Avalon is dying

[Skip997]

Would make a decent camping spot for the SE Corner posse. Not sure how they’d manage crowd movement though 

[danbailey80]

1 hour ago, Quark said:

I really really wanted to enjoy Terrorvision but it just didn't click for me.  Nothing to do with the band, they were on top form.  Whereas Ash had me bouncing all the way through, I think Terrorvision are just a band I've drifted away from a bit.  Possibly I was just knackered.

I know what you mean. The sound wasn't great where I was, loud enough just muddy. And it didn't click for me either. They were great form though. 

[danbailey80]

17 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

I know them and this is accurate.

 

It was better this year - the new stage orientation and open design towards the bar together compliment one another. Will miss the 'original' big top stage but cannot deny the new one works better as it adds the capacity of the rest of the field and is cooler as not covered.

Yes it's the best of what they have. I think they have done well. 

[efcfanwirral]

1 hour ago, bobsacamano said:

Sunday late was great in the Avalon, Alabama 3 was a superb way to end the festival and the whole vibe of the area was great with a fun karaoke afterwards in the Inn. The festival needs areas like this to keep the variety of the festival.

I caught the end of this actually, we went straight to Avalon Inn after Olivia, they sounded really good.

 

I know others might not agree, but this move to start booking some of the 20-30 year old indie bands is really welcomed for me. I didn't get to see any of them this year, but the likes of Fratellis, Hard-fi, Ash etc are all the types that come into the equation for me. I can imagine some of those I really like, The Enemy, Subways, Feeder etc, maybe even The Cribs, We Are Scientists and the like, could end up there in future years. I loved The Feeling on there last year. 

 

I don't think its the worst idea to carve out that niche of booking bands who aren't big enough to be booked on the main stages anymore, but still have a decent following. 

Edited July 2, 2025 by efcfanwirral

[incident]

1 hour ago, Bags73 said:

The people who looked after Avalon in the past now have Woodsies apparently.    They mentioned that the growth of the SE corner affected Avalon but not in a good way.  Hopefully the new people over there can work through that.

 

I'm not too sure about that tbh.. Think there might have been a small amount of confusion over what and when.

 

Going way, way back - the original New Bands Tent, which after a few relocations and renamings ultimately became Woodsies, was originally started with crew splitting from the Avalon Stage. So there's always been a connection of sorts there and a certain amount of movement between them.

 

I don't believe there's been any substantial changes in the leadership of either stage in recent (the last 5 or so) years. Certainly the contact names for both stages (on both the booking and the production side) were the same for Glastonbury 2025 as they had been in previous years.

 

The Woodsies Tree Stage is a slightly different affair - I believe that some of their production is being handled by the Avalon/Glade crew but that they're not involved in the booking.

[incident]

41 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

I know them and this is accurate.

 

Interesting - does this mean that Eddie and/or Mark are now involved at Woodsies?

[Jacko45]

Was it a new stage this year?

 

Area looked great and a fair bit different to last year from what I've seen. 

[bobsacamano]

1 hour ago, efcfanwirral said:

I caught the end of this actually, we went straight to Avalon Inn after Olivia, they sounded really good.

 

I know others might not agree, but this move to start booking some of the 20-30 year old indie bands is really welcomed for me. I didn't get to see any of them this year, but the likes of Fratellis, Hard-fi, Ash etc are all the types that come into the equation for me. I can imagine some of those I really like, The Enemy, Subways, Feeder etc, maybe even The Cribs, We Are Scientists and the like, could end up there in future years. I loved The Feeling on there last year. 

 

I don't think its the worst idea to carve out that niche of booking bands who aren't big enough to be booked on the main stages anymore, but still have a decent following. 

 

Most of the bands you mention are not really my thing however totally agree that there should be a space for them at the festival and Avalon is a great venue for those sorts of acts. Would actually like the stage to carry on a bit later, maybe until 3am as an alternative to the electronic music fare that dominates elsewhere post midnight.

[MercuryTrev]

I watched Ash (amazing) and listened to The Fratellis (rammed, couldn't get eyeline) and really enjoyed both. 

 

I think the Avalon field really suffers from being en route to the south east corner. Lots of people who wouldn't otherwise go there treat it as a holding area for them to get into the SE corner to beat the queues. That has the effect of crowding out people who just want to hang out at the Avalon. 

 

I hate the whole hype of the SE corner to be honest, it is really not my bag. It strikes me as somewhere that a lot of people just want to go to to Instagram their best life out of.  I wish they would ditch the whole thing (very unlikely, it's a big money spinner), or make a dedicated access route that didn't impact Avalon. 

[irnkrtn]

4 hours ago, Shatners_Bassoon said:

Was anyone else around Avalon on Sunday lunchtime for Talisk? Was really brilliant - proper pick-me-up stuff. 

 

Long live Avalon 😄 

Yes, we had such a great Sunday. Nothing we absolutely had to see so just wandered around site all our fave places. Stumbled on Talisk and what a set!!!

We camp at the bottom of Undle so overhear Avalon whenever we’re at camp. I think the changes this year were brilliant. The space is more usable, the new stage is better - and the booking very smart. More of this to come I hope! Wasn’t a Fratellis fan but they sounded great (from my van while I was getting to sleep) and would have seen Ash for sure if it didn’t clash with Alanis. 

Edited July 2, 2025 by irnkrtn

[Pinhead]

2 hours ago, incident said:

 

Interesting - does this mean that Eddie and/or Mark are now involved at Woodsies?

I know John and Judy Badger who ran Woodsies for a while (not sure if they've retired now - they kept saying they were thinking about it each year I asked them). Before that, they ran Avalon and I remember having a convo with Judy a few years ago in the crew bar at Woodsies and the subject of SE corner influence over running Avalon near it came up and they broadly confirmed the same about it.

[Ayrshire Chris]

Last year there were screens either side of the tent but they seem to have gone(unless the sun and cider had got to me and I couldn’t see them)

[CR77]

30 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

Last year there were screens either side of the tent but they seem to have gone(unless the sun and cider had got to me and I couldn’t see them)

 

Yes, I'd have kept the screens!  That's my only criticism, and a very minor one at that!

[Quark]

46 minutes ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

Last year there were screens either side of the tent but they seem to have gone(unless the sun and cider had got to me and I couldn’t see them)

Yep, they'd gone and I think it was an improvement tbh. Suspect that the new open tent meant they weren't needed

[Skip997]

2 hours ago, MercuryTrev said:

I watched Ash (amazing) and listened to The Fratellis (rammed, couldn't get eyeline) and really enjoyed both. 

 

I think the Avalon field really suffers from being en route to the south east corner. Lots of people who wouldn't otherwise go there treat it as a holding area for them to get into the SE corner to beat the queues. That has the effect of crowding out people who just want to hang out at the Avalon. 

 

I hate the whole hype of the SE corner to be honest, it is really not my bag. It strikes me as somewhere that a lot of people just want to go to to Instagram their best life out of.  I wish they would ditch the whole thing (very unlikely, it's a big money spinner), or make a dedicated access route that didn't impact Avalon. 

There is a direct access route that doesn’t impact Avalon, you can’t access the Railway track from Avalon at night.

 

 For some, including myself, the SE Corner is the most important area on site and I think your instagram theory is nonsense (far more likely from the Babylon crowd). For me the SE corner is holding on to the roots of the festival and is where a lot of my mates hang out. 
 

Horses for courses, you want SE Corner gone, I want Avalon and Acoustic for that matter turned into camping 

[CantWaitForGlasto22]

Loved Avalon this year. At first wasn’t sure about the new tent, but does mean you can sit in the bar and still see what’s going on (which lots of people did!). Ash were brilliant, properly nostalgic and euphoric seeing them again and was able to get to the front just before they started. We also caught Tom Walker whilst having a chill out, and he delivered a great set. Could have spent a lot more time there if it wasn’t for all the clashes! 

[Superscally]

3 hours ago, bobsacamano said:

 

Most of the bands you mention are not really my thing however totally agree that there should be a space for them at the festival and Avalon is a great venue for those sorts of acts. Would actually like the stage to carry on a bit later, maybe until 3am as an alternative to the electronic music fare that dominates elsewhere post midnight.

This is a great idea. Would mean SE corner less crowded too. 

[Porcelina]

New tent was fantastic, watched a couple of acts from upstairs in the Inn with a pint of Wainwrights.

 

I do miss the general Charter Fair vibe that the field used to have, it still feels stripped for parts, but it felt like a meaningful improvement on last year at least.

[The Other Steve]

Loved everything about Avalon this year.  Thought the new tent was brilliant and watched both Fratellis and Alabama 3 headline and they were both brilliant.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Wasn't the previous Avalon tent also only a year or two old?

[incident]

Just now, CaledonianGonzo said:

Wasn't the previous Avalon tent also only a year or two old?

 

Probably, but given it's rented in changing the spec/model used isn't that big a deal if they see scope for improvement.

[The Other Steve]

A few clips of the Fratellis, Bears Den and Alabama 3.  Just a great vibe at all 3 gigs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gnomicide]

6 minutes ago, The Other Steve said:

A few clips of the Fratellis, Bears Den and Alabama 3.  Just a great vibe at all 3 gigs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fratellis were great fun. I wasn't sure what to expect as I'd read tales of the main fella being a bit moody, but I loved it. I even bought a ticket for their tour next year when I got home.

 

The tent felt a bit weird, but in a good way, like you were both inside and out at the same time.

 

 

 

[The Other Steve]

2 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

 

Completely agree - weird but great! 🙂

Edited July 3, 2025 by The Other Steve

[WS_Jack_III]

Went up to Avalon for a few bits this year. Like that they've opened the stage up more. I sat in that little shaded area for Horne Section which was great as I could see and hear what was going on still. The general vibe of the field is completely different though. Used to feel like its own little festival within a festival, just feels like another area of the festival now which obviously isn't a terrible thing but I'm sure others understand what I mean.