushed to death last year.

[Mackem]

Whilst all this is true, let's not forget what it was like before the fence. In 2000 there were an enormous number or people on the site - and the site was quite a bit smaller than it is now. I can recall being stuck in a really dense crowd between the Pyramid and Other (at the end of either Friday or Saturday night) that didn't seem to have any natural traffic rules. It was quite scary and I'm glad the fence and the expansion of the site has removed that problem almost entirely. Certainly the only time I went to V I couldn't believe people were prepared to put up with the density of crowd you get there all the time - there just didn't seem to be anywhere on site you could have any space to yourself. There are parts of Glastonbury in which you could easily suffer from agoraphobia when the weather's nice!

Edited March 1, 2011 by Mackem

[Vacant0]

This is the Shangri-La experience for 90% of attendees

Stagger in slowly

Walk round in a loop

Leave

[fraz]

I was crushed to death last year.

[pouxin]

I did have one scary moment trying to get to see Gorillarz last year - was crushed and mashed so my feet left the ground for a bit, which I did NOT enjoy . I was able to retreat and go and see Groove Armada instead . However, this has not happened to me before (e.g. 2004, rocked up pretty late to see Paul McCartney [not as late as he rocked up though] - no problems), so I think it has got a bit worse over recent years. My advice would be if you are approaching the Pyrmaid to see a popular act (Gorillarz and Snoop Dogg last year), come from the left flank (left as if you were facing the stage) not the right. The right has only two throughfares on the approach (one at front stage, one at back of field), sides onto a natural barrier and therefore gets rammed; the left just flows out down various thoroughfares and is a lot less crowded with plenty of opportunity for relaxed crowd movement. Never had any problems approaching from the left.

Got crushed really badly trying to exit District 9 area last year, genuinely felt anxious and had to concentrate on breathing as the pressure from the crowd being rammed against me was intense. As previous posters have said, timing is everything with visiting the late night areas. I was trying to escape at the time though, so was a bit miffed to be crushed by all the people trying to enter! Let me out first! London Underground Rules!