Glastonbury 2016 - In Retrospect

[noplacelikehome]

I think it was a solid 7/10 the mud was a slog but didn't stop me seeing everyone I wanted to, missed sitting down on the ground but managed an hour or so up at the glastonbury sign on Saturday afternoon and it was heaven. Only thing I really felt I missed out on was food as I couldn't be bothered to walk to my fave food stalls so made choices of convenience. Still no better place on earth and I will be on the f5 button this Sunday with the rest of you.

[Spindles]

1 hour ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

2013 is the recent mack daddy.

Fo sho.  The best of the recent crop for me.

2016 wasn't a bad year, all told.  The layout changes for JPT and the woods were a really welcome addition and will be even more so when the weather is good in years to come.  The weather did make it tough going at times but I was nothing but impressed by how no one seemed to be letting it get to them, either among the people I was with or those I interacted with around the site.

I saw some good performances, I have few regrets about my choices and saw a fair bit (although very little on the Sunday, by which time a combination of exhaustion and dealing with stuff in the real world was dragging me down a bit).

I was extremely lucky to avoid the traffic issues with an accidental back route in and similarly we hung around til early afternoon Monday for a smooth trip offsite and home, appreciating that most problems at glastonbury occur when everyone tries to do the same thing at once.

I'm looking forward to what may, for health reasons, be my last trip to the farm next year and I truly hope the weather is kind to us all.

[ladybird33]

Bit disappointed this year. My tenth and probably least favourite.  I had good intentions to spend more time in the naughty corner and a combination of mud and various things put a halt to that. Wasn't really feeling it this year and hope to be able to rectify that and get back on track next year! Still, saw some fab stuff this year and I liked the woods. Wasn't a vintage year, but will be hard to beat 2010 and 2013. 

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

Had a great time, definite unfinished business though, due to the traffic/mud issues on Wednesday essentially didn't sleep for 24 hours so had to go to bed early Thursday and that was my favourite day the year before. The mud on the rest of the weekend affected our groups abiiity to do everything we wanted, so a brilliant time but desperate for tickets next year to have another crack at it.

[rubenz]

Well I was nearly down and out on the Sunday,  sheltering in an empty leftfield tent with several of my friends already given up and gone home. 

Then I made my way across and got a great spot for pj Harvey and lcd soundsytem and the rest is history. 

Moral of the story being you have to stick it out to the end sometimes to see something awesome (my mate at home watching Coldplay was then texting saying why did you let me go home early!) 

Edited October 3, 2016 by rubenz

[Twisted Melon]

It was hard work this year, not that I didn't have a great time but not being able to explore as much as usual because of conditions underfoot does lesson the experience.

Still wouldn't want to be anywhere else but to be able to sit down on a dry patch of grass on a sunny day with a cider in hand would have been bliss and I never had that this year.

Overall, even with the weather and the conditions I had a great festival, it was just a real slog at times.

Edited October 3, 2016 by Twisted Melon

[Calvin Klein]

This guy above me nailed it. 

[Hugh Jass]

4 hours ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

I found the set by this platoon of nonentities in my planner a few weeks back and watched it on the back of some people saying they should have headlined.

I just remember being incredibly bored.

[waterfalls212434]

id give it a 7/10 the lineup was good but not as good as other years and the mud made things very difficult sometimes, more so towards the end of the week when a few `I cant be arsed with this shit anymore` moments made an appearance before I had a word with myself,  it just affects the whole festival, you cant sit down anywhere and chillout, it dampens the mood, whole areas become inaccessible (didnt even try se corner this year due to the mud) I have to say the people as well....I dont know if it was the weather getting everyone down but at certain times people acted like utter assholes, saw a couple of fights break out on paths even and never seen that before here. and some people just generally being twats  to each other.... for example on the paths all the traffic going one way not letting anyone going the other way to even have a single foot of room to get by without having to wade ankle deep off the path, people pushing people off the paths, just inconsiderate assholes really and I was ashamed to see that at glastonbury (mostly silver hayes paths I have to say.......something about the atmosphere of that place at the best of times that doesnt fit let alone last year....put it this way if there ever was any `trouble` id expect it to be out there

praying to the weather gods for a 2010 like 2017! Dont get me wrong....a 7/10 at glastonbury is like a 9/10 anywhere else and I still had a good time but not `as good` a time as ive had the previous 3 years id been.

Edited October 3, 2016 by waterfalls212434

[fatyeti24]

The traffic and particularly the mud did it for me, and combined with spending far, far too much money means this year replaces 2009 on the bottom rung of the ladder since I started going again in 2008, to such an extent that whether I go again next year will, ticket this weekend obliging, be a decision I defer until next April. 

It wasn't all bad, far from it, but it's never been the be all and end all of the summer for me and there's certainly many other things I could put the money towards.

We'll see. 

[Joshuwarr]

2014 > 2013 > 2016 > 2015 > 2009 > 2010 > 2008 > 2011 

I've found as I've got older (now 25) that I've enjoyed it a lot more. I think this is probably because that the Glasto escapism is far more valued when you're now a full grown adult with more responsibilities and worries in life. When I was a student it was just another weekend of debauchery... 

2014 and 2013 were just such good fun though. Great people, great music and amazing fun. 2011 involved us breaking down 2 miles away and having to walk to the site in the rain feeling depressed so not the best of the starts. Still a great year though!

[Ohinever]

Had a lot of shit going on outside the festival and tbh wasn't feeling it at all. The mud pissed me off by the Sunday too.  Still managed to have some good times.  For me,  worst since 2007.

Edited October 3, 2016 by mooro

[ivan]

3 hours ago, rubenz said:

Well I was nearly down and out on the Sunday,  sheltering in an empty leftfield tent with several of my friends already given up and gone home. 

Then I made my way across and got a great spot for pj Harvey and lcd soundsytem and the rest is history. 

Moral of the story being you have to stick it out to the end sometimes to see something awesome (my mate at home watching Coldplay was then texting saying why did you let me go home early!) 

I had that in 2007

It had been really hard all weekend cos of the mud.  We camp in Big Ground on on the Sunday evening all my mates decided to watch The Who from their tents.

I made the quite difficult journey all the way to Other Stage for The Chemical Brothers, I was on my own , it pissed it down all through their set and i was knackered and faced a long drive back to Yorkshire early the next morning .  

But their set meant there was nowhere else I would rather have been .  Check it out on you tube , The Chems were brilliant.

Their  set finished and it was bloody hard getting back to my tent I was nearly crawling on my hands and knees to get up some of the slopes .

 

[whisty]

14 hours ago, Scruffylovemonster said:

Have tried to be objective about 2007 as it was my first so is higher but if it hadn't been the first that weather would have wacked it way down

Iggy & Stooges as well as Bjork, put 2007 up there don't mess around  

[Guest]

Because of the mud I did not move from the Glade all weekend really. Came to the conclusion that the Glade is one of my fave places in the entire world.

New Order and Shades Of Rhythm made all mud worthwhile.

[mungo57]

I had a great time this year but I will echo others on here and say the mud was a killer. By the end of ELO on Sunday, I would have gladly gone home if offered. But it was still a great year, not the best, however not the worst.

A few incidents to do with mud that we could have done without (girlfriend didn't do her boots up tight enough and got stuck on the track by Silver Hayes as she stopped walking which was a rather silly thing to do, me and another bloke had to steady her, lift her out the boots, hold her up and then reapply the boots in mid air and do them up!) but thats all part of the fun!

[lucyginger]

I had a brilliant time, despite breaking my ribs on the Wednesday afternoon when I fell and landed on my friends wheelbarrow. It really hurt. REALLY hurt. I soldiered on thinking they were just bruised (found out after a visit to the Dr 6 weeks after Glastonbury that they were broken, the swelling was trapping a nerve in my arm so I had numb fingers too. It took almost 3 months to heal properly!), drank through it, did as much as I could and had a corker of a weekend. I couldn't go to as much as I wanted to because walking hurt, and the mud obviously made walking more effort. 

I did manage to see everyone on my "must see" list, I just couldn't wander as much as I usually do. There was a moment of sad on the Saturday, I'd been to see a few bands, had a gap of an hour or so before my next one, and just got hit by a wave of "Holy shit I feel awful, wtf am I doing" so I went for something to eat and a sit down and had a stern word with myself. After that I was fine! I really wasn't going to let painful ribs interfere too much with my festival experience! 

I bloody love Glastonbury. This year was my 8th. I don't have a favourite year, they've all been amazing. Even with broken ribs! 

 

 

[scaryclaireyfairy]

It ranks in the middle somewhere for me, which is pretty good considering the conditions.  The almighty queue to get onsite would have broken me had we not got caught in similar in '09 which ended up being one of my fav years.  I still genuinely wanted to just go home at one point though.

Late arrival, exhaustion, failing humour and the saturated ground meant that rather than bimbling with can in hand by Wed lunchtime, we weren't fully set up til Thur afternoon.  We lost a whole day. 

Damon and the Orchestra of Syrian Musicians had me snivelling before they even hit the stage.  I had to leave and fight for my festival.  A jerk chicken wrap in hand and happening to be at the bottom of the market as Damon started 'Out Of Time' put things back on their axis a bit.  Later that evening I had a weird feeling during Foals (I like 'em but I just felt totally removed) so I trotted off to catch Billy Bragg.  It was cathartic and got me right over the hump.

I've always sworn I only had one wet year left in me so I made a point of getting to all my little quiet corners in case it was my last chance. 

Adele was brilliant.  So was my second jerk chicken wrap.

ELO wasted my time, might as well have stuck a cd on, the crowd wasted Beck's time.  My wellies finally ripped apart in the thick mud of Avalon.  I went immediately to buy myself a new silver ring and a jerk chicken wrap rather than new wellies.  I wasn't wasting the last of my cash on mere practicalities at that late stage.

Realised that I'd made it through another wet one and hadn't really suffered.  It wasn't as bad as '07 by any stretch.

I have never even been tempted by Le Grand Bouffe. 

 

[Fishman]

Not one of the best for me as too muddy to be a classic.

The journey in was a right pain; Brexit bolloxed my mood on the Friday; Shangri- La a muddy shambles that the new security made considerably worse; the mud meant it was hard to go bimbling; and it pissed down as I was heading to the stones for Saturday sunrise.

Still, it's Glastonbury innit and wouldn't miss it for the world (all hail the ticket gods).

[___S_o_m_a__]

Traffic was utterly gash and there was no need for it.

Mud was utterly gash.

Still love the place.

Edited October 4, 2016 by ___S_o_m_a__
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[shoptildrop]

It started off well for me despite getting soaked on way in, as missed the traffic chaos, gates were already open when approached gate D so even with the alton towers queue system was through the gate within an hour...

The bottom of Paines/Dairy ground nearly killed me and folk around trying to drag trolleys through the treacle mud, but managed to find group and had plenty of space to set up

2nd trip to car went well and the sun started to come out, plenty of brothers cider in the evening and talking to randoms and even had an early night - 1st mistake as meant was asleep when b*stard tent thieves hit  I tried not to let it get me down but it did and I have to say it marred the whole festival..

There was points when I thought I couldn't go on when got stuck in some of the crowds through the mud as people were just pushing and shoving which didn't go down well on this claustrophobic person - I could of coped with the mud tbh but it was just the way some people were selfishly acting that didn't help..

it's the 1st year I've really questioned whether I want to go again tbh but of course I will be trying for tickets again on Sunday  

[nikkic]

I've been 5 times and never seen nor heard of Le Grand Bouffe. Where is it and what is it and am I missing out?! 

[JoeyT]

Although it was a tough one for the various reasons mentioned in previous posts. I must admit looking around at those who gritted it out to the bitter end on Sunday (you can tell the daytrippers apart so not including them) I got a real sense of

"yeah we've been on a journey, we got through it and most importantly we're together. just pure love from thousands upon thousands of likeminded people."

So yeah last year wouldn't be in my top 3 but that moment of  will stay with my forever.

[eFestivals]

33 minutes ago, nikkic said:

I've been 5 times and never seen nor heard of Le Grand Bouffe. Where is it and what is it and am I missing out?! 

it's the french version of (optional) sausage and mash

You'll find one of them on the main drag in West Holts, right on the corner where it opens out towards the stage. There's another one somewhere on site too, tho I can'#t remember where.

[CaledonianGonzo]

The other one is in the stretch of stalls between the Pyramid and the Cider Bus.