Do you think the run-up beats the finale? Limited time off for Glasto, decisions have to be made....

[kh24]

So, after nine festivals where I've been able to go for the full Wed morning  - Monday morning slog I'm facing a decision this year. My other half, who can't usually come full stop, will be coming along (for the first time in six years!) but the rub is he can only get two days off.

Friday and Monday is the obvious choice but it means he'd be arriving on Thursday evening, possibly a bit tired, and then pretty much straight into bands on the Friday. Maybe it's an age thing but increasingly it's all about the Weds/Thurs for me. If he takes Thurs and Friday off, and comes after work on Weds he'd have a chilled evening/few beers on Weds, a full day/night on Thurs then all the rest of the festival as normal until Sunday evening. I know a few people on here leave after the headliners but as we live in the NW we'd probs be looking at an early evening departure - is this an awful thing to have to do? Does it ruin the rest of your Sunday cos you are just clock-watching or thinking about work? Does it take so long to get sorted and off site that it's hardly worth bothering? Obviously drinking is a problem too but then again we're not 21 anymore and after 4 nights on it we might be ready for a bit of an imposed detox. Seems a shame to 'waste' a day off by travelling back but it would give you are more chilled Sunday in return (albeit one where your partying would still be somewhat muted) so it's a tough call. Annoyingly the coaches North don't seem to run that late on the Sunday either so that's another fly in the ointments as we'd definitely be in the car if we left then.

Anyone else left and arrived at different times and now has a strong preference (or strategy) for this?      

[Bradders]

You need to ask @Homer, he has some feelings on the topic.

[Memory Man]

difficult to choose, I would keep the sunday if you like who is playing late on the sunday.

My favourite evening of last year's festival ended up being PJ Harvey > LCD > Charlotte Church

So if they have time to wait till the breakdown of the lineups come out before making a decision I would wait. Acts on the thursday are usually exceptionally over subscribed, can end early and can suffer from low sound volumes.

It just depends what you / they value really - mooching about the site with fewer distractions, or the Sunday lineup of acts

Edited April 11, 2017 by Memory Man

[ghostdancer1]

Friday and Monday for me.

but then again, I like music, so couldn't miss most of the acts on Sunday evening.

if you go to Glastonbury to potter around Green Fields or to drink in a field then I guess you can just do all that on Thursday and sack off most of Sunday. or you can do them all on Sunday when everyone is watching bands.

I don't really find the Wednesday or Thursday wandering around looking at mostly the same things as the previous year to be high on the list of reasons to go to Glastonbury.

 

 

 

[russycarps]

It seems extraordinary that someone would even consider sacrificing the sunday for wednesday.

An actual day of the festival versus a day that is inferior in every single way imaginable.

Tough choice!

 

 

 

[MrMac]

Take the holiday on Friday and Monday. 

Then create your own relaxed start to the festival by not jumping straight into the bands first thing on Friday unless something particularly appeals.  Have a lie in and then wander through the greenfields, stop for a beer, go and chill at the acoustic stage etc

[shuttlep]

miss out on Wednesday and Thursday is really rubbish, I did it a few years ago and it ruined my festival.

 

 

Although 2015 I drove home (Manchester) on sunday night after the last band. I was home for 7 am, 

Edited April 11, 2017 by shuttlep

[kalifire]

1 minute ago, shuttlep said:

miss out on Wednesday and Thursday is really rubbish, I did it a few years ago and it ruined my festival.

Did it? Really? I mean, 'RUINED'?!

I agree with others here, take off the Friday and Monday. It's always great to be there as early as possible but what you'd miss on Wed/Thurs pales in comparison to what's happening on Friday and the rest you'll need on Monday.

[shuttlep]

Just now, kalifire said:

Did it? Really? I mean, 'RUINED'?!

I agree with others here, take off the Friday and Monday. It's always great to be there as early as possible but what you'd miss on Wed/Thurs pales in comparison to what's happening on Friday and the rest you'll need on Monday.

yes. I got there on Friday morning , tired and then got on it straight away, missed so much,. Wednesday and Thursday are the best days for me . also Michael Jackson died whilst I was driving down, no one beloved me ..  it wasn't the best. still better than bestival 

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

This is the whole Wednesday - Sunday thread rebranded. I expressed my feelings on it in that thread and will do so again on this one. For the people who love Wednesday/Thursday that's because it's your first couple of days there, so you associate that feeling with those days. The same feeling could be experienced on any other day of arrival, except being there on the Sunday at least gives you the choice of seeing a third of all the major acts that have been booked, which is something you cannot do on either Wednesday or Thursday.

[kh24]

Yeah, definitely wouldn't want to sacrifice all of the Sunday, but given that it's anyone's guess how late we could conceivably leave it to get home we'd definitely be missing headliners. Out of our group the consensus is still for the Thurs and Fri but I think the judgement of some has been clouded by them generally feeling a bit 'done in' by the mud by Sunday evening last year.The more I think about it, the more I'm swayed towards Fri-Mon.

[nikkic]

Is today Groundhog Day?

[Nikolai1985]

Strange timing My wife just had her holiday messed up so will have to hope it gets fixed or come on the friday while we are there from wednesday and she is really unhappy about missing the wednesday and thursday

[Hugh Jass]

12 minutes ago, nikkic said:

Is today Groundhog Day?

Yes, and so was yesterday, and the day befiore, and the day before that, and the day before....

[shoptildrop]

43 minutes ago, russycarps said:

It seems extraordinary that someone would even consider sacrificing the sunday for wednesday.

An actual day of the festival versus a day that is inferior in every single way imaginable.

Tough choice!

 

 

 

I have to agree with this, as seeing the bands is what you are mainly paying for. Yes, chill out time is good but not at the determent of missing some quality bands IMO  

[whateverman]

Another vote for seeing the festival through as much as possible.  Wed & Thurs put you in the mood, but the real magic begins when everything starts buzzing.  Especially if you've never been before - you'll want to experience the festival.

[ConorC]

Glastonbury must be the only festival where people would actually debate this. The thought of sacrificing Sunday is ridiculous in my mind.

Put the tent up in your back garden and have a drink out there on Weds-Thurs.

[Mezhyp1]

This is the easiest decision I've seen since last June... 

 

Look how that turned out 

[big__phil]

There is nothing going on on Wednesday that you can't do on Sunday, if you decided you wanted to (god knows why you'd want to avoid all the entertainment though).

Go sit in a field if you like to sit in fields. If you like paying for a Glastonbury ticket, make the most of the Sunday. It's the only one you'll get for a while!

Edited April 11, 2017 by big__phil

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

In 2015 our group actually arrived on Thursday through choice, it wasn't my choice but the consensus of the majority of my friends. They aren't light weights by any stretch but the consensus was 5 days would kill them, but 4 days would be manageable and they could hit it harder, including the Sunday. People often have this feeling about Sunday being shit because they're tired by then, but only because they've caned it for the previous 4 days.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Deaf Nobby Burton

[Mr.Tease]

There's no right or wrong answer really, just down to what they feel is the better fit for them and what aspects of the festival they like the most. 

In 2011 I couldn't arrive until the Thursday evening as I had to finish the last 2 days of my counselling diploma first, then had to fly down from Glasgow. I didn't really enjoy it - felt strangely behind and rushed and then suddenly it seemed to be over way too quickly. It was my least favourite glastonbury. But then again it might have been the year- no one really mentions the 2011 festival, it wasnt a vintage year.

What a tricky decision they have to make

[bennyhana22]

As bittersweet as it is, seeing the festival through until its end is the only model that really works for me. I can't imagine ever not wanting to be dancing at 5am on the Monday morning until finally, painfully and tragically they switch off the PA for that last time. The trek back to pack up the tent and trudge up to PGA before an essentially comatosed coach trip back is tinged with huge sadness, but extraordinary elation for everything that Glastonbury has just given me and will, t-gods willing, give me again. 

And I love the Wednesday too, but if you're asking me to pick my favourite child, then little Sunday gets it. Doubly so pre-fallow. 

Ben

Edited April 11, 2017 by bennyhana22

[Trout Mask Replica]

I do prefer the Weds to the Sunday as the last few years we've had to leave prior to headliners finishing on account of the other couple we go with needing to pick up their boy and get him to school. 

So I tend to make the Sat my last big night on the fest and take it easy on the Sunday, enjoying something healthy to eat and drinking water n smoothies instead of cider. Mind you, with that mud last year we were all so knackered that we didn't feel the usual pang of regret as we packed up. 

No such worries this year though as I'm on my own and don't intend to make tracks for home until I wake up on the Monday. 

I do love the giddy sense of anticipation you experience on the Weds n Thurs, the calm before the storm. 

Edited April 11, 2017 by Trout Mask Replica

[clarkete]

1 hour ago, kh24 said:

Yeah, definitely wouldn't want to sacrifice all of the Sunday, but given that it's anyone's guess how late we could conceivably leave it to get home we'd definitely be missing headliners. Out of our group the consensus is still for the Thurs and Fri but I think the judgement of some has been clouded by them generally feeling a bit 'done in' by the mud by Sunday evening last year.The more I think about it, the more I'm swayed towards Fri-Mon.

Don't base anything on last year, as it was so different to many other years.  

I've had to coach on a Thursday and that was good, have also many moons ago lived fairly locally and you simply didn't bother going early. 

So you'd still get all the content of the full three days, including potential to bimble about in green fields, circus, etc on Sunday. 

By contrast you clearly can't enjoy Sunday if you're in work the next day, unless he also pulls a sickie 

[p.pete]

47 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

In 2011 I couldn't arrive until the Thursday evening as I had to finish the last 2 days of my counselling diploma first, then had to fly down from Glasgow. I didn't really enjoy it - felt strangely behind and rushed and then suddenly it seemed to be over way too quickly. It was my least favourite glastonbury. But then again it might have been the year- no one really mentions the 2011 festival, it wasnt a vintage year.

I think I had the opposite in 2013 - couldn't arrive until Thursday evening - ended up having several bigger than usual nights out and still feeling fine to be up bright and early, if a bit ropey, each day.  No queue in, and energy spread over fewer days.  I didn't have to get there from Glasgow though! so maybe extra travel is a factor?