Physical demands compared to Boomtown

[moonhunter]

Hi all, new here 

Got my first ticket to Glastonbury after trying for years, I’m beaming! 

I’m disabled and have a health condition affecting my strength and mobility. Like many, across the last couple years and throwing long covid into the mix, this has got worse. I am eligible for the access support and got my application in, but seeing as I’ve never been before and not been to a festival since getting this ill I feel I have no idea what I’m in for. I’ve read Glasto Earth and searched around a lot, but a lot of access info is either quite old or just sparse. 

The most physically demanding festival I’ve been to is Boomtown. I know it’s smaller! I’m wondering for people who have been to both, how would you say the sites compare in terms of physical demands? Are they relatively comparable, or is Boomtown child’s play compared to Glasto? 

Also keen to hear from other disabled festival goers / others with similar concerns about you how you found it at Glastonbury? 

Obviously I know there’s no way of getting around it being physically taxing, just want to have a better idea of how to prepare myself. Thanks all! 

[clarkete]

25 minutes ago, moonhunter said:

Hi all, new here 

Got my first ticket to Glastonbury after trying for years, I’m beaming! 

I’m disabled and have a health condition affecting my strength and mobility. Like many, across the last couple years and throwing long covid into the mix, this has got worse. I am eligible for the access support and got my application in, but seeing as I’ve never been before and not been to a festival since getting this ill I feel I have no idea what I’m in for. I’ve read Glasto Earth and searched around a lot, but a lot of access info is either quite old or just sparse. 

The most physically demanding festival I’ve been to is Boomtown. I know it’s smaller! I’m wondering for people who have been to both, how would you say the sites compare in terms of physical demands? Are they relatively comparable, or is Boomtown child’s play compared to Glasto? 

Also keen to hear from other disabled festival goers / others with similar concerns about you how you found it at Glastonbury? 

Obviously I know there’s no way of getting around it being physically taxing, just want to have a better idea of how to prepare myself. Thanks all! 

I'm afraid I have no useful information to answer your questions, I've never used the accessibility facilities (although from the outside they look pretty good) and have zero experience of boomtown, but just wanted to say hello and hope you have a great festival. 

[pilton digger]

I have done Boomtown 9 times and it doesn't compare. Boomtown is a much smaller site and there is a fraction of the Glastonbury site things and places to go. Treat Glastonbury differently, see some stuff but plan little and go with the flow. The best bits just happen. It can be very weather affected, rain and sun both can make it hard. 

Boomtown tends to be "Party" hard. Glastonbury can be physically hard as well.

Join the meet on Weds at the Ridge and Furrow 1800 and you will have 100 instant experts to tell you everything.

[incident]

I don't know a lot about the accessibility side of the festival, but I would say don't write off information as being out of date just because it's a few years old - much of Glastonbury is the same year on year, especially stuff like this, so I reckon any information from within the last 15ish years is likely to be broadly correct.

[Lycra]

2 hours ago, moonhunter said:

Hi all, new here 

Got my first ticket to Glastonbury after trying for years, I’m beaming! 

I’m disabled and have a health condition affecting my strength and mobility. Like many, across the last couple years and throwing long covid into the mix, this has got worse. I am eligible for the access support and got my application in, but seeing as I’ve never been before and not been to a festival since getting this ill I feel I have no idea what I’m in for. I’ve read Glasto Earth and searched around a lot, but a lot of access info is either quite old or just sparse. 

The most physically demanding festival I’ve been to is Boomtown. I know it’s smaller! I’m wondering for people who have been to both, how would you say the sites compare in terms of physical demands? Are they relatively comparable, or is Boomtown child’s play compared to Glasto? 

Also keen to hear from other disabled festival goers / others with similar concerns about you how you found it at Glastonbury? 

Obviously I know there’s no way of getting around it being physically taxing, just want to have a better idea of how to prepare myself. Thanks all! 

As I'm not disabled or impaired in any way I cannot provide comment from that angle. As a physically fit able bodied person whose attended both however, there is little comparison. Boomtown child's play. It is tiny compared with Glasto and my memory stays much flatter with forgiving pathways.

Glastonbury is probably 4 or 5 times bigger than Boomtown with most of the stages in the flat of the valley. If you have mobility issues you would be best served in the Spring Ground camp which gives  "quick" access to the Pyramid stage, though even this does entail going down (and then back up) a hill.

Covering all of Glasto is demanding for even for the able bodied!

 

 

[StoneCircle]

4 hours ago, moonhunter said:

Hi all, new here 

Got my first ticket to Glastonbury after trying for years, I’m beaming! 

I’m disabled and have a health condition affecting my strength and mobility. Like many, across the last couple years and throwing long covid into the mix, this has got worse. I am eligible for the access support and got my application in, but seeing as I’ve never been before and not been to a festival since getting this ill I feel I have no idea what I’m in for. I’ve read Glasto Earth and searched around a lot, but a lot of access info is either quite old or just sparse. 

The most physically demanding festival I’ve been to is Boomtown. I know it’s smaller! I’m wondering for people who have been to both, how would you say the sites compare in terms of physical demands? Are they relatively comparable, or is Boomtown child’s play compared to Glasto? 

Also keen to hear from other disabled festival goers / others with similar concerns about you how you found it at Glastonbury? 

Obviously I know there’s no way of getting around it being physically taxing, just want to have a better idea of how to prepare myself. Thanks all! 

I haven't been to Download so can't help you with a comparison, I have been to every Glastonbury since 2005, and from 2011 I have used the accessible facilities. As you have applied to use the accessible facilities/campsite I am sure you will have seen that you can book a mobility scooter which you will probably find very useful as the site is vast! This year will be my first time hiring one, I have just about coped in the past. 

Below are a couple of links, the first one is the most informative guide and despite being last updated in 2008 the content is mostly still applicable. Sadly this won't be updated again as Flash passed away in 2020.

https://www.gorge.org/glastonbury/disabled.shtml

https://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/features/feeling_the_burn_at_glastonbury.shtml

Add you home postcode to this to get an insight to the size of the festival compared to where you live - https://gsp8181.co.uk/glasto/

Shout out if you want any questions answered. 🙂

Edited April 7, 2022 by StoneCircle

[Sku]

I can't comment on accessibility features, but in terms of ease of "getting around" I would note the following. The festivals are actually far more similar in size than most people believe.

-Boomtown requires traversing a steep hill to get between the two halves of the festival. It is mostly possible to avoid large hills at Glastonbury, as there is very little towards the top of the hill.

-The distance between the two furthest stages at Boomtown is actually greater than at Glastonbury. Glastonbury has much more sprawl when you include campsites and car parks, but Boomtown has historically had it's main areas far more spread out than Glastonbury, with longer distances involved between areas. Glastonbury has much more "packed in" to it's central area, whereas Boomtown has hills and woodlands between main areas which create the large travelling distances.

-The area "inside the fence" at Glastonbury is about 10% bigger than Boomtown (based on 2019 layouts), so broadly they are actually comparable in size. But at Glastonbury there is less need to go to the outer fringes, at Boomtown there are often things to do near the outer perimeter. But Glastonbury has a habit of making you move around more due to the number of things to see/do, rather than strictly distance alone. So it's swings and roundabouts I guess.

I would say if you could manage Boomtown, you can manage Glastonbury. At least when it comes to to the physical endurance aspect, it's basically similar. As far as I know, both festivals cater very well to users with accessibility needs.

Edited April 8, 2022 by Sku

[jfaragher]

This is very similar to what I was going to say @Sku - I've usually found Boomtown to be one of the more physically challenging festivals, with long walks between some of the main stages, to and from camping, between Hilltop, Whistler's and Downtown.

I would say that at Glastonbury, you could have an amazing time whilst minimising the amount of walking you did by picking an area or two each day and making the most of them.  You should also get on to the access team - https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/access-information/ and see about getting the use of the various shortcuts on site which make getting from i.e. Pyramid to Other much less challenging.

[Old_Johno]

Great summary by Sku,

Main thing Glastonbury has done over the last few festivals is greatly increase the amount of metal tracking they’ve put down. 
if it’s wet Boomtown is pretty tough, the drainage seems better than glastonbury, certainly less footfall, but Glastonbury is a disaster in heavy rain, June gets worse weather too 

[Glast0baby]

For access related questions, there is a Spring Ground Facebook group which I have found really useful.  Really friendly and responsive to queries.  It has already made me feel a lot less daunted by my first access experience at a music festival.

[Nuthugger]

Boomtown is definitely easier, but Glasto is do-able is you stick to a few key areas. And, of course, weather changes everything

[Leyrulion]

Worth noting that there's a hard track at Glastonbury "the old railway line" that travels through most of the south of the site so you can travel between most places minimising time on grass. 

As others have said you can avoid the hills at Glastonbury if you want to, which is harder to do at BoomTown. 

[gigpusher]

I'm not disabled and haven't done Boomtown but one sensible bit of advice is to pace yourself. If the night time activities are your thing take it easy in the day time. Don't spend your time trying to rush around various stages if you can find a stage that has a run of 3 or 4 acts that you like you'd probably be better doing that during the day. SE Corner after hours can get very, very busy so if you do want to do the night time stuff you might be better resting for an hour or 2 after headliners before bothering to join the queues as a lot of people will have given up and gone elsewhere but right after headliners it can be uncomfortably busy trying to get to these places. Otherwise sacrifice a headliner and get their early. 

 

[moonhunter]

Thanks so much everyone, this has been really helpful!

I loved Flash’s guide! Also in a way reassuring to know it was written pre-accessible shuttle bus. And been using the map overlay site to plan my walks. 🤓

On 4/8/2022 at 10:09 AM, Sku said:

I can't comment on accessibility features, but in terms of ease of "getting around" I would note the following.

It must have been your tweet about the size difference I had in my head when writing this! I’ve only done festivals as crew before and at Boomtown we were always allocated the crew camping on the exact opposite side of where we wanted to be, so yeah there was no way of avoiding those uphill treks and it was a challenge even for the really athletic in my group.

Given what a lot of people have said about sticking to specific areas, I’m actually in two minds about whether to camp in the accessible site Spring Ground. It’s up near the John Peel stage. From what I’ve read I think I’ll want to spend loads of time around SE corner/Green Fields. If the average person can’t cover most of the festival, maybe I’m better camping towards the bottom of the map? I know that’s where it’s busiest, and that walk from gate A might be what kills me off… 😂 On the plus I’m not a very light sleeper and I have a PA who will help me carry stuff. They want to camp there near their mates who they’ve said could set our tents up in the best spots before we arrive.

Then again Spring Ground sounds lovely in so many ways! Either way I’ll be able to access the shuttle bus and the shortcuts in between stages, but imagine the bus is very weather dependent.

On 4/8/2022 at 11:45 AM, Old_Johno said:

Glastonbury is a disaster in heavy rain, June gets worse weather too 

Yes it’s such a game changer! I’m thinking of having multiple campsite options to aim for depending on the forecast…

6 hours ago, gigpusher said:

I'm not disabled and haven't done Boomtown but one sensible bit of advice is to pace yourself. If the night time activities are your thing take it easy in the day time. Don't spend your time trying to rush around various stages if you can find a stage that has a run of 3 or 4 acts that you like you'd probably be better doing that during the day. SE Corner after hours can get very, very busy so if you do want to do the night time stuff you might be better resting for an hour or 2 after headliners before bothering to join the queues as a lot of people will have given up and gone elsewhere but right after headliners it can be uncomfortably busy trying to get to these places. Otherwise sacrifice a headliner and get their early. 

Definitely following all the advice about pacing, and especially good shout about getting ahead of the headliner crowds! 

Thanks again all

Edited April 11, 2022 by moonhunter

[irnkrtn]

I have some experience, I hope its useful.

I have never camped in the accessibility areas, but I can talk some to the site. I have a chronic disability that flares up and sometimes graciously slips off into the background! I've done Glastonbury at my worse, as well as been lucky to have good weeks. It affects my mobility and I can suffer from a lot of pain with exertion.

Compared to Boomtown, yes its much bigger but its much more present everywhere. It is more like a huge city with activity literally everywhere rather than the linked village feeling other festivals can have. This means you can still have a fantastic festival experience even when you're flagging, because the festival is full on wherever you settle. It does mean you can't always chase the different bands from one side of the site to the other, but compared to absolutely every other festival I've been to - it doesn't change anything. There's no "dead spots" really. When I've been feeling immobile, in pain etc, I've tended to pick one bit of the festival and settle up there. Although its on a slope, often The Park as it has a lot of fun things in a small range. But really could do this most areas.

I would say the two biggest things that have impacted my experience really have been 1. the attitude/approach of companions. It's a huge site with everything in the world going on and the ability for even the most level headed of people to get some kind of Glastonbury Syndrome and become infected with FOMO. Being dragged around by someone when you're feeling crap, despite the fact you could be quite happy chilling at one space for a while, has impacted my Glasto experience far more than a lack of things to do or the festival itself. Also an expectation from people to stay up late and party when you know if you can just get that sleep in tomorrow will be better. I now am rigid in who I will go with! This has improved my disability experience 500%. I hope your festival buddies are as delightful as my chosen ones!

Toilets. If your disability does in any way impact your relationship to using toilets, this is something I would plan out more. They are plentiful but often big queues. I get a pass from the festival for the disabled toilets, which are dotted around portaloos. This should enable me to get to the toilet much quicker. But I have had a lot of abuse from always drunk people - it clearly is impacting their reasoning - for "queue jumping" and also demanding the code, or getting shitty cause I have closed the door and not let them in. So be prepared for that. I often find myself walking longer distances to the toilets I have mapped out as being easier to access than using the disability ones after dark.

I hope you have a wonderful time and honestly, with a bit of planning and quick adjustment once you work out whats working for you, I'm sure you will be grand. 

[Neil]

On 4/7/2022 at 3:50 PM, moonhunter said:

Hi all, new here 

Got my first ticket to Glastonbury after trying for years, I’m beaming! 

I’m disabled and have a health condition affecting my strength and mobility. Like many, across the last couple years and throwing long covid into the mix, this has got worse. I am eligible for the access support and got my application in, but seeing as I’ve never been before and not been to a festival since getting this ill I feel I have no idea what I’m in for. I’ve read Glasto Earth and searched around a lot, but a lot of access info is either quite old or just sparse. 

The most physically demanding festival I’ve been to is Boomtown. I know it’s smaller! I’m wondering for people who have been to both, how would you say the sites compare in terms of physical demands? Are they relatively comparable, or is Boomtown child’s play compared to Glasto? 

Also keen to hear from other disabled festival goers / others with similar concerns about you how you found it at Glastonbury? 

Obviously I know there’s no way of getting around it being physically taxing, just want to have a better idea of how to prepare myself. Thanks all! 

the hill at boomtown doesnt have a glasto (on site) equivalent, i'm now disabled and worried about coping with glasto, i'd be more worried about coping with boomtown(ive been to both many times).

[moonhunter]

On 4/16/2022 at 10:44 AM, irnkrtn said:

I have some experience, I hope its useful.

I have never camped in the accessibility areas, but I can talk some to the site. I have a chronic disability that flares up and sometimes graciously slips off into the background! I've done Glastonbury at my worse, as well as been lucky to have good weeks. It affects my mobility and I can suffer from a lot of pain with exertion.

Compared to Boomtown, yes its much bigger but its much more present everywhere. It is more like a huge city with activity literally everywhere rather than the linked village feeling other festivals can have. This means you can still have a fantastic festival experience even when you're flagging, because the festival is full on wherever you settle. It does mean you can't always chase the different bands from one side of the site to the other, but compared to absolutely every other festival I've been to - it doesn't change anything. There's no "dead spots" really. When I've been feeling immobile, in pain etc, I've tended to pick one bit of the festival and settle up there. Although its on a slope, often The Park as it has a lot of fun things in a small range. But really could do this most areas.

I would say the two biggest things that have impacted my experience really have been 1. the attitude/approach of companions. It's a huge site with everything in the world going on and the ability for even the most level headed of people to get some kind of Glastonbury Syndrome and become infected with FOMO. Being dragged around by someone when you're feeling crap, despite the fact you could be quite happy chilling at one space for a while, has impacted my Glasto experience far more than a lack of things to do or the festival itself. Also an expectation from people to stay up late and party when you know if you can just get that sleep in tomorrow will be better. I now am rigid in who I will go with! This has improved my disability experience 500%. I hope your festival buddies are as delightful as my chosen ones!

Toilets. If your disability does in any way impact your relationship to using toilets, this is something I would plan out more. They are plentiful but often big queues. I get a pass from the festival for the disabled toilets, which are dotted around portaloos. This should enable me to get to the toilet much quicker. But I have had a lot of abuse from always drunk people - it clearly is impacting their reasoning - for "queue jumping" and also demanding the code, or getting shitty cause I have closed the door and not let them in. So be prepared for that. I often find myself walking longer distances to the toilets I have mapped out as being easier to access than using the disability ones after dark.

I hope you have a wonderful time and honestly, with a bit of planning and quick adjustment once you work out whats working for you, I'm sure you will be grand. 

Thank you so much, this has been really helpful! I definitely empathise about who you bring along. I’m usually quite happy to go off on my own or be left if the group wants to break away, (especially because I can’t stand that feeling of knowing people are sticking with something they don’t like just to humour me!) but that’s less possible these days. That’s given me a lot to think about. 

Also sorry to hear about your experiences with the disabled toilets at night, but thank you for the excellent tip! I’ve heard similar about hiring a mobility scooter, with drunk people at night trying to get on top of it etc.. Reading this has definitely made me feel a lot more prepared. 

On 4/16/2022 at 11:16 AM, Neil said:

the hill at boomtown doesnt have a glasto (on site) equivalent, i'm now disabled and worried about coping with glasto, i'd be more worried about coping with boomtown(ive been to both many times).

Thank you, that’s good to know! And I relate to that worry definitely. Sounds like it’s a lot more doable to stay within favourite areas of Glasto if needed vs necessarily having to traverse the whole Boomtown site over and over, which makes me feel more positive. But still definitely not missing a day of physio, lol. 

[Neil]

41 minutes ago, moonhunter said:

a lot more doable to stay within favourite areas of Glasto

that works, i tend to mostly stay around west holts, and wander to avalon/glade/other /pyrami~: this year my wandering is on a on-site-hired mobility scooter. hope i don't run too many people over.

[StoneCircle]

10 hours ago, Neil said:

this year my wandering is on a on-site-hired mobility scooter. hope i don't run too many people over.

You and me both! Never ridden one before - an absolute baptism of fire! 

[the beadle]

Hi, have a look here, if you haven’t already, it’s a big bugger, see you there. https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/access-information/

Edited May 1, 2022 by the beadle
Incomplete

[irnkrtn]

On 4/22/2022 at 1:26 PM, moonhunter said:

Thank you so much, this has been really helpful! I definitely empathise about who you bring along. I’m usually quite happy to go off on my own or be left if the group wants to break away, (especially because I can’t stand that feeling of knowing people are sticking with something they don’t like just to humour me!) but that’s less possible these days. That’s given me a lot to think about. 

Also sorry to hear about your experiences with the disabled toilets at night, but thank you for the excellent tip! I’ve heard similar about hiring a mobility scooter, with drunk people at night trying to get on top of it etc.. Reading this has definitely made me feel a lot more prepared. 

Thank you, that’s good to know! And I relate to that worry definitely. Sounds like it’s a lot more doable to stay within favourite areas of Glasto if needed vs necessarily having to traverse the whole Boomtown site over and over, which makes me feel more positive. But still definitely not missing a day of physio, lol. 

I hope you have an AMAZING time! I shall be sending you positive vibes all week - and I mean literally there's a Healing Field which is often where I find myself having wandered when I need to recharge. 

[guypjfreak]

On 4/7/2022 at 3:50 PM, moonhunter said:

Hi all, new here 

Got my first ticket to Glastonbury after trying for years, I’m beaming! 

I’m disabled and have a health condition affecting my strength and mobility. Like many, across the last couple years and throwing long covid into the mix, this has got worse. I am eligible for the access support and got my application in, but seeing as I’ve never been before and not been to a festival since getting this ill I feel I have no idea what I’m in for. I’ve read Glasto Earth and searched around a lot, but a lot of access info is either quite old or just sparse. 

The most physically demanding festival I’ve been to is Boomtown. I know it’s smaller! I’m wondering for people who have been to both, how would you say the sites compare in terms of physical demands? Are they relatively comparable, or is Boomtown child’s play compared to Glasto? 

Also keen to hear from other disabled festival goers / others with similar concerns about you how you found it at Glastonbury? 

Obviously I know there’s no way of getting around it being physically taxing, just want to have a better idea of how to prepare myself. Thanks all! 

Glastonbury is huge... Nothing compares but you'll be able to get the mini bus from the car park plus they have a few running around the site so if you wanted to you can get say from spring ground to the park by mini bus 

Also you can hire buggies but it might be worth getting in touch with Clare or her team and booking that.. 

They are absolutely amazing team and you'll be OK... 

But you will be fucked by the end of the festival.. I always am lol 

Plan your days.. That is what I'd do..... I don't but hey ho.... If you try to see everything on your first one then your asking for trouble.. Read the program and plan.. You'll have a good one.. G

[StoneCircle]

On 4/7/2022 at 3:50 PM, moonhunter said:

Hi all, new here 

Got my first ticket to Glastonbury after trying for years, I’m beaming! 

I’m disabled and have a health condition affecting my strength and mobility. Like many, across the last couple years and throwing long covid into the mix, this has got worse. I am eligible for the access support and got my application in, but seeing as I’ve never been before and not been to a festival since getting this ill I feel I have no idea what I’m in for. I’ve read Glasto Earth and searched around a lot, but a lot of access info is either quite old or just sparse. 

The most physically demanding festival I’ve been to is Boomtown. I know it’s smaller! I’m wondering for people who have been to both, how would you say the sites compare in terms of physical demands? Are they relatively comparable, or is Boomtown child’s play compared to Glasto? 

Also keen to hear from other disabled festival goers / others with similar concerns about you how you found it at Glastonbury? 

Obviously I know there’s no way of getting around it being physically taxing, just want to have a better idea of how to prepare myself. Thanks all! 

Just saw this blog in a Facebook group and thought it may be of interest to you! 😀

https://www.andybarrow.co.uk/the-challenge-of-glastonbury/?fbclid=IwAR1DoX6lwwzW9gfAAmGHcfvRerTvjLe_iFvEHc5tzAY2pEnjTbZ2sKeWNwY

[irnkrtn]

10 hours ago, StoneCircle said:

Just saw this blog in a Facebook group and thought it may be of interest to you! 😀

https://www.andybarrow.co.uk/the-challenge-of-glastonbury/?fbclid=IwAR1DoX6lwwzW9gfAAmGHcfvRerTvjLe_iFvEHc5tzAY2pEnjTbZ2sKeWNwY

Aaah this is a fab blog, thank you so much for bringing to everyone's attention. I really loved this one, got a bit teary eyed - Glastonbury – All the help you’ll ever need! – (andybarrow.co.uk). I have had a bit of a rough weekend with my own disability, and started worrying a bit about Glastonbury. Your post reminded me of this and re-read it all and feeling zen again!

Edited May 7, 2022 by irnkrtn

[moonhunter]

Aw I loved that! Read all the entries. Especially good to read about 2016 in particular as that kind of weather has been my ultimate fear… Thank you so much for sharing!