Is it REALLY that different?

[Henrik]

Hi guys,

First up I just wanna thank all the contributors to this forum, I have been lurking and reading for quite some time and have picked up some valuable info whilst having a good laugh. Cheers

This year will be my first Glastonbury Festival and I'm literally counting down the days, I cant wait. I am by no means a festival virgin, with 11 Readings, 6 Downloads, 5 foreign festivals and 4 Bestivals under my belt, I actually consider myself somewhat of a festival veteran.

I have just never experienced the biggest of them all!

My question is...is it really actually that different? I have heard people say things like "you will not be prepared for what you find" and "it's like nothing else". I think im kind of expecting a massive Bestival?

How far off am I?

[Zoo Music Girl]

I haven't been to Bestival but I would venture that it IS that different. I'd been to 4 Readings, a few Vs and an Ozzfest but nothing prepared me for the sheer size and scale of Glastonbury. Add to that the massive variety of things to see and do, the more quirky/less commercial aspects, great food, good cider and so on and it really is a different kettle of fish to something like Reading. Oh and there's the sense of complete freedom where you can take your booze anywhere and wander freely between areas at all times of the day and night. I wasn't prepared for it, have been 4 times and still find it mindblowing. My friends told me I would be blown away and I was sceptical but I was. And I could never do Reading now.

You'll love it

Edited June 3, 2013 by RebeccaD

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

it is a massive bestival. in a nutshell.

which is in no means a bad thing.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Hi guys,

First up I just wanna thank all the contributors to this forum, I have been lurking and reading for quite some time and have picked up some valuable info whilst having a good laugh. Cheers

This year will be my first Glastonbury Festival and I'm literally counting down the days, I cant wait. I am by no means a festival virgin, with 11 Readings, 6 Downloads, 5 foreign festivals and 4 Bestivals under my belt, I actually consider myself somewhat of a festival veteran.

I have just never experienced the biggest of them all!

My question is...is it really actually that different? I have heard people say things like "you will not be prepared for what you find" and "it's like nothing else". I think im kind of expecting a massive Bestival?

How far off am I?

[yellowsnow]

I've never been either but I went to Bestival last summer and it was massive and I didn't even get to see everything there, so I can't even get my head around the idea of Glastonbury!

[frostypaw]

In the end there's nothing like it, it's a combination of all the best bits of other festivals AND it has freedom and minimal sponsorship like only a few

Hard not to love

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I've never been either but I went to Bestival last summer and it was massive and I didn't even get to see everything there, so I can't even get my head around the idea of Glastonbury!

[whateverman]

I think that the biggest difference for me is that on occasions the idea of a festival, with it's limited arena complex and agenda of organised entertainment starts to break down, and you start to take for granted the idea of Glastonbury as a world, where bimbling and stumbling and munting and mumbling are the norm. And as you struggle with the sheer weight of scale you start to wonder if there are indeed no outer limits, and a large part of the planet has been given over to a muddy mass of culture, hedonism, debate, and incoherent rambling.

[sparklypseudonym]

It's as different as you want to make it IMO. You should get yourself to all corners and all stages during the weekend if you can.

[pedmills]

You've seen the rest; now see the best.

It is kind of a massive bestival. But it is bigger in scope and ambition as well as size. I would say that there is more entertainment, more decoration, more attention to detail, more variety per person.

Everywhere you look something is happening. Never mind trying to see every band, you won't be able to see every stage.

Plus, because everyone that goes decides that Glastonbury is the best, they make it the best.

[fatyeti24]

I think that the biggest difference for me is that on occasions the idea of a festival, with it's limited arena complex and agenda of organised entertainment starts to break down, and you start to take for granted the idea of Glastonbury as a world, where bimbling and stumbling and munting and mumbling are the norm. And as you struggle with the sheer weight of scale you start to wonder if there are indeed no outer limits, and a large part of the planet has been given over to a muddy mass of culture, hedonism, debate, and incoherent rambling.

[ian the worm]

A good festival will make your summer.

A good Glastonbury will make your life.

[pie_and_a_pint]

I think it is as different if you want it to be. If you want it to be just another music festival (albeit on a much larger site with a much larger selection of acts and genres) then it can be. If you want it to be a life-affirming, life-changing, life-long love affair then it will be.

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

I think for me Glastonbury is the only festival I've been to and felt completely cut off from the rest of the world, it's something difficult to explain until you get there and start wandering about. In terms of a large Bestival I would say that's as close as I've ever got but on a far grander scale.

Once you've been you'll know how unique the experience is

[paulo999]

Lots of things different than Bestival.

Entertainment til 7am. Even later if you know where to look.

No arena system.

The green fields.

Music diversity.

Age diversity.

Spectacle (Arcadia Spider, Block9 etc)

Proper bars not cans out of a truck.

Theatre, Cabaret & Circus.

Lots of stuff free (Lock ups, programme, shuttle buses etc etc).

Nearly zero corporate presence.

No high street stores (e.g. Pizza Express / All Saints / etc).

Scale.

Tradition.

Bestival does alot of things right, but it's not simply a smaller version of Glastonbury.

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

Lots of things different than Bestival.

Entertainment til 7am. Even later if you know where to look.

No arena system.

The green fields.

Music diversity.

Age diversity.

Spectacle (Arcadia Spider, Block9 etc)

Proper bars not cans out of a truck.

Theatre, Cabaret & Circus.

Lots of stuff free (Lock ups, programme, shuttle buses etc etc).

Nearly zero corporate presence.

No high street stores (e.g. Pizza Express / All Saints / etc).

Scale.

Tradition.

Bestival does alot of things right, but it's not simply a smaller version of Glastonbury.

[paulo999]

A few maybe.

[grumpyhack]

Kraft cheese slices versus a very fine Stilton.

[garokev]

Like you Henrik, I've done many Reading's and Download's. Its almost impossible to convey how much better Glasto is as a whole than those festivals. Even to the extent that even though my favourite kind of music is rock and metal, as a complete experience Glasto shits all over everything!! I think its cos there is so much MORE than just music during the day, unlike Reading and Download that just doesnt really have anything to do after the bands.

Make sure you visit the Greenfields, craft fields during the day, and if you like a party and discovering random shit, make sure you attend shangri la etc in the evenings!

[Aragorn]

I've never been either but I went to Bestival last summer and it was massive and I didn't even get to see everything there, so I can't even get my head around the idea of Glastonbury!

[Thearg]

Its a whole different vibe, some festivals come near but not close.

Perhaps its because of the history, the setting,the ley lines or the the fact that a farmer wants to throw a party once a year.

Its all of these of course and them some, you can see it in the artwork,cabaret,music etc,the people involved pull out the stops for this one.

Its not done for profit,the bands don't get paid much or at all because most of them have been punters before hand.

Some people say it has changed and of course it has,everything changes with time but from the first time I went in 93 its still got it.

Its the only festival that sells out in under two hours without releasing a lineup.

There is a reason for this.

[jeffie]

Really its not that special, but the people are ok, and it's quite a lot of fun. Imagine a big V festival......

[DL50]

One of the biggest differences for me was no separation between camping area and arena. It is so cool at Glastonbury how you can just wander around the campsites with stages all over the place

I never realized quite how commercial other festivals are until i went to Glastonbury as well, so much less of a big corporation feel with loads of advertising etc

If like me you are used to your younger person festivals like Reading then Glastonbury is also as massive change seeing people of all ages. Might sound strange to some on here but after going to 2 Readings in a row and then Glastonbury i found it very strange seeing loads of people over 40 wandering around a festival!

I think it is different as well in the way you know you are at the biggest and best festival in the world, for me it added so much to the atmosphere!

[jeffie]

Look, can you all stop bigging it up please. Everyone might get the idea that it's quite good. And we don't want that. New people, you have to take a vow of silence....

[Thearg]

Look, can you all stop bigging it up please. Everyone might get the idea that it's quite good. And we don't want that. New people, you have to take a vow of silence....