Glastonbury 2022 - overcrowding rumours & thoughts

[LoraMaze]

8 minutes ago, jannybruck said:

This isn't directed at anyone in particular but plenty of people came back from the farm literally the day after to talk about how they were in scary, barely moving crowds and fearful for their safety multiple times over the course of the weekend – and that's just a small sample size of the ones that posted on here. In every thread that mentions crowding I'm seeing a lot of "hmm well *I* didn't experience them or think it was too bad this year" with the implication that people are overreacting.

We are barely one year from a festival in the US that killed and maimed multiple people because they packed too many people on site and fucked the infrastructure, and this sort of shit should be at the forefront of festival organisers' and punters minds. A festival like Glastonbury that is decades deep shouldn't get a free pass for messing things up because we've seen it only takes one incident, stampede, crush, whatever for people to die.

Any festivalgoers concerns about overcrowding and crushes are valid, regardless of if you personally saw/experienced them or not. It's a massive site so of course there's things going on you didn't see first hand.

This is true. I am in the “a bit busier than usual” camp, and it was weird being at the festival with no internet to see if it actually was, to then come home and find a load of other people saying it was busier. Loads of people we met on site agreed at the time.
 

I think more than anything I think it is the infrastructure that needs improving for next time, more toilets, more food vendors, no more big bands on tiny stages, better stewards, less bottleneck exits etc. Also, if loads of people were sneaking in but the festival doesn’t really care because they’ll still make money from bar sales then they need to up their crowd management game a bit to allow of unofficial numbers. 

[bigbilly]

Thought about this for a while and come to the conclusion it was definitely oversold. 

[Old_Johno]

I only heard of 1 confirmed fence jumper first hand who climbed over into the wateraid camp and went to the first aid tent there after hurting their ankle. Not sure they added to the numbers.

In terms of food queues I’ve only been to Shambino last year, and radio ones big weekend this year, both were suffering with too few/ inexperienced staff and long waits for food. Normally you’d get a few returners but they all lost their staff during covid 

[amfy]

I talked to one of the heads of security who told me they caught 131 fence jumpers on Friday night. Not sure what that tells us about how many got in that way. I only saw one nabbed during my Saturday shift but there were plenty of people ‘hanging about’ & on Reccys.

He said there was also a fair bit of tunnelling going on which they were dealing with & also a strange oversight  at one spot in the fence build which I guess could be described as a tunnel. I’d not give details of that on here, but it was so obvious and mad that I’d be amazed if it wasn’t closed for next time..

[mufcok]

44 minutes ago, amfy said:

I talked to one of the heads of security who told me they caught 131 fence jumpers on Friday night. Not sure what that tells us about how many got in that way. I only saw one nabbed during my Saturday shift but there were plenty of people ‘hanging about’ & on Reccys.

He said there was also a fair bit of tunnelling going on which they were dealing with & also a strange oversight  at one spot in the fence build which I guess could be described as a tunnel. I’d not give details of that on here, but it was so obvious and mad that I’d be amazed if it wasn’t closed for next time..

That sounds like an absolute howler...

[flave]

16 hours ago, Euphoricape said:

I hope the rumour about wall climbers is just a rumour. Puts everyone's safety at risk.

I personally saw 3 coming in over the fence at the back of South Park 2 and was aware of more in the trees when around the tent on the Friday morning - essentially where the fence intersects with the trees (and possibly stream, not sure) at the back - got the feeling that was probably a known place to come over

[Leyrulion]

1 hour ago, Neil said:

thats not how it was, a licence was refused for 2001 because the council weren't convinced that the festival was trying to comply with licence condition.

Licencing conditions like the number of people on site?

[shuttlep]

everywhere was busier, even in the circus and theatre stage. you are right even the paths just between places were really busy.

 

I don't have an answer as to why.

 

 

[bigbilly]

6 minutes ago, shuttlep said:

everywhere was busier, even in the circus and theatre stage. you are right even the paths just between places were really busy.

 

I don't have an answer as to why.

 

 

Simple too many to many tickets were sold

[Havors]

There must be loads getting spun in. I seen multiple of groups of scousers 20+ and there is no way that many of a group can get tickets its statistically impossible.  Us scousers have a magical power when it comes to bunking into things... I dont use mine anymore ive retired and prefer to go legit.. Im too old for any hassle. 🙂

Unless something is done to clamp down on the being spun in then expect Glastonbury to be sponsored by Montirex for the foreseeable future. Although it can be intimidating in such large numbers there is nothing to really worry about we are a friendly bunch.. especially when 3 pills deep. We will be inviting you round for tea. 

[Havors]

46 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

Licencing conditions like the number of people on site?

We had to count the number of people coming and going on site this year... and they were quite naggy about it. The council are definitely watching with hawke yes. 

[blutarsky]

14 hours ago, clarkete said:

As you say Stones is still the Pyramid act where it's seemed busiest. 

Bowie 2000 would like a word. 

[gfa]

1 minute ago, blutarsky said:

Bowie 2000 would like a word. 

meant to be chems isn't it?

---

2022 was my first festival - defo felt busy at points especially around the Park (such a bottle neck, they need another exit to the left of the stage when facing it really) and Arcadia sat night. More signs would be very very very helpful

[Neil]

1 hour ago, Leyrulion said:

Licencing conditions like the number of people on site?

yeah, melvin was brought in to manage the numbers and the licence, nothing to do with finances like you said.

Edited July 5, 2022 by Neil

[Dazmandingo96]

15 minutes ago, Havors said:

There must be loads getting spun in. I seen multiple of groups of scousers 20+ and there is no way that many of a group can get tickets its statistically impossible.  Us scousers have a magical power when it comes to bunking into things... I dont use mine anymore ive retired and prefer to go legit.. Im too old for any hassle. 🙂

Unless something is done to clamp down on the being spun in then expect Glastonbury to be sponsored by Montirex for the foreseeable future. Although it can be intimidating in such large numbers there is nothing to really worry about we are a friendly bunch.. especially when 3 pills deep. We will be inviting you round for tea. 

im a scouser myself and much prefer to do it legit, but i am well aware that if you dont have a ticket you still get in the festival (lots of spinners)

[Leyrulion]

13 minutes ago, Neil said:

yeah, melvin was brought in to manage the numbers and the licence, nothing to do with finances like you said.

Ah must be crossed wires, I was talking about the numbers of people not the finances.

[Neil]

7 minutes ago, Leyrulion said:

Ah must be crossed wires, I was talking about the numbers of people not the finances.

In the aoPś big post they you explicitly said he was bought in for finances. That was nuthin to do with it. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Neil

[MrZigster]

It seemed pretty basic to me.

If you're letting an extra 7,000 people in, you're probably going to need a few extra food stalls, bars and amenities to accommodate them. And possibly widen some of the gaps.

Am I missing something?

Have to say that Big Ground and Row Mead were not as packed out as usual, which surprised me (especially with Row Mead being smaller again this year).

Where did all of these thousands of extra people camp? Didn't see anywhere that looked ridiculously rammed this year.

[Johnnyseven]

4 hours ago, Alvoram said:

Makes a lot of sense. There was a large number of gaps using that steel fencing covered in green cloth between stalls to hide the gaps. Even as first timers we wondered if they were gaps that were meant to be filled by stalls that had cancelled for whatever reason. 

My personal theory, based on no facts whatsoever, is that with the stage consolidations in certain areas (Glade, Silver Hayes, Avalon etc), removal of bars (The Woods) and the gaps where you would expect traders would be led to the reduction of crew members, marshals, artists/their guests/liggers, security and traders/their employess. This frees up numbers from the ~250k people they are allowed in total on site. I reckon they sold those additional numbers on as punter tickets to make cash back that they lost over Covid. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Johnnyseven

[Leyrulion]

50 minutes ago, Neil said:

In the aoPś big post they you explicitly said he was bought in for finances. That was nuthin to do with it. 

Different person! Not me.🤣 

[Digi]

1 hour ago, Havors said:

There must be loads getting spun in. I seen multiple of groups of scousers 20+ and there is no way that many of a group can get tickets its statistically impossible.  Us scousers have a magical power when it comes to bunking into things... I dont use mine anymore ive retired and prefer to go legit.. Im too old for any hassle. 🙂

Unless something is done to clamp down on the being spun in then expect Glastonbury to be sponsored by Montirex for the foreseeable future. Although it can be intimidating in such large numbers there is nothing to really worry about we are a friendly bunch.. especially when 3 pills deep. We will be inviting you round for tea. 

 

1 hour ago, Dazmandingo96 said:

im a scouser myself and much prefer to do it legit, but i am well aware that if you dont have a ticket you still get in the festival (lots of spinners)

Scouser here too although I'm too much of shithouse to bunk in if I didn't get a ticket 🤣 

[lukemack]

1 hour ago, Havors said:

There must be loads getting spun in. I seen multiple of groups of scousers 20+ and there is no way that many of a group can get tickets its statistically impossible.  Us scousers have a magical power when it comes to bunking into things... I dont use mine anymore ive retired and prefer to go legit.. Im too old for any hassle. 🙂

Unless something is done to clamp down on the being spun in then expect Glastonbury to be sponsored by Montirex for the foreseeable future. Although it can be intimidating in such large numbers there is nothing to really worry about we are a friendly bunch.. especially when 3 pills deep. We will be inviting you round for tea. 

Tbh when our full group is together it well over 40 people, maybe even 50😆 probably only at that amount for the Wednesday/thursday though, and everyone goes off to do whatever the next few days.

Its been around that figure the last 3 festivals, only 2 people missing out on tickets this year.

[HyperTechnoHorse]

Anecdotal but my mate up in Bootle says the place was like a ghost town during the festival. Says his local was closed for the week with a sign out front saying "gone fence jumping". 

[steviewevie]

I blame Liverpool.

[Neil]

Just now, steviewevie said:

I blame Liverpool.

so does Boris.