Should the permit be increased to allow more people?

[russycarps]

Good luck with a fire on the pyramid field these days, you'd get lynched.

Aye. It's pretty clear though, no camp chairs and blankets means there is plenty of room in that field.

Fires or chairs/blankets, I wonder what add most to the atmosphere....

[sime]

This video shows the subheadliner in 2000 saturday night, the year of all the fence jumpers when it was apparently dangerously crowded and we had to be protected from ourselves with a big fence and lots of cameras watching us:

 

https://youtu.be/K0D-oBbLG0g

 

Be honest.  It isn't that quiet now at 4 in the afternoon, let alone for the sub.

The only thing lovelier than seeing all those 'Glasbergians' as Macca would say, and the Pet Shop Boys (I do like a bit of PSB!) is, from what I could see, the total lack of bloody camping chairs. I do miss the days of no camping chair mafias...!

[denwyn]

Only did it on Sunday ticket this year, although daughter and friends there since Wednesday, I'm all for loading it to 100,000 its far to big now, spoils it with very dangerous exits from main stages,very scary with Lionel R set on Sunday, daughter had very bad panic attack,ecellent stewards got her out, but not easy, stupid people pushing and shoving them didnt help at all paramedic's not able to get through,this needs to be addressed, Pyramid crowd area needs big expansion, Sunday ledends slot bigger than headliners these days.

[St.A.to.Z]

You've got a younger and younger audience willing and able to stay out until sunrise with the help of whatever they can get their hands on.

The night areas are ridiculous... The amount of people flooding to an already packed Arcadia on Sunday night as I went home from Ryan Adams was insane. Also shangri la on Friday was so busy I don't think il venture down that corner again.

I also think that's part of the problem... There's so much to do that there really isn't a culture of sitting round your tents like there is at other festivals. That's obviously a great thing but it just means everywhere is so crowded.

I'd like to see less tickets sold and for a higher price. Although I wouldn't want to price even more people out of being able to afford going. Maybe the answer is to sell less mainstream tickets and sell more of the premium type packages such as worthy farm camping and tipis etc, which there seems to be demand for.

[russycarps]

Only did it on Sunday ticket this year, although daughter and friends there since Wednesday, I'm all for loading it to 100,000 its far to big now, spoils it with very dangerous exits from main stages,very scary with Lionel R set on Sunday, daughter had very bad panic attack,ecellent stewards got her out, but not easy, stupid people pushing and shoving them didnt help at all paramedic's not able to get through,this needs to be addressed, Pyramid crowd area needs big expansion, Sunday ledends slot bigger than headliners these days.

Maybe it's time for row mead to be ditched. I'd be sad though, I used to camp there all the time back in the day

[GlastoEls]

Definitely would reduce capacity for all reasons listed above.

[sedra]

It's reached its capacity - though the recent licence allows an increase of up to another 25,000- 60,000 staff, performers etc. I think that is where a lot of the increase has happened- more areas, more performers, more crew, more media, more guests of all the above, more traders, more security, more volunteers - I saw so many people with other wrist bands - non normal paying punters I think there must as many extras as ordinary punters now. Felt there was no where really quiet anymore.

[Spindles]

Thing is, it's less guests of those listed.  Guest tickets for performers and providers of stalls etc has been steadily reduced.  I suspect that hospitality numbers have been rising quietly on the back of that for years.  People I knew who used to get a half price ticket for a friend for working no longer do, someone I know who used to get 6 guest tickets now only gets 2, there are less meal tickets, etc...

[paulmuchmore]

Lionel was undoubtedly the busiest, but after that I think it was actually George Ezra. I was absolutely shocked how many people were there for him.

[incident]

Higher apparently in 2004, 150k. Confusing eh?

It's not comparing like for like. There's always been different numbers floating around, most commonly the one for general admission tickets and the one for total attendance. People (including GFL themselves) quote the numbers interchangeably without qualifying them and so that's where any confusion comes from.

2004 had 112,500 general admission tickets on sale, the total of 150,000 comes when you include everyone else such as workers, sunday tickets, etc.

2015 had I believe 137,500 general admission tickets on sale, with about 180,000 on site in total.

I could be off on the specifics of those numbers (especially the last one), but it won't be by much.

[Mr November]

It was noticeably busy this year and that tainted some great moments. Cut 10% of the attendance and add the difference to the ticket price in my opinion.

[whisty]

Skirt the busy areas when walking round, avoid the BIG name artists. Wasn't too busy for me this year & I camp in Big Ground. Let's be fair, most of the BIG names are mostly hype anyway. In saying all that, I don;t like large crowds and seeing pin heads on a stage if you're lucky makes no sense, so my approach suits me Sir. 

[ICGenie]

Experienced festival goers watch the oncoming patterns and swerve to avoid them, there were MANY people this year who just trudged until they ran into people then stopped dead, waiting for them to move.  You need to learn how to navigate through a moving crowd people!

Sorry, only done fifteen festivals (six Glastonburys) so far, how long before I'm an "experienced festival goer"?

And you can't swerve someone when you're in a packed crowd. You end up swerving into other people - actually, maybe you're one of the inconsiderate ones who just walks into people?

[Spindles]

After a couple of festivals, I'd say, it's called looking where you are going.  People didn't seem to be doing that.  

 

Sorry if I've somehow offended you though.  I can assure you I was far from inconsiderate.

[jpeee]

I am convinced attendence was up this year. It felt much much busier than my previous experiences since 2008.

Walking past the Pyramid before James Bay I was shocked! It took 20 minutes to cross the field. Any time I passed the Pryamid the crowd was just as big.

Wednesday took forever to get in, early attendence has sky rocketed.

That said, over all I feel some great positives came from the festival this year. I never queued for toliets. Those that did, did not walk to the next field over. They have done an incredible job with toilet infrastructure over the last five years. The flushing toilets above Pyramid where always availble when needed. Why queue for 10 minutes when you can walk for 5.

Again, If I needed food or drink I never waited in line. Perhaps 5 or 6 people in front at the most. Why wait when there are so many options.

The problem, as many of you have already pointed out, are the day trippers. Plonked in front of the main two stages with blankets and chairs and picnic baskets with condiments and cutlery etc, but mainly a refusal to move back is the problem. Those stages get busier hour on hour and those ground holders became a liabilty.

I think capacity is okay overall. With tweaking it could allow for more attendees.

The immediate space from Pyramid to Other Stage needs to widen, as does the width between Pyramid and John Peel. The Pyramid also needs to be extended a little too.

 

As for Shangr iLa, I felt that was quieter than preivous years and late night options where fantastic across site.

I think the main problems this weekend were the amount of people staying at the same stage regardless of who played.

All this said, my instincts say two more years at Worthy Farm before Emily starts over with Glastonbury 2.0

Edited June 30, 2015 by jpeee

[shoptildrop]

Absolutely not!!

[surreysupermum]

No No No!!!

 

This was my first time at Glaso since 2004 and in 10 years and boy has it changed. 

 

The type of crowd - loads more idiots, stag/hen do types - seems to have lost much of the original laidback 'hippy' vibe that it was founded upon.

 

The size of crowd - way big enough - persnally feel it should be scaled back by around 50k at least.

 

The size of the site - whilst there has always been parts of the site we've not managed to get to, we used to do a 3 day festival arriving friday morning and leaving after the pyramid act on Friday night and get to see much of it.  It seem to have grown hugely in the last decade.

 

This time did we 5 days and never got to see as much as I previously have.  I think there is a lot of stuff that doesnt necesssarily need to be there and in my mind takes something from the festival rather than gives  to it.  - SE corner - now would like to have known what that's all about but way too overcrowded and seemed dangerous to get in there.

 

I think they should scale back on some of the headline acts now- chasing highs like The Stones is never going to work, needs to get back to its roots.

 

Less stuff to do overnight might be a good thing - means people trot back to their tent - more camp fires and neighbourly chats also give the cleaners time to do their brilliant jobs - I remember waking up to see the pyramid field totally void of any rubbish the next morning - not now.

 

I'd say that Glasto has totally outgrown its self in recent years almost a victim of it's own success. I was really pleased to get tickets for this year but doubt very much if I'll try for tickets in future assuming it will keep on what with the talk of moving it and the fact that Michael Eavis is not getting any younger.

 

Glastonbury as was is dead .  So long live 21st Century Glastonbury which I'm really sad to say it not for me

[Dark Star]

The fact that they're considering moving because they are having more and more difficulty with the landowners who they need to rent from says that it's clearly reached a point where further expansion is impossible.  

If they stop booking insanely big name headliners, the likes of Kanye, U2, Stones etc then this will reduce the demand a little, making it easier to consider a reduction in capacity.  Glasto headliners weren't always stadium fillers, and really don't need to be.  The festival should sell itself without those.  

[sinhala]

I understand there were an extra 20k staff this year - bearing in mind they are only working a third of the time then at any give time 14k of these extra staff are acting like punters.

 

Hope my maths are up to speed - it's hot here today !

[russycarps]

I understand there were an extra 20k staff this year - bearing in mind they are only working a third of the time then at any give time 14k of these extra staff are acting like punters.

Hope my maths are up to speed - it's hot here today !

What were the extra 20k needed for? Everything seemed pretty much the same as last year

[Vacant0]

You've got a younger and younger audience willing and able to stay out until sunrise with the help of whatever they can get their hands on.

The night areas are ridiculous... The amount of people flooding to an already packed Arcadia on Sunday night as I went home from Ryan Adams was insane. Also shangri la on Friday was so busy I don't think il venture down that corner again.

I also think that's part of the problem... There's so much to do that there really isn't a culture of sitting round your tents like there is at other festivals. That's obviously a great thing but it just means everywhere is so crowded.

I'd like to see less tickets sold and for a higher price. Although I wouldn't want to price even more people out of being able to afford going. Maybe the answer is to sell less mainstream tickets and sell more of the premium type packages such as worthy farm camping and tipis etc, which there seems to be demand for.

I'm going to say this politely. Fuck off.  

[neil999]

the problem with the legends slot is who they are up against them, twin atlantic on the other stage ffs!

[stuartbert two hats]

I understand there were an extra 20k staff this year - bearing in mind they are only working a third of the time then at any give time 14k of these extra staff are acting like punters.

 

Hope my maths are up to speed - it's hot here today !

I think they were licenced  for another 20k, but didn't increase them that much.*goes off to check*

 

Seems they are licenced for another 25,500 which they plan to phase in over 10 years, started last year.  It's unlikely that they would have added 20k by now.

 

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/news/14/140306d.shtml

 

"But they do want to increase staff tickets from 37,500 to 63,000 over a ten-year period, making the total capacity 198,000 in 2024.

Read more at http://www.efestivals.co.uk/news/14/140306d.shtml#PWTrs57U5l37Jaws.99"

[myers]

i was at the festival for fun, not work.. but the company i work for provide generators to the main supplier off the festival...(aggreko).

i met a few engineers on site an spoke too them...they had 85 engineers on site! all splitting shifts and basically on the biggest fiddle all weekend!  from experience that amount off machines could have been handled by 20 engineers...comfortably!  how many other service providers are adding too the numbers unnecessary???  food vendors are mob handed and partying most nights too! see the website! 

bbc for starters!  300 plus people! . an i can't even watch the cribs back on iplayer! haha..

[St.A.to.Z]

I'm going to say this politely. Fuck off.

Ha. I can see how it comes across. My logic is if they can sell a few thousand more of these overpriced tents and tipis they could lower the capacity without it affecting the revenue. Means you get the same festival with less crowding. Just an idea.