Your favourite Glastonbury 2015 to 2019

[Mr.Tease]

I've spent far too much time in the non-festival threads, so hopefully this will put me back on track! Also the most recent festivals all seem have merged into one for me, so hopefully doing this will help my brain separate them out!

Which Glastonbury festivals did people particularly like from 2015 to 2019? To help jog your memories, here's a rough recap of each (with the Pyramid headliners and weather) along with links to efestivals reviews and info/lineup pages for each:

 

2015

I struggle to remember anything about this one as my dad had died the month before and I was probably not in the best state to go, but after struggling Wednesday, and Thursday, I managed to get sporadically in the swing of things and I remember being on a roll on the Saturday night thanks to Dreadzone-> George Clinton, Parliament/Funkadelic & The Family Stone-> Neville Staples. The Dalai Lama showed up to this one with Patti Smith on the Sunday. I think it was a good one, I remember returning feeling better than when I went, but my brain didn't record any of it!

 

Pyramid Headliners: Florence and the Machine, Kanye West, The Who

Weather: Again, can't remember! I think it was mainly nice, dry/sunny but with a little rain or mud?

 

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/glastonbury/2015/

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/glastonbury/2015/review-overview.shtml

 

2016

This was the wettest and muddiest of the four- the mud was everywhere and exhausting by the Sunday, and the Brexit referendum result on the Friday morning dumped on things, making this a weird festival. At least we avoided seeing Farage and co's smug celebrations! Despite everything I still enjoyed it overall, but it wasn't a great one for me. I liked New Order and Earth Wind and Fire but didn't get blown away by anything and I saw a lot less than I intended to as it took ages to get between stages (look at the lineup and you'll probably see quite a few acts you intended to see but never did, well, more than normal anyways!). I did meet some nice people though and had some nice chats.

 

Pyramid Headliners: Muse, Adele and Coldplay

Weather: muddy and rainy throughout I think- endless mud as far as the eye could see. Even Wednesday was muddy, which had become a very unusual phenomenon!

 

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/glastonbury/2016

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/glastonbury/2016/review-overview.shtml

 

2017

This was my favourite of the four- very nice weather, absolutely roasting when gates opened on Wednesday (didn't it go up to 30 degrees or something?) and then it cooled significantly and was dry and cloudy the rest of the way (almost too cold!). The General election had gone much better than expected, it felt like the Tories had been defeated and there was a positive vibe in the air politically, with the Jeremy Corbyn chant everywhere (what could possibly go wrong?!). People just seem happier (especially compared to nowadays!). Grime was getting a lot of exposure around the site. Think this was the first year of that wooded area near John Peel, though I could be wrong,  but it was a very nice place to spend the evening/night with all the lights etc. I really enjoyed Radiohead on the Friday, but a lot of people were not impressed- weird how bands can be the same as they always were but just seem to lose the Zeitgeist or fall out of favour. The only flies on the ointment: some madman scheduling Flaming Lips on at the same time as Radiohead, and The National giving one of the most annoying setlists I've seen- I still don't know what they were thinking- they had a prime pyramid slot and opted to play mainly off the album that hadn't been released yet- madness! I also stumbled into BlackSkyWhite in one of the circus tents at night and it was both very disturbing but great too (then found out that they've been there almost every year and I just managed to not hear about them every time).

I just really liked this festival- for the first time in a long time I just felt hopeful and happy, the weather was nice, and the music was good. Feels like another world compared to now!

 

Pyramid Headliners: Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran

Weather: Hot as hell itself on Wednesday- you were lucky to make it from the gate to your preferred camping spot alive. Every time you went to get a drink, you had sweated it out by the time you got back to your friends. Then cloudy and cool and dry- not a drop of rain or mud.

 

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/glastonbury/2017

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/glastonbury/2017/review.shtml

 

2019

Another weird one for me as for the first time none of my friends could go. After much indecision I decided to go by myself as "you never know when you won't get chance to go again" I told myself- and boy am I happy I went given what's happened since and that I don't even have a ticket for 2022. I found the Wednesday the hardest going solo, just because you're surrounded by people meeting up with friends, but by Thursday evening it felt just like it normally did. The weather was perfect for me- hot and sunny every day and I met and chatted to some nice people while seeking shade. There were lots of new areas to explore (the Pier, the new Arcadia installation, that new head stage thing in the SE corner, even a new Co-op store where you could get cheap foods galore and ice). People seemed to get really excited about the Co-op shop😂. The Cure were great on Sunday- I'd heard bad things about them live, but was pleased to find out that was wrong! Also the festival had made a real push to have much greater diversity in the lineups on all stages and it worked out great- just a nice atmosphere throughout. I think if my friends had been there, this would have been first or joint first with 2017, but even without them it was a great last Glastonbury for now. I do hope it's not my last ever one.

 

Pyramid Stage: Stormzy, The Killers, The Cure

Weather: Hot, sunny, dry throughout

 

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/glastonbury/2019

https://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/glastonbury/2019/review1.shtml

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Strangely enough, it was actually the muddy one! There's something even more unifying, everyone wading through square miles of six inch mud for five days

Edited February 20, 2021 by Supernintendo Chalmers

[Hugh Jass]

Despite the rain, mud and Brexit 2016 was the best musically and also the most fun.

[Mr.Tease]

6 minutes ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

Strangely enough, it was actually the muddy one! There's something even more unifying, everyone wading through square miles of six inch mud for five days

I would happily take wading through 6 inches of mud for five days over the current status quo! There was something unifying about 2016, I agree, I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would (if you'd told me about the mud and Brexit before hand!)

[Ryan1984]

I didn’t get tickets for 2016 but of the others, 2019 - even with that insane heat - is one of my favourites. The Killers, Goldblum, Sharon Van Etten...

[Ayrshire Chris]

2016, strange as others have said but felt it was a real everyone literally ‘mucking in’ to create a tremendous festival. Even falling in the mud and losing a welly whilst trying to exit the other field and being subjected to the ‘He Fellova’ chant was fun! It’s hard though to pick a favourite, they are all memorable 

[oneeye]

Agreed, 2016 was ace, even time for ice cream 😂

[Mr.Tease]

2 minutes ago, Ryan1984 said:

I didn’t get tickets for 2016 but of the others, 2019 - even with that insane heat - is one of my favourites. The Killers, Goldblum, Sharon Van Etten...

Sharon van etten was great! my favourite set in 2019 (along with the cure), really surprised me as she had just been okay in 2017 (or 2016 or whenever it was she played the park stage) 

[Mr.Tease]

3 minutes ago, oneeye said:

Agreed, 2016 was ace, even time for ice cream 😂

Ice cream at night?! 😂

[oneeye]

11 minutes ago, Mr.Tease said:

Ice cream at night?! 😂

Gotta be done, can't beat a midnight 99 🤣

[Suprefan]

17, cause its been the only one Ive been to lol

[Avalon_Fields]

2019. Simply, everything was perfect for me. I spent more time on the festival site than ever before and still didn’t want to leave at the end.

[Mr.Tease]

Just now, Avalon_Fields said:

2019. Simply, everything was perfect for me. I spent more time on the festival site than ever before and still didn’t want to leave at the end.

Yeah, I miss that feeling on the Sunday night when you don't want it to end

[Mr.Tease]

27 minutes ago, Suprefan said:

17, cause its been the only one Ive been to lol

Ha, and a cracking year you chose to first try it out! 

[Kalopsia]

Personally 2017 was absolutely perfect for me, great weather, great music and a great headspace to fully enjoy it and not give a shite about everything that was happening outside of that fence. One of my happiest weeks. 

[Mr.Tease]

3 minutes ago, Kalopsia said:

Personally 2017 was absolutely perfect for me, great weather, great music and a great headspace to fully enjoy it and not give a shite about everything that was happening outside of that fence. One of my happiest weeks. 

[oneeye]

12 minutes ago, Kalopsia said:

Personally 2017 was absolutely perfect for me, great weather, great music and a great headspace to fully enjoy it and not give a shite about everything that was happening outside of that fence. One of my happiest weeks. 

It was a goodun, must admit 😎👍

 

[Ayrshire Chris]

Certainly a lack of grass(the stuff on a lawn I mean) in 2016. That was a mudslide down the hill from Strummerville   It was still magical. 

[jparx]

2016 was very close to being the best of the lot but 2019 just edges it. Three fantastic headline sets for us (Tame, Killers, Chris) and just so many acts really smashing it. The Saturday in particular was the best day I’ve ever spent at the festival.

[kalifire]

I had tickets to all four but didn’t end up going in 2016. For me, 2017 was best. I’d only been to 2014 and 2015 before that and on both occasions life outside Glasto was turbulent. In 2017, my job was more secure, my relationship was still good (less so in 2019) and I’d become established in Australia instead of flailing around in 2015. 

2020 would have been weird (broke up a month before) and 2021 would have had COVID as the elephant in the room. 

I think 2022, assuming it happens, could genuinely be the best one yet. It will have been two years since the breakup so very much a thing of the past. Lockdowns are helping me to get out of debt so I’ll be financially secure by that point. Plus the anticipation after two cancellations will be off the scale. 

As you can see, my personal life influences my experience at the festival probably more than the festival itself. 

Edited February 20, 2021 by kalifire

[TheBigT]

2016 for me. The weather meant my partner and two young kids gave it a miss so I was able to go rather more full tilt than other recent years. 2019 a close 2nd, mostly amazing but a little too hot for two preschoolers

[Mr.Tease]

1 hour ago, kalifire said:

I had tickets to all four but didn’t end up going in 2016. For me, 2017 was best. I’d only been to 2014 and 2015 before that and on both occasions life outside Glasto was turbulent. In 2017, my job was more secure, my relationship was still good (less so in 2019) and I’d become established in Australia instead of flailing around in 2015. 

2020 would have been weird (broke up a month before) and 2021 would have had COVID as the elephant in the room. 

I think 2022, assuming it happens, could genuinely be the best one yet. It will have been two years since the breakup so very much a thing of the past. Lockdowns are helping me to get out of debt so I’ll be financially secure by that point. Plus the anticipation after two cancellations will be off the scale. 

As you can see, my personal life influences my experience at the festival probably more than the festival itself. 

Life and Glastonbury are intertwined - I agree, each festival came at a different point in my life and depending on what was happening in my life influenced the kind of festival I had-sometimes a successful escape, sometimes helping me get my s*** together, sometimes you can't transcend what was happening in your outside life though! 

It's bittersweet going sometimes, remembering the people who were in your life when you were there before but now aren't. 

I do agree, people who get to go in 2022 are in for a great one! 

[Kalopsia]

3 hours ago, Mr.Tease said:

Props for using a gif from my favourite show Mr Tease. 😊

[Mr.Tease]

7 minutes ago, Kalopsia said:

Props for using a gif from my favourite show Mr Tease. 😊

I rewatched it at the start of lockdown and its still great (aged very well, though Jack seemed much more of an a**hole than I thought the first time it was on😂) , drives me berserk when people slander the last ep! 

[Kalopsia]

1 minute ago, Mr.Tease said:

I rewatched it at the start of lockdown and its still great (aged very well, though Jack seemed much more of an a**hole than I thought the first time it was on😂) , drives me berserk when people slander the last ep! 

Yes! I completely agree (first time I've found someone that agrees with me on the final episode) Jack was a total ass from season 3 onwards haha. I think Benjamin Linus is my favourite character, great writing and acting.