People without wristbands / overcrowding

[Amii]

Pyramid area was an issue this year. Mega crowded. I've been camping around that area for four years, and I've never seen it so busy.

Maybe it was due to the few big bands, but the Pyramid was undoubtably crowded this year.

[Ds84]

The crush leaving Bastille for Foals, and then leaving Foals for Arctics was pretty shocking.

Bastille to Foals at the exit of Silver Hayse to Other being borderline dangerous....especially when someone started shouting out stuff about Hillsborough and got everyone into a panic.

[badger80]

A mate of a mate paid £250 to one of these 'firms' .... defo sounds like the same thing as already mentioned. He was driven in on a minibus and had no wristband on. I saw a girl getting gripped by security outside the park and they were checking wistbands on way into Shangri-la!

Saw a couple of other wristbands-less people, but dont think this is to blame for overcrowding - just think a lot of people seemed to at the 2 main stages - as soon as you got out those areas and into West Holts, Greenfields, Avalon, Circus etc there was loads of room. Most ticket holders just seemed to be there for the main stages!

[angelin]

I didn't think so at all! Isn't it strange? We were near the new 24 hour shop and you could've easily got another tent in next to us. We been I'm a similar spot for the past 15 years and this year was definitely better for space compared to the last ex years. Lets not mention before that when we could all fit gazebos in!

[angelin]

That was in answer to the post re pyramid stage.

We saw people getting bands checked but I assumed it was because we went into Shang grin la round the back.

Shang gri la is always busy isn't it however, this was the first yea I was able to get in and actually sit down with a drink so something was different.

[rubenz]

Didn't think it was mega crowded compared to previous years, but once you have been going a few years you get to know the best routes and short cuts to avoid big crushes.

I had a ticket via a record company with no picture on it (just a name and you had to take photo id) The person who checked the ticket on the way in took it off me got me a wristband and then asked if I wanted it back so they were probably looking to keep the whole thing as it had no picture and could be sold/given to someone else! (I took it back from them though)

[argentia]

Definitely more crowded this year - boardering on the bad old days of 2000. When you think that some of the pinch points have been enlarged they were still pinch points. I passed a couple of lads on Monday moring asking for directions and heard one say "look there is the pyramid stage" so it would appear that they had just arrived and had never been on site before.

[RobDog86]

It did seem busier all over site all weekend. I didn't notice anyone without wristbands but i did get moaned at by a security guy when my wristband had turned inside out, i hadn't even noticed but he seemed pretty pissed off and waited till I had turned it round before he would let me on my way.

[Taikonaut]

I noticed a few people without wristbands, indeed Sunday evening i was sat by the Gateway Riser when a bloke sat down with a young lady without anything on his arm. Looked how i imagine a farmer might and thought maybe he was a local land owner.

However i did note that many performers in the Circus tent performed without wristbands and many had lanyards. Maybe these were the people some of us were spotting without wristbands during the weekend.

[frostypaw]

Performers and staff have removable wristbands for exactly this reason but they are meant to keep it on all the rest of the time for just this reason

I'd so easily believe all this. The capacity has been the same for years including baking sun and mud and everything inbetween and it was still the busiest ever in the main stages

The reading thing is a good shout too, the gorgeous chap I had a lovely few moments with had only been to such things, utterly missed half the festival and never ate anything but burgers etc as was used to that being all you could trust. Shame!

[Taikonaut]

Only bad crush I encountered was after the Stones near the entrance to the Cider Bus area bogs. One stream of people was trying to walk down towards the other stage direction and one group was trying to cross into the cider bus aread. Total gridlock, was very annoying.

[lmaltby1001]

Thought the main stages were really busy, but don't tend to go to them that often. Thought Sunday was extra busy until I realised its the day that the locals can come in, which was why some of you saw what appeared newbies on the Monday, think they can stay until they leave!

[leggyemulous]

Only bad crush I encountered was after the Stones near the entrance to the Cider Bus area bogs. One stream of people was trying to walk down towards the other stage direction and one group was trying to cross into the cider bus aread. Total gridlock, was very annoying.

[tinktink]

i have never seen it this crowded nile rogers & chic at the west holts they were carrying people out of the back even one had medics with him, it certainly was a different feeling this year took me a day or two to get into it were as other years its standing at the gate to get in

[rmcoboy]

Didn't notice it being busier than previous years except more folk seem to be at the pyramid generally.

On wristbands etc my wife was chatting to a long-standing member of the welfare team (about when she shattered her leg jumping the fence in 93). The welfare lady said she'd spent all night ringing the parents of 12-16 year old kids who'd got in illegally. She said fence jumping but i can't believe anyone other than an olympic pole vaulter could clear that fence these days.

[LondonTom]

Mhmm the site seemed less busier on the pathways/railway track this year...put it down to seemingly less vehicles moving around this year and other areas of the site seemed a bit on the quiet side compared to usual.

But the Pyramid/Other/JPT/West Holts all seem rammed all of the time, its the first time I've gone to headliners just before they've come on and every stage seemed packed everynight! Not sure if that's usual or not....but during the day they all seemed a bit more packed out than usual for what I watch. (If anything my tastes have got less popular than more so seemed weird)/.

[Redwinevino]

Know 1 or 2 people that sneaked in, said it was easier than ever this year and security didn't give a shit!

[kidpresentable]

Didn't think it was mega crowded compared to previous years, but once you have been going a few years you get to know the best routes and short cuts to avoid big crushes.

[manateemike]

We had a tent appear in the middle of our camp on Saturday afternoon. We briefly met the couple staying in it, who asked if we were workers. Seemed a bit odd, then I was woken up by security at 6am Sunday as they were being kicked out for having no wristbands. Apparently security had been chasing a few people that night.

The girl said she'd paid £80 for a wristband outside which was taken off her to be used again once she was through the gates. Not sure how that worked without a ticket and passout though.

[eoJ]

I got two friends in who'd spent wednesday night sleeping in a local woods with no sleeping bag, after their rope ladder didn't want to hook on to the fence. Not gonna discuss methods though, and it'd be good if others don't either.

I don't think people sneaking in was the problem though, more just a lot of acts sandwiched into one timeslot (around the time of the Rolling Stones) rather than being spread out over the course of the festival, as would normally happen.

[frostypaw]

Sad people are willing to do this.

Why do you want to irritate the festival until security increases?

[manateemike]

I got two friends in who'd spent wednesday night sleeping in a local woods with no sleeping bag, after their rope ladder didn't want to hook on to the fence. Not gonna discuss methods though, and it'd be good if others don't either.

I don't think people sneaking in was the problem though, more just a lot of acts sandwiched into one timeslot (around the time of the Rolling Stones) rather than being spread out over the course of the festival, as would normally happen.

Why, so people can still use them ?

[Grimmy]

[formed a band]

Absolutely correct Mike let's all discuss methods of sneaking in, I'm sure festival security will definitely read this forum and act on the information, rather than people who want to sneak in getting a load of tips. I'm not saying I snuck my mate in this year, but if I did I definitely have the common sense not to reveal my methods so the whole world can read them, try them out next year and make a massive problem for festival organisers. Keep it under your hat people

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

How about just don't do it at all, doesn't help anyone.

Oh and eavis saying he wishes more did it... Well if he is for real he doesn't have a conscience