Glastonbury Virgin

[Ridge75]

Now we have reached 2019, I’m starting to get giddy at the the prospect of my first ever Glastonbury. I’ve attended a couple of festivals before but was looking for any hints/tips/advice for attending or what to do whilst there to get the full experience.

To give a little more context, I’ll be attending with my wife and my kids (aged 10 and 15).

[InternationalOddity]

You won't be able to do everything, bear that in mind. My best advice would be to wander around for the first couple of days, and enjoy whatever takes your fancy. There is so much going on at different intervals that you will just stumble across something which will make your weekend. Try the different foods, explore the healing fields, find the random brass band, the man cycling with a piano, people on stilts, the fun of the Circus area, the Latin dancing in Glasto Latino.

My one major piece of advice would be to check out the sunset from the Glastonbury sign, you look over the campsite and get such a good feeling! (Although you will see many people inhaling balloons, just have a good excuse for the kids!)

[Ridge75]

29 minutes ago, InternationalOddity said:

You won't be able to do everything, bear that in mind. My best advice would be to wander around for the first couple of days, and enjoy whatever takes your fancy. There is so much going on at different intervals that you will just stumble across something which will make your weekend. Try the different foods, explore the healing fields, find the random brass band, the man cycling with a piano, people on stilts, the fun of the Circus area, the Latin dancing in Glasto Latino.

My one major piece of advice would be to check out the sunset from the Glastonbury sign, you look over the campsite and get such a good feeling! (Although you will see many people inhaling balloons, just have a good excuse for the kids!)

Thanks.

My default setting is wanting to sample everything but appreciate that isn’t possible. I have been trying to explain to my 10 year old that it is about so much more than the music on the Pyramid Stage.

The sunset sounds like a great idea and I have 6 months to think of a good excuse for the balloon inhaling!

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Everyone's experiences tend to be different but the biggest mistake that I made in my first couple of years was to plan too much. I'd waste far too much time trying to rush from stage-to-stage to catch another act. Much of the beauty of the place is in between the main stages and if you're practically running from one area to the next you never get the chance to truly take it all in. Most of my favourite Glastonbury moments have been the unplanned, the random and the unexpected. I used to let my musical prejudices shape my festival too and that was also a mistake, now I find myself stumbling across the weird and wonderful in areas that I never even knew existed. In a nutshell:

• Plan a little but not too much. Definitely worth considering where you'd ideally prefer to camp before going. 
• Take the Wednesday and Thursday to familiarise yourselves with the layout so that navigation gets easier over the weekend
• Get to know your camping neighbours, chat with random people in all areas. Glastonbury has a unique atmosphere, the vast majority of punters are super-friendly 

You're going to have an amazing time and your kids are at a great age to appreciate it just as much.

Edited January 2, 2019 by Supernintendo Chalmers

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

As well as the great information you can find on here, this website is invaluable for first timers http://www.glastoearth.com/the-faq

[vintagelaureate]

20 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

As well as the great information you can find on here, this website is invaluable for first timers http://www.glastoearth.com/the-faq

I love the tort guide, I must have read it about twenty times.

Enjoy it, don't restrict yourself and don't feel you have to stick to a plan.

[Ridge75]

Just had a quick look at the Torts guide and it looks like a mine of useful info. 

My natural characteristic is to plan to the minutest detail before going anywhere so looks like I will have to chill with this and take it as it comes.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

1 minute ago, Ridge75 said:

My natural characteristic is to plan to the minutest detail before going anywhere so looks like I will have to chill with this and take it as it comes.

I'm exactly the same and I appreciate that it's hard to get out of the habit but in this instance you'll feel the benefit of being more spontaneous

[morph100]

Try to arrive at the festival as early as possible, many first timers turn up a day or two after the gates open and immediately regret it.

im in caravan so we turn up a day before the gates open ?

[Lycra]

13 minutes ago, Ridge75 said:

My natural characteristic is to plan to the minutest detail before going anywhere so looks like I will have to chill with this and take it as it comes.

The best laid plans for the fest often go by the wayside. Glasto has that effect on nearly everybody. Even someone who is used to festivals is usually taken aback by the sheer scale of Glasto and find it's much much more than the Pyramid stage or Other Stage.

From the queues to get in (both traffic & pedestrian), the number of stages/venues (100+) and vast array of stalls and eateries, no other fest can compare. By all means see  headliners and major acts on the main stages, but also leave lots of time for discovering new sounds on smaller stages & new cultures.

Glasto is vast. Choose your camp spot well taking account of the weather forecast. Take stout comfortable footwear....you will do lots of walking! And available each person in your group  a  large scale map of the site. These are freely available.

[Ommadawn]

Don't forget the firework display on the Wednesday night (Stone Circle and the hill above the Park). Always a good start to the festival.

[TheNoise]

Your kids will get tired. It is huge and all that walking and fresh air (and sunshine ?) takes its toll. There was a couple opposite us in 2017 who had kids around the age of yours and they went back to the tent through the day to let the kids have a rest / sleep. Other than that, some great advice above

[shuttlep]

3 hours ago, Ridge75 said:

Now we have reached 2019, I’m starting to get giddy at the the prospect of my first ever Glastonbury. I’ve attended a couple of festivals before but was looking for any hints/tips/advice for attending or what to do whilst there to get the full experience.

To give a little more context, I’ll be attending with my wife and my kids (aged 10 and 15).

if it is warm and dry, (it will be )

 

put a blanket down in the kids field spend a few hours just watching everyone and everything , the balloon men in 2017 made my festival. 

[Bags73]

Make sure you spend some time walking up and down between the Cabaret tent and the Acoustic Tent.  That whole stretch is great for randomness that you simply don’t get at other festivals. 

[Superunknown]

Buy your monorail tickets in advance, you can't pay on the gate.

[parsonjack]

Make good contingency plans for if you get split up and ensure everyone - especially the youngsters - understand them.  Glasto is huge and getting split from your group can be an overwhelming experience for many, not just kids.  Make plans on meeting spots, ensure all phones are charged (invest in portable chargers) and that everyone has all relevant numbers.  Make sure the kids know to approach marshal's if they get lost who will then help with directions to meeting points etc.

 

[Vanderlyle]

While it's nice to find a few areas, eateries, stages etc that you like and can return to - try and take a different route or turning or just head to a different area when you can. There's a whole variety of stuff to enjoy.

 

Also, don't be afraid of just sitting back and relaxing. Sometimes it can feel like you're wasting your time if you spend 45 mins having a cup of tea in a small accoustic tent - but that's some of the best times - meeting people, re-charging etc.

[Losing my hair]

I did my first in 2017 and my advice is:

1. Arrive on Wednesday so that you've got plenty of time to explore the site before the madness really starts. 
2. Don't try and camp in the central areas if you want any sleep, I camped in Darble and it was great.
3. Keep any valuables, including car and house keys, in the lockups.
4. Footwear - you will walk for miles so make sure it's up to the job.
5. To reiterate what everybody else has said - don't over plan. Keep your "must sees" to a minimum and don't expect to be able to move between stages in anything less than 20-30 minutes and that's if the ground is good.
6. Make sure you spend time away from the main stages and just let things happen.
7. Explore the food stalls, the choice is amazing. Favourites of mine in 2017 were, Goan Fish Curry, No Bones Jones and the Buddha Bowls from Wholefood Heaven.
8. You will have a fantastic time.

[Ridge75]

Thanks to you all. Loads of useful tips and suggestions and, if anything, it has just ramped up my excitement levels even higher.

[Blisterpack]

The kids will like The Park. Easy to find good viewing spec for most bands, great food and nice bars, Silent Disco. It’s like a festival in itself and has the teepees, the hill, sign and tower all around. It’s great. Our kids always loved it and it’s still our meet up place all these years later. 

Edited January 2, 2019 by Blisterpack

[Lycra]

I know it was suggested earlier but I would like to reinforce the need to plan where you would like to camp before your arrival. It's also handy to have a plan B too should your first choice be full or the weather is adverse (already ground sodden/muddy or forecast wet).

The festival site is massive. If you travel by car the walk in from the car park to your chosen camping area may well be a mile or more over rough and potentially hilly terrain. And depending on your time of arrival the wait in the queue to enter may be from 10 minutes to 2hrs, even more! In 2017 we queued at the gate for 45 minutes from ca. 1pm in baking sun and saw several casualties to the heat.

After the effort of getting in the last thing needed is any faffing around in selecting a camping area. A walk from one campsite to a second preference could entail a trek of 30 minutes if your choices are not wise.

In our first year we read Tort's guide avidly and familarised yourselves with the site map to plan our arrival....And from personal experience I can advise that if you arrive in the east car park and opt to camp on the west side, it's a long down up down walk! ?

[ticketboy69]

1.  Arrive early. Get there for Wednesday morning. It’ll give you the best opportunity to find the perfect camping spot. You can also spend a couple of days wandering around the festival before the main stages kick off on Friday. 

2.  Decide where you’re camping and head for the car parks and gates at the right side of the festival. This is especially important when you have kids with you. I would recommend the family camping at Wicket Ground as it is less busy than the other family camping ground at Cockmills Meadow. 

3.  Buy a decent garden trolley that will carry the majority of your camping stuff and things you’ll need for the 5 days you’re there. You will potentially be walking a long way from the car park to the entrance gate and then on to your chosen camping area...a decent gardening trolley will make this a lot easier and will be a life saver if it’s very hot or very muddy!

4. Use the lock ups...they are free and you can keep your valuables and trolley there. You can go back and forth to the lock ups as much as you need to. It’s a winner!

5. If you have the budget, eat out rather than taking food with you. The food on offer at Glastonbury is wide ranging and mostly very good. We always cook our own breakfast and relax at the tent in the morning, then have lunch and dinner out. 

6. Explore! There is so much going on beyond the main stages. Often the things you discover accidentally will be the ones you will remember forever.

7. Pick out the bands you have to see and make them a priority, everything else may or may not happen for you and it really won’t matter. Just go with the flow! 

8. You will get stuck in huge crowds and if you have a strict timetable, this is guaranteed to fuck it up for you! Allow plenty of time to get where you need to go. This is another reason not to tie yourself down with a timetable.

9. Have a sit down. You will walk miles every day...take a moment, sit in the sun, have a break, people watch and take it all in!

10. Stay until Monday so that you can properly enjoy the last day. So you might queue in traffic getting out? So what!

11. Be a good Cub Scout! Take decent footwear with you. If it gets muddy this will make or break you. Take waterproofs, if it rains on the first day  it could ruin your experience if the kids are soaking wet and moaning! On the other hand, take sun screen...there is not a lot of shady areas to escape the sun and sun stroke isn’t fun!

You will have the time of your life. I’m always excited for people who are getting to experience this wonderful festival for the first time...you’ll love it!

 

 

 

[balti-pie]

Bring twice as many socks as you think you’ll need. A sock change when you’re walking 15 miles a day (and you probably will, yknow) is absolutely beautiful 

 

rum goes with basically everything, and it’s great on its own. Rum! 

[The Other Steve]

10 hours ago, Ridge75 said:

Now we have reached 2019, I’m starting to get giddy at the the prospect of my first ever Glastonbury. I’ve attended a couple of festivals before but was looking for any hints/tips/advice for attending or what to do whilst there to get the full experience.

To give a little more context, I’ll be attending with my wife and my kids (aged 10 and 15).

Pick your 3 must see bands on each day and make sure you can get to the stage for the time they are on and then wander and take in what you find along the way.

[fatyeti24]

1 hour ago, balti-pie said:

Bring twice as many socks as you think you’ll need. A sock change when you’re walking 15 miles a day (and you probably will, yknow) is absolutely beautiful 

 

rum goes with basically everything, and it’s great on its own. Rum! 

This is literally all the advice anybody should ever need.