Working the festival, tell me more...

[HurrahBrother]

OK, due to a change in financial circumstances, I am thinking of working at next years festival (if possible).

Any of you who have done it?

Tell me the good, the bad, the just plain grim!

Who is recruiting? Who to avoid? How long to dedicate?

After attending a few festivals, I feel as if it is time I pay back something to the festival other than cash!

[bexj]

My friend has done 2 Glastonbury's with Festaff, who do wristbanding. He has to arrive Monday evening, then helps with gate set up on Tuesday for a bit. Last year he did 3 x 8 hour shifts on gate B, between Wednesday morning and Saturday morning. This year he did a double shift on Wednesday and a single shift on Thursday but was working at Worthy View where he had to carry luggage as well as check people in. His feet were knackered after that and he's still suffering now. On the plus side he gets showers and a meal each day at his separate campsite and seems to have a good laugh with his colleagues. He says next year he will try for a ticket, fair point, he's never not worked Glastonbury. He also wristbands at Leeds, Download and Kendal, so volunteering for one if the smaller festivals will give you a taster of what to expect, plus they prefer to take on repeat staff.

[davefrompompey]

I did the after festival shifts with the recycling crew and would definitely recommend it. Tom's field is a great place to camp - quiet, secure and loads of space. I had the whole festival from Tuesday to Monday to enjoy and then did four six hour shifts sorting through rubbish (was a bit grim at times but the shifts went quickly enough). The party carried on with all the lovely people that worked those shifts for the four days afterwards and it was a good feeling seeing everything being cleared up. The only problem was that, with everything shut down, you only got 2 meal tokens a day which meant you had to stock up on snacks beforehand, and without a car it was impossible to get anywhere to buy supplies. I could've killed for a soft drink by day three!

All in all though, if you can get the two weeks off work, it's definitely worth it!

[Mark E. Spliff]

I've only ever worked Glastonbury (WBC bars) and wouldn't consider going as a punter. Reasons:

- Secure campsite with decent facilities, especially showers.

- Being part of a huge team means that no matter what you want to do, you'll always find buddies to join you.

- Having to work can mean you have more energy to do stuff than if you had 7 days of unrestrained excess.

- Getting on and off site is easier. I can park my car reasonably close to my tent.

- You arrive before it all starts. Makes for less traffic, and nice to be on site before it kicks off.

- The work can be fairly easy, and being stuck in one place for 6 hours with a bunch of new people can be fun.

Many of my fellow workers who've opted to go as punters have afterwards said 'never again.'

[davefrompompey]

Got to agree with the getting in early thing - Tuesday evening was absolutely fantastic - absolutely nothing on but plenty of people around so everybody was making their own entertainment. Saw a wonderful singing performance by a lady in a wheelchair accompanied by another lady on a cello in the greenfields - absolutely angelic voice. honestly one of the best things I saw at the festival. If you do end up working, even after the festival, I would definitely recommend turning up on the Tuesday.

[ICGenie]

While waiting for our pals at Gate A, we were hanging around the campsite guides, perusing the map. Someone came and asked a questions - the guides didn't know the answer but we were happy to help. Made me think that would be my ideal "job" at Glastonbury. Looked like it was largely local organisations that get involved in that though.

[davefrompompey]

I wouldn't want to move to pilton, even if you got a free ticket! they don't even have a shop, as I found to my dismay on the Wednesday after the festival. The Crown does a fucking fantastic rump steak though. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

[Ruwise]

I wouldn't want to move to pilton, even if you got a free ticket! they don't even have a shop, as I found to my dismay on the Wednesday after the festival. The Crown does a fucking fantastic rump steak though. Swings and roundabouts I guess.

[jonodillieono]

I'd love to work the festival provided I got thursday-sunday off to enjoy the festival completely.

What can you apply for what meets this criteria? Just the post-fest recycling crew?

[davefrompompey]

Though speaking to somebody at the E-Fests meet (sorry can't remember the name) he said you only need to be on the electoral register in Pilton and that there are people who don't live there who get the free tickets!

[davefrompompey]

I'd love to work the festival provided I got thursday-sunday off to enjoy the festival completely.

What can you apply for what meets this criteria? Just the post-fest recycling crew?

[incident]

I'd love to work the festival provided I got thursday-sunday off to enjoy the festival completely.

What can you apply for what meets this criteria? Just the post-fest recycling crew?

[jonodillieono]

I'm planning on working my first festival at Bestival this year with Oxfam, my friend's already signed up to do it so I'm going to go with Oxfam as well. It's 3x8 hour shifts whereas that Festaff is only 2x8 hour . Festaff seems to be the way to go

[ICGenie]

I'd love to work the festival provided I got thursday-sunday off to enjoy the festival completely.

What can you apply for what meets this criteria? Just the post-fest recycling crew?

[jonodillieono]

There were adverts around the site for post-fest clean-up workers, minimum wage + meals I seem to remember.

[eoJ]

I'm sure some festivals still have positions available, could always volunteer for one that's happening this year, and see how you like it.

[Freewheelin2]

Worked as part of a stewarding crew since '98 on an internal gate. As previous posts suggested we're a local group so can't help with recruiting suggestions but there's usually a few threads on here with links to orgs who are recruiting. I think GFL usually post something on their site early in the year recruiting crew catering staff.

I'd say if you get a chance to work, definitely go for it. We're there from the Sunday before to the Tuesday after, watching the final build up is great. We always do the top of the Stone Circle without looking back thing on the first Sunday night for sunset. I think whoever you work for you'll probably get 'perks': secure camping, showers etc and maybe meal tokens or even (half official) access to some backstage bars!

I always find the work knackering, some shifts always clash with something you want to see (but can maybe sort a couple of hours swap) but the buzz of being on site for that long and feeling you're maybe a tiny part of making it all happen makes me sign up year after year - I'm 93.

[Staff_Sav]

Theres 5 of us volunteering with Green Stewards at Secret Garden Party this year. Ive never worked a festival before, but hopefully it wont be too bad. Two of them worked with Festaff at Sonisphere and had great shifs, Wristbanding on Thursday and Saturday morning

[eoJ]

Just curious, working on main stages, like pyramid/other - how do you get picked? People that've been volunteering for years? Other listed skills/experience around celebrities?

[incident]

Just curious, working on main stages, like pyramid/other - how do you get picked? People that've been volunteering for years? Other listed skills/experience around celebrities?

[eoJ]

You get "picked" by working for the group handling duties in that area.

Remember that the scale of Glastonbury blows away pretty much anything else in the country, by a huge amount. Because of this, there's an incredibly large number of groups providing the Stewards / Marshalls / Security at Glastonbury and each have their own patch / responsibilities.

To be honest I'm not sure which security company controls access to Interstage, and I don't know what other roles there are within Interstage and whether they're volunteer or paid.

It's also worth mentioning that a lot of the roles in that area will be for 3rd parties - for example organisations like the BBC will provide/hire their own steward/security crews for access to their compound.

[Sawdusty surfer]

If you can think of something to provide for the festival (Artwork, Decor, Sculpture, Odd Thing) you might end up getting free tickets and maybe even free food and fuel paid. Set up before the festival starts and take down after the end, entire festival could be time off. Worth a thought.

[incident]

Well, not really random.

For example you'll almost never find an Oxfam* or Festaff steward working in the Interstage area, because all of the roles filled by those organisations are at or approaching the Gates. Likewise, working for Shelter (who provide staff for Avalon Bars) won't get you a job in Interstage as I believe WBC run the bar there.

Same applies for CTM, DCSS, Oasis Carnival, and that's most of the groups I can think of at this time of night.

To be blunt, Interstage is probably the most boring part of the site. It's easy enough to get access if you're curious (just wait until a band finishes and the gate gets rushed and they stop properly checking wristbands), but I'd hate to stick around there.

*you might get an Oxfam campaigner, but that's a different story.

[glasto-worker]

35 years ago I started out as a Punter - tried to join the WBC in 1986 but at that time they were only taking on people who were connected to the TUC but in 1989 they had changed the Rules and I have been with them ever since.

fully agree with what /topic/187465-working-the-festival-tell-me-more/?p=4440802"> wrote -

The WBC does not take on people direct - so its not as easy to join as other Volunteer jobs and even if you do make it into a Group there is no Guarantee you will get a Glastonbury place as allocations are always reduced { well they have been for the past 20 years } so there is less to play with and Official Organisers will tend to allocate on experience - sure it may not be fair but due to the job a person who has been dependable and Trustworthy for 20 years is far more valuable than a new recruit.

A Group will organise into one or more Teams and a screw up by one can affect everyone in that Group

Over the past 25 years I have seen many Teams screw up - if they are lucky they may get suspended for a few Months although more serious problems can see a ban of a few Years and in very serious cases they can end up being banned for Good even although the rest of the Team may not have been there when the incident took place - it may sound severe but that is the Rules and hence why Official Organisers are very careful in who they take on - they will tend to use new recruits at smaller events until they are confident that they can Trust them.

Once a person is able to work at large festivals then the facilities are great provided they are willing to work { it cracks me up when I see new Teams trying to get a better shift pattern not appreciating that over a few Years shifts will even out }

I have been offered well paid jobs by other Bar Operators but I will stick with the WBC until I retire.

[Pinhead]

Same for Oxfam - a 'core group' exist that have done it for many years at many festivals and consequently have the most experience. They get allocated all the best early shifts allowing them to have finished all theirs by the time the festival starts in many cases. Getting onto this core group is only really achieved through a combination of nepotism, experience and because someone already in that group has now retired from stewarding or perhaps is not available that year for the festival. Also, if you fail to turn up for a shift or turn up under influence, you are typically blacklisted for life from stewarding for Oxfam and you lose your deposit.