How to tackle the FOMO?

[Lakey91]

This is the first Glastonbury that I won't be attending since I started going in 2014. My partner and I have just had a baby and I don't think it would be appropriate to ask my Mum to babysit a 3 month old for a whole week whilst I go get off my head on the farm. That said, even if I had decided to go, I probably wouldn't have got tickets. I was still trying in the sale and resales for other people with no luck. It gets harder every year and I think I need to accept that even when I do want to return to the farm, I might not be so lucky.

I honestly thought that knowing I wasn't going this year, I wouldn't be bothered and I wouldn't spend every day trawling efests and refreshing the webcam every hour, like I usually do during the build up, yet here I am doing these same things again.

My question is how does everyone who misses out on a ticket get through the week when Glasto takes place, knowing that it's happening without you? 

I know some people like to book alternative festivals or a holiday, but these aren't really an option with baby at the minute. 

I could always stay at home and watch the TV coverage but tbh, I don't tend to spend a lot of time at the stages that appear on TV. I generally go to the dance stages, plus naughty corner, etc. I don't mind watching some of the main stage acts on TV when I get home, just to see what went down. 

There are a few decent documentaries that cover the alternative areas of the festivals but I've watched most of these multiple times so even they are getting a bit old. 

Has anyone got an decent suggestions of how to get a little bit of that Glasto feeling, without actually being there??

Edited April 27, 2023 by Lakey91

[Skip997]

3 minutes ago, Lakey91 said:

Has anyone got an decent suggestions of how to get a little bit of that Glasto feeling, without actually being there??

Personally if I wasn't going I'd  ignore it as much as possible.

Certainly wouldn't watch any TV coverage.

[BlueJeansAndWhiteTshirts]

Agree with Skip. For me the only thing that helped was to ignore it was even happening. Unfollowed everything glasto related on twitter, didn't log into efests, didn't watch the TV coverage. It was all just too painful. 

[gfa]

While not quite the same as a full weekend, maybe a day fest could be more manageable childcare wise? 🙂

[stuie]

I’ve not had to deal with this yet as I’ve not missed one since I started going but I think embrace it. Make a night out of watching the coverage with friends and having pizza and a few drinks or something.

Console yourself by doting on the amazing human being that you’ve just created! 😀

[Lakey91]

7 minutes ago, gfa said:

While not quite the same as a full weekend, maybe a day fest could be more manageable childcare wise? 🙂

Yeah I'm going to have a look if there are any decent ones locally.

13 minutes ago, BlueJeansAndWhiteTshirts said:

Agree with Skip. For me the only thing that helped was to ignore it was even happening. Unfollowed everything glasto related on twitter, didn't log into efests, didn't watch the TV coverage. It was all just too painful. 

Maybe this is the approach I need to take. Go cold turkey from it all and come back to efests in Sep / Oct in time for the next ticket sale.

[coma girl]

If I wanted to go and couldn't get tickets I couldn't bear to watch it on TV whilst it was happening or be on here.

I got my tickets at the very last second in October, after a bunch of my friends had already secured  theirs, and I was moments away from unfollowing or muting every single Glasto related group or page that I follow.

[Neil]

1 hour ago, Lakey91 said:

don't think it would be appropriate to ask my Mum to babysit a 3 month old for a whole week whilst I go get off my head on the farm.

why not, others of us have done it. 🙂 

[t0paz]

I missed out one year and decided to go away camping in Dorset instead to avoid all the coverage. Sadly, without thinking about it at all, my route took me down the A37 straight past the site, while it was in full swing. I’ve been back every year it’s been on since.

[Pipine]

I missed 4 years when my kids were tiny, I thought it would be awful not being there after going every year for ages but to be honest I really enjoyed the footage and watched as much as I could over the weekend.  I guess I'm more evenly split between seeing bands and the dance / SE corner stuff so maybe it wouldn't appeal as much for you but the TV coverage was enough for me to feel part of it..  it was amazing going back after the 4 festival break though!

[phillyfaddle]

I missed 2013 due to an epic fail of not understanding the *new improved* See Tickets booking system. Tried about 200 times to get the booking formS (yes, got several up) to progress to the “buy” stage. I went to Shambala instead which was great - but very different - and avoided the live BBC broadcasts. Friend managed to get a locals Sunday ticket through contacts in the town. Jealous much?!! 🤨

[giantkatestacks]

Same as @Pipine I missed a few when my children were young but didnt mind at the time. Looking back I did miss some proper performances though but didnt miss the festival itself iyswim. I was too knackered and not in that headspace to want to be there.

[Punksnotdead]

1 hour ago, Lakey91 said:

This is the first Glastonbury that I won't be attending since I started going in 2014. My partner and I have just had a baby and I don't think it would be appropriate to ask my Mum to babysit a 3 month old for a whole week whilst I go get off my head on the farm. That said, even if I had decided to go, I probably wouldn't have got tickets. I was still trying in the sale and resales for other people with no luck. It gets harder every year and I think I need to accept that even when I do want to return to the farm, I might not be so lucky.

I honestly thought that knowing I wasn't going this year, I wouldn't be bothered and I wouldn't spend every day trawling efests and refreshing the webcam every hour, like I usually do during the build up, yet here I am doing these same things again.

My question is how does everyone who misses out on a ticket get through the week when Glasto takes place, knowing that it's happening without you? 

I know some people like to book alternative festivals or a holiday, but these aren't really an option with baby at the minute. 

I could always stay at home and watch the TV coverage but tbh, I don't tend to spend a lot of time at the stages that appear on TV. I generally go to the dance stages, plus naughty corner, etc. I don't mind watching some of the main stage acts on TV when I get home, just to see what went down. 

There are a few decent documentaries that cover the alternative areas of the festivals but I've watched most of these multiple times so even they are getting a bit old. 

Has anyone got an decent suggestions of how to get a little bit of that Glasto feeling, without actually being there??

Last year we had a thread on here for the TV coverage. There was quite a crew of us posting our thoughts & drinking heavily. We had a right good laugh & I ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would. It felt like we were still a part of it somehow & it eased my FOMO massively.

[Crazyfool01]

catch a flight somewhere nice 😝👀 there seems to be decent availability and deals lately 

Edited April 27, 2023 by Crazyfool01

[4AssedMonkey]

Only one I’ve missed in 15 years was ‘17. It was fucking awful. My best mate went and texted me loads so couldn’t avoid it. I watched the Radiohead set whilst pissed and started crying.

I was also suffering badly with depression and anxiety at the time and still hiding it from everyone which made it doubly bad. Not sure how I’d handle it now I’m in a better place mentally.  I’m kind of thinking this year may be my last anyway so would probably be OK. Not sure I could watch any of the live stuff though so would maybe just bury my head in the sand that weekend or fuck off somewhere rural and pretty with Mrs 4am and the dog. 

[BlueDaze]

44 minutes ago, t0paz said:

I missed out one year and decided to go away camping in Dorset instead to avoid all the coverage. Sadly, without thinking about it at all, my route took me down the A37 straight past the site, while it was in full swing. I’ve been back every year it’s been on since.

This is the most ridiculous fail ever.... Imagine if it was the wednesday and you got caught in loads of traffic with vehicles filled with grinning idiots 😂

I missed last year after having a run from 2007 (missed 2008 deliberately - still drying out) and decided to fully embrace the BBC coverage... I really enjoyed it! and waking up in my own bed without a banging hangover was pleasant. My daughter absolutely ignored it and was grumpy with me even mentioning it..

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

2 hours ago, Lakey91 said:

This is the first Glastonbury that I won't be attending since I started going in 2014. My partner and I have just had a baby and I don't think it would be appropriate to ask my Mum to babysit a 3 month old for a whole week whilst I go get off my head on the farm. That said, even if I had decided to go, I probably wouldn't have got tickets. I was still trying in the sale and resales for other people with no luck. It gets harder every year and I think I need to accept that even when I do want to return to the farm, I might not be so lucky.

I honestly thought that knowing I wasn't going this year, I wouldn't be bothered and I wouldn't spend every day trawling efests and refreshing the webcam every hour, like I usually do during the build up, yet here I am doing these same things again.

My question is how does everyone who misses out on a ticket get through the week when Glasto takes place, knowing that it's happening without you? 

I know some people like to book alternative festivals or a holiday, but these aren't really an option with baby at the minute. 

I could always stay at home and watch the TV coverage but tbh, I don't tend to spend a lot of time at the stages that appear on TV. I generally go to the dance stages, plus naughty corner, etc. I don't mind watching some of the main stage acts on TV when I get home, just to see what went down. 

There are a few decent documentaries that cover the alternative areas of the festivals but I've watched most of these multiple times so even they are getting a bit old. 

Has anyone got an decent suggestions of how to get a little bit of that Glasto feeling, without actually being there??

It's a toughie. On one hand, it's good to miss out on something you're obsessing about to prove that life can indeed go on without it. On the other hand, there are plenty of options.

Maybe arrange a night out to a favourite club with some mates, get a hotel for a night, if your other half was alright with that?

Invite your mates around and have a "No-Glasto" party, watch it on iPlayer, or listen to the music you would have seen if you'd gone? Project any old photos and vids on a TV/projector and have a laugh at how daft you looked?

Glasto-themed BBQ in the garden?

Go camping with some mates and reminisce about past Glastos past?

Day festival with your little one in tow?

Splurge on a concert to treat yourself from one of the headliners?

Ignore the complete hell out of it and focus on your family, visit relatives that weekend? Complete social media blackout for the week too.

 

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by MEGATRONICMEATWAGON

[balti-pie]

Not missed one since 2015, it was my Mam’s 60th birthday that year and since then we’ve had an agreement to temporarily shift her birthday to the Tuesday after glasto so I can take her out 😊 always have a convo/video call with her on the day though, normally wandering round the green fields. In 2015 my local pub had a beer festival that weekend so I got a few takeouts, watched the bbc coverage and sat there bathing in the FOMO. If I had to miss another I’d do the same, it was alright! 

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

1 hour ago, Punksnotdead said:

Last year we had a thread on here for the TV coverage. There was quite a crew of us posting our thoughts & drinking heavily. We had a right good laugh & I ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would. It felt like we were still a part of it somehow & it eased my FOMO massively.

I was there for that. Was a good laugh and as soon as someone messaged about something good happening I remember crossing channels to find out what was going on. Was the best alternative to not being there.

[Mich1268]

Have thought that the year I don't get tickets I will be booking a flight to somewhere I have always wanted to go to but not got round to yet. 

[lobo]

1 hour ago, phillyfaddle said:

I missed 2013 due to an epic fail of not understanding the *new improved* See Tickets booking system. Tried about 200 times to get the booking formS (yes, got several up) to progress to the “buy” stage. I went to Shambala instead which was great - but very different - and avoided the live BBC broadcasts. Friend managed to get a locals Sunday ticket through contacts in the town. Jealous much?!! 🤨

First year in a very long time I didn’t get tickets. Totally devastated of course. Shambala is my back up plan if I don’t manage to win tickets somehow. What did you think? Does it have some of that Glastonbury feel on a smaller scale? 

[Skip997]

3 minutes ago, lobo said:

First year in a very long time I didn’t get tickets. Totally devastated of course. Shambala is my back up plan if I don’t manage to win tickets somehow. What did you think? Does it have some of that Glastonbury feel on a smaller scale? 

I'd be more upset missing out on Shambala than Glastonbury. It's the only festival I'm aware of that I'd be happy to go as a punter.

It has a lot more of "that Glastonbury feel" than Glastonbury ever had. I wouldn't even call it "Glastonbury feel", it's on another level, it has "that Shambala feel", unique in my festival experience.

If I were you I'd take the plunge and get your tickets now, whether or not you win Glastonbury tickets or not.

[lobo]

5 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

I'd be more upset missing out on Shambala than Glastonbury. It's the only festival I'm aware of that I'd be happy to go as a punter.

It has a lot more of "that Glastonbury feel" than Glastonbury ever had. I wouldn't even call it "Glastonbury feel", it's on another level, it has "that Shambala feel", unique in my festival experience.

If I were you I'd take the plunge and get your tickets now, whether or not you win Glastonbury tickets or not.

Amazing. I think I’m looking for a new festival to start going to that has that unique feel you’re describing. I have heard good things from some friends, but they hadn’t been to Glastonbury so it’s great to get some feedback from this forum. May just have to buy that ticket 🍻🎉

[MrHew]

16 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

I'd be more upset missing out on Shambala than Glastonbury. It's the only festival I'm aware of that I'd be happy to go as a punter.

It has a lot more of "that Glastonbury feel" than Glastonbury ever had. I wouldn't even call it "Glastonbury feel", it's on another level, it has "that Shambala feel", unique in my festival experience.

If I were you I'd take the plunge and get your tickets now, whether or not you win Glastonbury tickets or not.

I really need to get back to Shambala, it's been far too long 

[Beaver89]

It's so tough isn't it! There is no right way and everyone is different. I had a continuous run from 2008 to 2016 then failed to get tickets for 2017 when two acts I'd been patiently waiting for years to play finally did (Foos and Radiohead) and 2019.

I'm firmly in the camp of immersing yourself in the coverage. The idea of it going on and not being involved at all is far worse to me than not going. It is just a different way to enjoy the biggest musical cultural event and best garden party on earth. Is it the same, no. of course not. But it is its own type of fun. It even has benefits: no walking between stages, no clashes and guaranteeing a good view. I think it was Killers > Chic in 2017 this was most appreciated - watching everyone leg it while I pressed two buttons. Then there is not getting wet if the weather is bad and getting to sleep in a proper bed of course.

Treat it like 2020 - get your drink of choice in, some decent food - takeaway optional, reduce the clash finder to just the stages on stream and fill it out as you would to plan your weekend, crank top the volume (being careful of the little one) and enjoy it for the different way of experiencing it that it is. You could even get a couple of wristbands from eBay for a couple of quid! (we did this in 2020 - we had wristbands, a box of cider bus cider with paper cups - it was fab!).

Ultimately, remember you are missing it for your little one. One day you will be taking them with you and sharing the magic. This is just the first chapter of that story.