What is your arrival strategy ?

[Crazyfool01]

3 minutes ago, The_Fish said:

It's my first Glasto since 2009 and I'm going with my Dad who is 67 and going for the final time so we are glamping in Festivue. He's very grateful to avoid the long walk from the car and having to sort tents out etc, booking it has taken a weight off his shoulders both figuratively and literally.

 

Our Wednesday afternoon plan is to head to the Brothers Bar (this time without the 2 litre bottles) and then explore the site a bit, see how the day and night develop

wow nice one ... will be interested to see how you find it and if you feel the vibe has changed at all . obviously some infastructure  and layout will also ... enjoy 

[The_Fish]

7 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

wow nice one ... will be interested to see how you find it and if you feel the vibe has changed at all . obviously some infastructure  and layout will also ... enjoy 

 

I can already tell it's going to be a different festival for me this time. I spent a lot of time at the 2 main stages at all previous visits and there's barely any act I'm going to see on them this time, but there are acts in Avalon, Acoustic, Woodsies etc that I'm keen on seeing, I never even saw the acoustic stage in my previous 3 visits...

 

I'm mostly intrigued about the nightlife now though, and how that has changed. I have very vivid memories from being in random tents in the SE corner and seeing some weird and wonderful things, there was a very funny Hitler comedian, a Turkish folk family band and Keith Allen fronting a Ska cover band at 5:30am. It's not just that the acts were good, it's that they were all so random and it's the thing that made Glasto so special for me. I've read that's a lot of dance music in that area these days, I hope to still find similar things now... in terms of vibe at least.

 

[joeruss]

Any idea what Gate B was like last year?
 

We’re hoping to get there about 6-7am on the Weds from Manchester - last 2 years we’ve done CV East fields, and before that only ever done overnight in queue for Gate D but can’t hack not sleeping this time round! 

[SouthbanKen]

We are staying offsite in a campervan about 15 mins walk from Ped Gate D. 
 

We will probably aim to get there for 10am ish on the Wednesday morning, set our selves up and then wander in about 12 / 1pm ish to avoid all the queuing. 
 

Will the traffic still be carnage around the site at this time? Will the queues at the gates have died down? 

[BlueDaze]

6 hours ago, The_Fish said:

It's my first Glasto since 2009 and I'm going with my Dad who is 67 and going for the final time so we are glamping in Festivue. He's very grateful to avoid the long walk from the car and having to sort tents out etc, booking it has taken a weight off his shoulders both figuratively and literally.

 

Our Wednesday afternoon plan is to head to the Brothers Bar (this time without the 2 litre bottles) and then explore the site a bit, see how the day and night develop

 

6 hours ago, Crazyfool01 said:

wow nice one ... will be interested to see how you find it and if you feel the vibe has changed at all . obviously some infastructure  and layout will also ... enjoy 

I am truly gobsmacked that @Crazyfool01has missed the opportunity to invite you to the efests meeting on wednesday..! (which is a lot of fun tbf)

Fair play to you and your Dad, back again after almost 20 years..

Festivue is the new site up in the CV fields isnt it? You will enjoy the view over the festival up there..

Have a great time!

[Crazyfool01]

7 hours ago, BlueDaze said:

 

I am truly gobsmacked that @Crazyfool01has missed the opportunity to invite you to the efests meeting on wednesday..! (which is a lot of fun tbf)

Fair play to you and your Dad, back again after almost 20 years..

Festivue is the new site up in the CV fields isnt it? You will enjoy the view over the festival up there..

Have a great time!

You know what … I was thinking it while I typed the post but didn’t type it . Brothers bar is a short crawl from ridge and furrow so is a perfect location. 

[dondo]

I'll travel down part of the way from Leeds on the Sunday before. Sunday night in Premier Inn near Weston-super-Mare. Monday morning pop to supermarket to pick up shopping. Aiming to be on site around 10.30 to 11am. Get recycling crew accreditation then off to Toms field to set up camp. 

[Charliehmiller]

Previous years I've stayed in a hotel local until about 4am and then drove to join the queue but might just skip that bit this time and join the queue right away. What time do they allow you to join the queue from?

[sedra]

Will be arriving Monday morning for Oxfam field ( unless I get earlies) 🙂

[ltfckimbo]

It's our 1st time with kids this year, so we've decided to book the Travelodge by the Podimore roundabout for the Tuesday night. Ideally we would like to go in via gate B and head for Cockmill/Ash Tree. Does anyone know if there's a way to guarantee entry to the purple car parks? I was thinking that if we just head north up the A37 we will be put into blue car parks for sure. Is it possible to cut across to the A371, so we can approach the site from the North (going south on the A37)? Would that make any difference?

Edited May 8, 2025 by ltfckimbo

[chuckles07]

On 07/05/2025 at 17:04, joeruss said:

Any idea what Gate B was like last year?
 

We’re hoping to get there about 6-7am on the Weds from Manchester - last 2 years we’ve done CV East fields, and before that only ever done overnight in queue for Gate D but can’t hack not sleeping this time round! 

 

Been through gate B in last 2 years. I think arriving at 6-7am will be peak queue sadly. I have been there c5am and it’s been long…. The queue combines with the village entrance at the outer fence so that causes a little extra busyness. Having said that we have always got in c11-12noon so depends where you want to camp. Am not sure how better/worse B is compared to C tho, i went via C in 2022 and it was just as long/painful as the queue has several feeder queues (or did have) in the campervan fields as people come from car parking. Flip a coin….

[incident]

13 minutes ago, ltfckimbo said:

It's our 1st time with kids this year, so we've decided to book the Travelodge by the Podimore roundabout for the Tuesday night. Ideally we would like to go in via gate B and head for Cockmill/Ash Tree. Does anyone know if there's a way to guarantee entry to the purple car parks? I was thinking that if we just head north up the A37 we will be put into blue car parks for sure. Is it possible to cut across to the A371, so we can approach the site from the North (going south on the A37)? Would that make any difference?

 

Thing is which (of the 3) gates you get directed off the A37 at doesn't necessarily relate to which Car Park you end up in. North to South, the Gates are Brown, Purple, and Blue - but all 3 of them can feed directly into either Purple and/or Blue Car Parks, depending on how they're routing traffic at that exact moment, and the Car Parks are all linked - I had it in the past where I was directed off the road at Blue, and then drove a long route through multiple Blue fields to end up parked in Purple.

 

The primary concerns from the Festival are going to be what's easiest - getting traffic off the road, filling fields the quickest, etc. So it's probable that coming from the North would increase the chance of Purple but far from guaranteed.

 

If you really want to guarantee entering via Purple or Brown Gate, just drive up the A37, and drive past Blue Gate. If a marshall at Blue Gate queries it, say you're heading to Tangerine Fields (or some other north-eastern private campsite). Obviously don't put your festival parking sticker in the window until after you're past them, and they'll have no way to query it. If you then find that you can't turn left into Purple or Brown (which is possible), then there's a roundabout at the top of the A37 you can use to turn around which will still likely be easier than a PITA detour.

[ltfckimbo]

12 minutes ago, incident said:

 

Thing is which (of the 3) gates you get directed off the A37 at doesn't necessarily relate to which Car Park you end up in. North to South, the Gates are Brown, Purple, and Blue - but all 3 of them can feed directly into either Purple and/or Blue Car Parks, depending on how they're routing traffic at that exact moment, and the Car Parks are all linked - I had it in the past where I was directed off the road at Blue, and then drove a long route through multiple Blue fields to end up parked in Purple.

 

The primary concerns from the Festival are going to be what's easiest - getting traffic off the road, filling fields the quickest, etc. So it's probable that coming from the North would increase the chance of Purple but far from guaranteed.

 

If you really want to guarantee entering via Purple or Brown Gate, just drive up the A37, and drive past Blue Gate. If a marshall at Blue Gate queries it, say you're heading to Tangerine Fields (or some other north-eastern private campsite). Obviously don't put your festival parking sticker in the window until after you're past them, and they'll have no way to query it. If you then find that you can't turn left into Purple or Brown (which is possible), then there's a roundabout at the top of the A37 you can use to turn around which will still likely be easier than a PITA detour.

Thanks, that's really useful advice. Probably won't bother with the big detour in that case!

[Jim fitch]

got myself a hospitality ticket this year ( i know!!  it was last resort and a good deal ) i still want to camp @ big ground with mates as previous years but unsure if i can queue at gate B anyone know which entrance you use ?

[dg.bandol]

15 minutes ago, Jim fitch said:

got myself a hospitality ticket this year ( i know!!  it was last resort and a good deal ) i still want to camp @ big ground with mates as previous years but unsure if i can queue at gate B anyone know which entrance you use ?

We had hospitality last year and fairly certain the only entrance is at Wicket Gate beside PGA as the other gates only have GA wristbands (could be wrong, ditched the info pack that came with the ticket).

 

obviously once you’re wristbanded you can come and go through any gate you see fit. Remember the hospo tickets don’t have your photo, so you’ll need to carry photo ID with you.

[incident]

9 minutes ago, Jim fitch said:

got myself a hospitality ticket this year ( i know!!  it was last resort and a good deal ) i still want to camp @ big ground with mates as previous years but unsure if i can queue at gate B anyone know which entrance you use ?

 

Officially you should use Wicket Gate, which is right next to Gate A and dedicated to issuing H wristbands.

 

Regular pedestrian gates may work, but using them would likely involve a bit of extra faff - you won't be able to go through the usual first-entry channels as they're not set up to issue H wristbands. So potentially would have to queue longer and/or wait around while they get you sorted.

[incident]

2 minutes ago, dg.bandol said:

We had hospitality last year and fairly certain the only entrance is at Wicket Gate beside PGA as the other gates only have GA wristbands (could be wrong, ditched the info pack that came with the ticket).

 

I believe the enquiries cabins, outside each gate, can issue them. But they can have obscene queues.

[Ayrshire Chris]

23 minutes ago, Jim fitch said:

got myself a hospitality ticket this year ( i know!!  it was last resort and a good deal ) i still want to camp @ big ground with mates as previous years but unsure if i can queue at gate B anyone know which entrance you use ?

We’ve hospitality and you need to exchange your ticket for a hospitality wristband at the cabin past hospitality parking just before wicket gate next to gate A. Once you are in then no problem unless you leave the site then you’ve to enter again at wicket. Don’t forget photo ID as a hospitality ticket doesn’t have your photo, just name printed. 

[dg.bandol]

15 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

We’ve hospitality and you need to exchange your ticket for a hospitality wristband at the cabin past hospitality parking just before wicket gate next to gate A. Once you are in then no problem unless you leave the site then you’ve to enter again at wicket. Don’t forget photo ID as a hospitality ticket doesn’t have your photo, just name printed. 

We were only ever in and out via Wicket last year on account of parking in the hospitality car park. How would that work if, for example, someone had acquired a hospitality ticket via one of the top end Love Fields packages where it would make much more sense to enter via Gate C?

 

not saying that’s incorrect as I don’t have experience of it, just seems a bit backwards from a logistical perspective!

[Ayrshire Chris]

39 minutes ago, dg.bandol said:

We were only ever in and out via Wicket last year on account of parking in the hospitality car park. How would that work if, for example, someone had acquired a hospitality ticket via one of the top end Love Fields packages where it would make much more sense to enter via Gate C?

 

not saying that’s incorrect as I don’t have experience of it, just seems a bit backwards from a logistical perspective!

We were the same via the bronze gate and hospitality car park. I’d assume there’s some arrangement for those packages on the other side of the site to use other gates. I recollect some of them use the pedestrian gate used by the locals. 

[dg.bandol]

8 hours ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

We were the same via the bronze gate and hospitality car park. I’d assume there’s some arrangement for those packages on the other side of the site to use other gates. I recollect some of them use the pedestrian gate used by the locals. 

Out of reactions, but this could be useful info for others to investigate who are in the same boat.

[mudmonkey]

I got to east car parks about 8.30 on the Wednesday last year, through pGC and pitched up with a good spot in kidney mead by 10.

I’d not been properly for a few years before that, find the new habit of queuing up all night before it’s open a bit odd and unnecessary tbh, along with people paying thousands to sleep off site, but each to their own.

[gooner1990]

On 06/05/2025 at 15:04, TheDayman said:

Funny this came up today, I was just watching a vlog last night and noticed the same with us.
 

We arrived around 4:30am and were sent to the back of Pink Parking, then diverted to PGA because PGD was already too busy.
 

It was around 12pm by the time we made it to Paines, which was already pretty full.
 

Then in the vlog, the guy and his gang arrived around 6:00am, was directed straight into Orange 40, then straight into the PGD queue, and they were in Paines by around 10:30am.
 

It looked like he was already back from his second run to the car by the time we even got to Paines!

 

Yet we parked up 0640 in Pink, got diverted into PGA queue and which then took us 6 hours to get through.

 

Its all very well pushing people to PGA if PGD is full, but not if the PGA queue is then going to take 3 times as long as people arriving not long after.

 

Perhaps they need more space over the road to hold people to queue for PGD?

 

[gooner1990]

21 minutes ago, mudmonkey said:

I got to east car parks about 8.30 on the Wednesday last year, through pGC and pitched up with a good spot in kidney mead by 10.

I’d not been properly for a few years before that, find the new habit of queuing up all night before it’s open a bit odd and unnecessary tbh, along with people paying thousands to sleep off site, but each to their own.

 

The ante just seems to go up and up each year.

 

Personally I don't do either, but its starting to become unless you queue up (or have someone pitch your tent for you) then you will camp on the outer edges of the site.

[EavisAintDead]

I've tried a few arrivals; staying at a friends house in Street and getting in the queue at 5 (back in 2014 this gave you a short queue and the pick of the fields), driving down from Bristol and getting caught in masses of traffic (2016, never again please) and even sleeping in my car in the car park until 4AM 

 

The last two festivals, I've left my house in Glastonbury at 3AM and enjoyed the sunrise with a sausage sandwich somewhere in the first few rows of the queue of Gate A

 

We have now found our preferred camping spot and my friend thinks we'll get more sleep in the queue itself rather than in my comfy spare room so for the first time I will be getting there at ~11PM Tuesday and trying to get some kip in a camping chair. Might need a nap by 2PM.