No Row Mead this year.

[Drinky]

I assume they got in the weekend before as crew to build it, and blind eyes were turned

[deepkittycaz]

1 hour ago, Ryan1984 said:

Palace, not Plaza! Of course. I camped behind them my first year - nice guys.

I also often wondered how they got that prime space - were they friends of the festival?

I heard they may have been friends with some of the Lockups crew....

[Brendan110_00]

I remember when I walked along the tent line there during Dolly Parton, took an hour it was that packed, no foot space, pretty dicey if you tripped in mud. Probably for the best IMO.

[sedra]

Given the amount of people complaining about overcrowding last year I expect that’s a reason. Also I expect they would have had a final site inspection today from Mendip council prior to opening so maybe there were extra H&S requirements they had to make at last minute??  

[Crazyfool01]

5 minutes ago, sedra said:

Given the amount of people complaining about overcrowding last year I expect that’s a reason. Also I expect they would have had a final site inspection today from Mendip council prior to opening so maybe there were extra H&S requirements they had to make at last minute??  

The issue is that the west camping is going to be hard enough and if they close row mead they will push some of those tents toward that side of site . Really not joined up thinking for those arriving by public transport which they aim to enourage . 

[Harmonic Prospector]

3 hours ago, Drinky said:

I assume they got in the weekend before as crew to build it, and blind eyes were turned

In the first 3 years I worked at Glasto in 11, 13, and 14, the Pyramid Palace was erected way before the gates opened!

[strummer77]

3 hours ago, Brendan110_00 said:

I remember when I walked along the tent line there during Dolly Parton, took an hour it was that packed, no foot space, pretty dicey if you tripped in mud. Probably for the best IMO.

Was awful for Diana Ross around the edges. I was trying to help someone and make my way to Amyl and it took me ages to get out and was quite unpleasant for me - and I’m quite big and ok in crowds. Agree it is a good decision. 

[Harmonic Prospector]

2 minutes ago, strummer77 said:

Was awful for Diana Ross around the edges. I was trying to help someone and make my way to Amyl and it took me ages to get out and was quite unpleasant for me - and I’m quite big and ok in crowds. Agree it is a good decision. 

I echo your thoughts on this. Leaving the field to go for a piss an hour into the Rolling Stones set felt really unsafe, and that's me as a seasoned festival goer, 6'1, happy in dense crowds, etc. Having more space as a pyramid overflow for the mega acts is a wise move. I didn't even attempt to try and get back into the field and went and met some other friends at Chase and Status instead. Something I would never have even contemplated pre-festival. 

[Suprefan]

15 hours ago, kalifire said:

Booking Rick Astley was always going to have consequences.

Or the Churnups.

 

Thats a good and bad thing though. Good theyre addressing some crowding issues but now youre going to have people fighting hand over fist for spots even more. Would probably feel more assured if I had pre erected camping sorted and didnt have to be concerned about there being less space to choose.

Edited June 21, 2023 by Suprefan

[MrZigster]

Is that path at the top of Row Mead new? Don't remember it from last year.  Or was it behind the scenes then?

[HotChipWillBreakYourLegs]

This was an excellent idea.  Lots of space on the hill, and what a view!  Would never have seen that view of the festival without it being opened up.

Saw the Foos from the top and the sound was pretty good too.

[broken monkey]

I do think this massively helped reduce any dangerous crushes this year. It also meant there was gaureented space to move to if in need of a sit down, without annoying people who wanted to watch an act in the main field.

[MrZigster]

On 6/24/2023 at 1:53 AM, MrZigster said:

Is that path at the top of Row Mead new? Don't remember it from last year.  Or was it behind the scenes then?

Does anyone know the answer to the above?

[stephos83]

1 minute ago, MrZigster said:

Does anyone know the answer to the above?

New, AFAIK

[MrZigster]

2 minutes ago, stephos83 said:

New, AFAIK

That's what I thought. Another thing that makes me doubt that closing RM to camping was a "last minute decision".

[HyperTechnoHorse]

Hopefully it never comes back. 

[Crazyfool01]

Let’s hope they sort the camping out if it doesn’t revert back … although I’d say it’s only needed in years of exceptionally big headliners , stones and Elton being the only 2 it’s happened for if I recall 

Edited June 29, 2023 by Crazyfool01

[Hugh Jass II]

Hopefully they keep it as extra crowd space.

Would be good if it became an unofficial (or official) area for families with kids and buggies to watch. Which in turn would free up more space further down.

Edited June 29, 2023 by Hugh Jass II

[Hugh Jass II]

If they do keep it then they need to sort the sound out as it's very quiet up there.

Either need to move the existing sound towers back a little bit or get another up further back.

[MrZigster]

It's weird. Despite the decrease in public camping and the increase in the size of tents people are bringing year on year, I have personally felt less cramped at camp the last two than pre pandemic.

Saying that I do camp on the edge so have no need to "go deep".

[Drinky]

9 minutes ago, Hugh Jass II said:

Hopefully they keep it as extra crowd space.

Would be good if it became an unofficial (or official) area for families with kids and buggies to watch. Which in turn would free up more space further down.

Agree on this - give it a name, add a repeater, designate it the space for those who want to chill in a chair or hang out with their kids. They will need to add in a bar/food and an extra urinal up there somewhere though.

[Hugh Jass II]

Just now, Drinky said:

Agree on this - give it a name, add a repeater, designate it the space for those who want to chill in a chair or hang out with their kids. They will need to add in a bar/food and an extra urinal up there somewhere though.

There are toilets up at the back (but no urinals though) and getting down to the Cider Bus wasn't too much of a hassle except for Elton.

There's no act Glastonbury could book now that would ever draw a crowd as big as Elton's though. 

[Neville Street]

4 minutes ago, Hugh Jass II said:There's no act Glastonbury could book now that would ever draw a crowd as big as Elton's though. 

I think this is probably true. We were trying to think about it but drew a blank.

[efcfanwirral]

Our friends specifically chose to watch acts from up there as they don't like crowds (even when there wasn't anything I'd consider close to a crowd around us further forward! Interesting how people's perspectives are different). 

Edited June 29, 2023 by efcfanwirral

[MrZigster]

They're going to need a closer bar.