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Glastonbury without the crowds??


Jointpainnogain
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My friends are planning on going to next years festival providing they get tickets, and I would like to go with them as I know it would be a great experience and I don’t want to miss out, the problem is that I can not get into the crowds to watch any of the performances, I suffer from undiagnosed joint pains which I’ve been struggling to get help with for years and when I attempted to go standing to a foo fighters gig I was in absolute agony and have decided unless my doctor determines I need a wheelchair (unlikely) or the pain somehow desists, it’s just not worth it as I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself :( so what I’m basically wondering is the festival worth going to if I’m not going to watch any of the acts, is there still a lot to do aside from the music? 

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Yes there's definitely loads to do beside the music, but there's also the chance to sit at the outer edges of the stages and still get a good view & vibe too... Sometimes being up front and central isn't the best place to be, and there's a good time to be had further out too. Theatre, circus, comedy, cinema areas you get to sit down too, and the healing fields are amazing too... It's definitely not all about the music.  

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I have no direct experience of this but yes i think Glastonbury is absolutely worth it!

You can nearly always find spots to watch the festival from if you have a camping chair (camping chair not recommended if you don't need it!). The hill by the pyramid stage will really help, and the Other Stage will have less populated areas further back.

Notably, though, all the smaller stages will regularly have half filled tents etc that should work fine. You might have to miss a couple of more popular things and stand/sit further back, but it will still be fun!

Appreciate you asked abuot non-music stuff, and yes – I've always said I could easily go to Glasto, not see a single band and have the time of my life. The Green Fields are 24hr fun.

Edited by fat_man_joe
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The one thing that I would consider if I was you is the size of the site, I’m presuming that being on your feet causes you discomfort? The site is absolutely massive, there was once a guide that gave you estimates of the walk times walking from A - B, I don’t actually know where they are but if someone knows and can dig them out it will give you a rough idea of the distance you need to walk to go and see different things. Glastonbury without the music would still offer you a great weekend and a really memorable experience but if walking is going to be an issue then I would consider your options first. 

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37 minutes ago, lukethekid said:

The one thing that I would consider if I was you is the size of the site, I’m presuming that being on your feet causes you discomfort? The site is absolutely massive, there was once a guide that gave you estimates of the walk times walking from A - B, I don’t actually know where they are but if someone knows and can dig them out it will give you a rough idea of the distance you need to walk to go and see different things. Glastonbury without the music would still offer you a great weekend and a really memorable experience but if walking is going to be an issue then I would consider your options first. 

I think this is what you might mean, not sure how realistic it is during busier times, and weather affects walking times massively :

 

Image result for glastonbury walk guide

 

 

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100% worth it. As people have already said there are places to sit on the edges of the stage areas. We love going to the back of the crowd at the pyramid stage where you can easily put a camping chair or picnic blanket down. There are also benches. If you want to be closer to the stage, enter by the disabled platform and there’s usually a space along the outside of the enclosure where you can sit on the ground next to it. 

I would say that there are sitting opportunities all around the site and we always find somewhere (we take our children). 

This year I spent most of my time sat in the shade of the oak tree in the Greenpeace area!

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10 hours ago, Jointpainnogain said:

My friends are planning on going to next years festival providing they get tickets, and I would like to go with them as I know it would be a great experience and I don’t want to miss out, the problem is that I can not get into the crowds to watch any of the performances, I suffer from undiagnosed joint pains which I’ve been struggling to get help with for years and when I attempted to go standing to a foo fighters gig I was in absolute agony and have decided unless my doctor determines I need a wheelchair (unlikely) or the pain somehow desists, it’s just not worth it as I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself :( so what I’m basically wondering is the festival worth going to if I’m not going to watch any of the acts, is there still a lot to do aside from the music? 

Undiagnosed chronic pain is horrible, especially as it feels like they have no idea what to do to help alleviate it. The problem in answering your question is it depends on the weather- if it's dry and you're okay sitting on the grass and getting up, then it's quite easy to just sit on the edges of each stage (or even reasonably near if it's not a particularly popular act) and watch/listen to the acts (I usually end up doing this due to tiredness!), some even have benches. The main problem you might encounter is the weather- if it's muddy, then walking through the mud (which is really clay) could be a nightmare on your joints. It also limits the opportunities of sitting down anywhere.

If your doctor did determine you needed a wheelchair, then there are disability viewing platforms and areas, and some metal tracks to get about on (not sure how extensive these are). here's a bit more info:

https://www.glastofestfeed.com/features/going-glastonbury-with-disability-accessibility-perspective/

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/glastonbury/info-disabled.shtml

I think it is indeed possible to enjoy the festival without seeing any of the main acts. There are a load of small venues (some, like in the green fields, will also have benches), there is the circus fields which have big tents where you sit down inside, there are lots of arts and crafts, there's the cinema tent,  there's always something going on somewhere. It's nice just to sit in nice spots and take in the views and sights and sounds.

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Really thankful for everyone’s responses, they’ve made me feel a lot better about the situation. 

I feel like the best thing for me to do is try for a ticket and get the refund closer to the time if needed, I’m not too bothered about losing the £25 admin fee, I think I’d regret not trying for tickets more. :) 

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I've got a dodgy back as a result of a disc going in my spine a few years ago.  I can walk fine but just can't stand for long, so I can't do music standing.  My answer is a fold up camping chair (which I know gets frowned on by some on here).  It means that I can happily plonk it down at the back of crowds - making sure I'm not obstructing people behind me and still enjoy the music.

I'm not into getting close up anyway.  All the main stages have good screens either side and from the back you can still get a lot by watching those.

And there are so many other things to do and places to go.  Just have a bimble, plonk your chair where it doesn't get in the way, chill and watch the world go by.

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