Best & Worst Glastonbury Area

[found home in 2009]

10 hours ago, foolee said:

To everyone slating Silver Hayes, I have never been to Glasto and 2019 is my first year so looking at making it one to remember. I was originally looking to camp in Darble as I am getting the coach, would this mean that to go anywhere or back to camp I'd have to walk through Silver Hayes (Not particularly into dance music and I'd rather not make my trip unpleasant). If someone can put me at ease or suggest the best camping spots for coach festival goers that'd be ace. 

Although it doesn't play music I'm into I actually quite like the fact when you walk through Silver Hayes you walk past a fake ship (WOW) that always has people dancing outside it that look like they are having a great time.

Silver Hayes always has a cool stage that looks like a kind of shanty town (think it's the blues and gullys stage a few people have mentioned though I might have my names mixed up).

Think the worse thing about silver hayes is the main tent sonic is shaped like a cock and balls and the people in the balls can't see anything. Stupidest design ever, but they are replacing it this year and it doesn't really have any negative impact on walking through the area anyhow.

[Zoo Music Girl]

I remember Dance Village having a more fun vibe when I first started going (2008). Things like East 17 and Boy George on the Thursday, which I couldn't really imagine now. And I liked the stone henge thing too. I probably spent more time there in my early years than I do now I camp right next to it! Think I went to that silent disco too (we used to be silent disco fiends, more often hitting the park though).

They had Despacio there one year too didn't they? 2014? We couldn't get in for the queues but danced outside.

Edited May 8, 2019 by Zoo Music Girl

[musky]

15 hours ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

Snotty chap didn’t want us to sit on his chairs while we were having our break in case we made them dirty, despite the fact that we’d just spent 45 minutes bent double dragging endless nos canisters and balloons and fag ends out of six inch thick mud inside his tent. 

Wow. Completely unnecessary. You would have thought they’d be grateful. Hope you managed to scrape your boots on his chairs!

[Yokel Again]

Love the permaculture garden area bit of the healing fields. Sheltered, good make your own pizza options, quiet. Always go and chill there for a couple of hours most days.

Love the Park.

There is something a bit desolate about the whole Silver Hayes area. The music isn't my bag and the area seems a bit of a wasteland. 

 

[Charm]

14 hours ago, danbailey80 said:

I've never done this. I go loads in the day but never evening or early hours. Late, i usually stagger home from SE corner/ Glade to bed but this sounds like such an amazing idea to wind down. Any more tips? How long does the area go on too. Any special tents/ areas? Cheers

Check out Small World in Green Futures, wonderful late night spot, I’m sure you will love it. 

Charm x

[Penrhos]

I miss the multi-coloured henge and WTF was the point of the phone booths in SH the other year...

SH needs a complete redesign and some large art installations. There's nothing wrong with the material/artists playing there but it doesn't feel like Glastonbury - more like "V" without the branding.

Perhaps if it wasn't a through-route and was closed off at one end it might help.

 

[Joe Shez]

15 hours ago, danbailey80 said:

I've never done this. I go loads in the day but never evening or early hours. Late, i usually stagger home from SE corner/ Glade to bed but this sounds like such an amazing idea to wind down. Any more tips? How long does the area go on too. Any special tents/ areas? Cheers

Me and my pals do this as a ritual after every Glastonbury night, always 4-6am for a cup of tea and chill. 

Green futures field is the best - Lizard stage/small world/toad hall are all open - all very chilled areas, some will have bits of gentle acoustic type music on, others won't have anything on but there'll just be people chatting/chiling. The chai teas work especially well as a comforting drink to relax you before you sleep. 

[BlackZeppelin]

Best : I llike to do a good stint at the Stone Circle in the day. 

The Park at night.

The Wood between sets for a quiet breather.

Strummerville on a sofa by the fire for about 3am. 

Worst: yeah lije many others I don't get Silver Hayes, seems out of place. That weird shape tent seems unwelcoming.

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by BlackZeppelin

[pie_and_a_pint]

4 hours ago, musky said:

Wow. Completely unnecessary. You would have thought they’d be grateful. Hope you managed to scrape your boots on his chairs!

Yeah, you'd think. Funnily enough last time we weren't asked to litterpick inside the Beat Hotel - just the foul, disgusting area outside. 

On the plus side some of the cocktails were £7.80 so I found lots of 20ps on the bit by the bar...

[Sasperella]

On 5/8/2019 at 12:58 PM, foolee said:

To everyone slating Silver Hayes, I have never been to Glasto and 2019 is my first year so looking at making it one to remember. I was originally looking to camp in Darble as I am getting the coach, would this mean that to go anywhere or back to camp I'd have to walk through Silver Hayes (Not particularly into dance music and I'd rather not make my trip unpleasant). If someone can put me at ease or suggest the best camping spots for coach festival goers that'd be ace. 

I always camp in Pylon or Rivermead due to the short walk from the coach dropoff. Walking through Silver Hayes is fine ? In 2016 in the mud it did seem a bit like a wasteland I guess, but then so did everywhere. The Blues stage is also very attractive to look at! It's not unpleasant by any means, just maybe not the top place to sit on the grass and hang out for hours like Greenpeace/west holts/strummerville 

And honestly, not having to lug all of your stuff across the site on arrival and exit is a big win in my book! Plus a good amount of space for each tent, relatively speaking

[giantkatestacks]

53 minutes ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

Yeah, you'd think. Funnily enough last time we weren't asked to litterpick inside the Beat Hotel - just the foul, disgusting area outside. 

On the plus side some of the cocktails were £7.80 so I found lots of 20ps on the bit by the bar...

I love the way that anyone on the recycling team just ranks stages by their easiness to clean and the friendliness of the staff - for example the Glade can be an arse to clean but the crew are so lovely that you just dont mind.

[ian the worm]

58 minutes ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

Yeah, you'd think. Funnily enough last time we weren't asked to litterpick inside the Beat Hotel - just the foul, disgusting area outside. 

On the plus side some of the cocktails were £7.80 so I found lots of 20ps on the bit by the bar...

We have a dedicated dropped bar money hunter that gets hoovered up each night. The cash gets added to the bar staff tips for the shift of the night. 

The phones, passports, bags, wallets, bags, costs etc etc etc get proper dealt with. 

[matichin]

Best: Croissant Neuf bandstand is the normal destination of choice for me asap on Wednesday, used to be so I could catch Biggles Wartime Band. Sadly that's not an option anymore but will still head there asap come June to help get into the festival mood. 

Worst: Beat Hotel, as by the time I notice it's there it's so full of people there's no room to get in and enjoy anything going on there.

[Sasperella]

58 minutes ago, matichin said:

Worst: Beat Hotel, as by the time I notice it's there it's so full of people there's no room to get in and enjoy anything going on there.

A secret about Beat Hotel - people congregate on the edges, and especially around the plinth. If you get through the outer edges there is always room inside. I seem to end up there a lot, and really like it (although, it seems to get bad press on here!)

[Charm]

4 minutes ago, Sasperella said:

A secret about Beat Hotel - people congregate on the edges, and especially around the plinth. If you get through the outer edges there is always room inside. I seem to end up there a lot, and really like it (although, it seems to get bad press on here!)

I suspect it’s mainly old people who don’t like it, I’m sure 20 year old me would of loved Silver Hayes. 

Charm x

[Crazyfool01]

18 minutes ago, Sasperella said:

A secret about Beat Hotel - people congregate on the edges, and especially around the plinth. If you get through the outer edges there is always room inside. I seem to end up there a lot, and really like it (although, it seems to get bad press on here!)

That goes for a lot of stages ... that step thing outside is too much of a stretch for me ( bloody oldies  ) 

[rzwodezwo]

I'm not super fussed about Silver Hayes but it has the best electronic music lineup for me so I reckon I will quite some time there this year.

[Upside down frowner]

On 5/8/2019 at 8:53 PM, bombfrog said:

Bet it was rammed. Last time I tried to see a big act at Sonic was Disclosure around the time they were just starting to get properly famous. I couldn't get inside the tent so I watched on the screen outside for about 10 minutes and then walked off.

Yeah bombfrog it was quite busy, I was near the end of the weird tubes towards the outside. It was one of the things I really wanted to listen to in 2015, my wife got slaughtered on the mead wine and was legless.. had to get friends to baby sit her in the tipi tent whilst I watched the set and moved up through the tent- then walked her back to the East campervan fields before returning to the SEC ?

[hmmmloddy]

On 5/9/2019 at 11:21 AM, Charm said:

Check out Small World in Green Futures, wonderful late night spot, I’m sure you will love it. 

Charm x

+1 for this. Small World is our 'home base'. Not just at Glastonbury but at other festivals over the years. Whenever we want a bit of down time but still with atmosphere and something to watch we go there without even looking at who's playing. Seen some great acts (we came across The Turbans and Undercover Hippie for the first time in there); found the most cosy and welcoming shelter from bad weather and eaten and drunk some really delicious stuff. It's also good at pretty much any time of day or night.

[H.M.V]

On 5/8/2019 at 6:42 PM, Jah_Roots said:

I agree with everyone’s comments about the Other stage being a barren wasteland - that’s pretty much my thoughts on it too.

that new MASSIVE stage they are using only makes it worse, it’s just ridiculous.

that said, however, thinking about all this has made me remember one of my favourite sets I have EVER seen at Glastonbury - few years ago (can’t remenber when) first thing in the morning on the Sunday on the Other stage there was this female singer who was simply fantastic!! Sad to say I really cannot remember her name, I think she was kinda big for a while and had one or two big hits?

Anyways, yes I have no love at all for the Other stage but I have seen some great shows there.

Might have been Soak. She was on early one year and kinda fits the bill. 

[H.M.V]

Love Cabaret and the surrounding fields especially Avalon. Always something interesting going on, nicest loos on site and just a general good vibe. Like the sudden Kazoo orchestra which is always great fun. 

Also love sitting up by the sign or above the Tipi village and just chilling and taking in the magnificent sight below. 

Another one to give Silver Hayes the thumbs down. Place just gives me the heebee jeebies. (same applied with Love Bullets but thankfully its gone this year) 

[phillyfaddle]

Need to give Ancient Futures a mention. Small tent on corner of tipi village. Caught some amazing late night sets there - Rodney Brannigan, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Mad Dog McCrea.

Strummerville's good for late night chill outs and a proper festival vibe, if the weather's good. Avalon, Green Fields/Futures, Park, Glade - big thumbs up from me.

Silver Hayes.....maybe I am indeed too old for it, but I don't like the energy there. Blues and Gully are good during the day, but at night there's a shift. The old Dance Village felt different.

 

[fuzzy_logic]

So it's been 19 years since I last frequented the fields, I'm entrigued and very excited to see what the festival looks like now. Back in the late 90's I always liked to hang out at the jazz world stage (West Holts) such a great relaxed vibe around there. Silver Hayes didn't exist then of course, instead we had one giant dance tent. I've never felt the other stage area had any 'character' not sure quite why, I guess it's just a large open flat area ?!?

[SteveTLizard]

Best: Joe Bananas blanket stall circa 1997.

Worst: The Disney-esque queuing system for the SE corner after the main stages close. Neon signs telling you how long you'll be queuing, talk about sucking all the fun out of a festival.

 

[Crazyfool01]

5 minutes ago, SteveTLizard said:

Best: Joe Bananas blanket stall circa 1997.

Worst: The Disney-esque queuing system for the SE corner after the main stages close. Neon signs telling you how long you'll be queuing, talk about sucking all the fun out of a festival.

 

is it a stationary queue ? cant say ive tried going that way for  quite a while ... and if i have its become very hazy