Volunteering 2025

[Skip997]

Just now, Someoni said:

Finishing up on the Tuesday then you get a festival ticket ready for wed opening? That's a belter if so!

I finish my shifts at about midnight on the Wednesday which is brilliant. Only downside is that we don’t have a set number of hours and probably do more than the usual 24 hours. 

[stuie]

Tbh, I've never fancied the early shifts - if I was going to do them, so I have the whole festival to myself, I'd rather just get a ticket.  The things I love about working for Oxfam are being part of the festival, meeting and chatting to the people and getting some time out from partying non-stop.  Having to sort myself out and go and do a shift mid-festival calms down my behaviour, which in the past has been a bit much sometimes, when I'm not working.  And 7 days on the farm is plenty! 

[incident]

39 minutes ago, Someoni said:

Finishing up on the Tuesday then you get a festival ticket ready for wed opening? That's a belter if so!

 

Those on the early shift will be wristbanded (and able to access all non-restricted parts of the festival site) as soon as they arrive on Saturday. So they can enjoy things between shifts, and are free and clear as soon as their last shift finishes - which could be as early as 2pm Tuesday, or as late as 6am Wednesday.

 

Though personally feel it's a bit "too much". 9 nights in a tent is stretching it for me, and once you've had a proper explore the actual days leading up to the festival can be dull as most people on site that far ahead of gates are working so nothing much happens until the evenings when they knock off and bars open.

[philipsteak]

20 hours ago, Leyrulion said:

Great shifts to get but a long time in a tent if you do. 

 

I would just like to do it once at least. 

Although I've had friends do it and get stuck with the 3 night shifts and that's a killer

[balti-pie]

I got the fabled early shifts in 2022, it was good but really quite knackering - in terms of sleep, energy, feet, eating properly, it needs a bit of planning beforehand and during. I got the early early shifts in that the sun/mon/tues was 6am to 2pm each day, and I was done by 2pm Tuesday which felt amazing - though I was knackered at having got up at 5am every morning, and stood around a locked gate with basically nothing to do each day, perhaps twenty people to talk to each shift! Compare that to a standard festival shift, where you’ll see hundreds and thousands of people and have so many interactions. It just goes by so much quicker. 
I had mates at the festival who were volunteering/working in different areas, but found the sat and sun of the festival really hard going - I was just absolutely knackered by that long in a tent, and was quite happy to have the end of the festival in sight. I missed carpets and sofas, and being indoors. I’m not designed for the outdoors life beyond about six days, to be honest . . . 
it’s made me reconsider whether I’d rather just do the normal shifts, cos as nice as it is knowing you’ll have no clashes, it is really satisfying getting a shift out of the way during the festival and going straight out after it and doing stuff - it feels really productive.

 

I dunno, it’s all got its positives and negatives, I didn’t think the earlies were worth all that fuss and attention that they get on the oxfam whatsapp group; people are so focused on getting earlies there. 

[Crazyfool01]

5 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

I got the fabled early shifts in 2022, it was good but really quite knackering - in terms of sleep, energy, feet, eating properly, it needs a bit of planning beforehand and during. I got the early early shifts in that the sun/mon/tues was 6am to 2pm each day, and I was done by 2pm Tuesday which felt amazing - though I was knackered at having got up at 5am every morning, and stood around a locked gate with basically nothing to do each day, perhaps twenty people to talk to each shift! Compare that to a standard festival shift, where you’ll see hundreds and thousands of people and have so many interactions. It just goes by so much quicker. 
I had mates at the festival who were volunteering/working in different areas, but found the sat and sun of the festival really hard going - I was just absolutely knackered by that long in a tent, and was quite happy to have the end of the festival in sight. I missed carpets and sofas, and being indoors. I’m not designed for the outdoors life beyond about six days, to be honest . . . 
it’s made me reconsider whether I’d rather just do the normal shifts, cos as nice as it is knowing you’ll have no clashes, it is really satisfying getting a shift out of the way during the festival and going straight out after it and doing stuff - it feels really productive.

 

I dunno, it’s all got its positives and negatives, I didn’t think the earlies were worth all that fuss and attention that they get on the oxfam whatsapp group; people are so focused on getting earlies there. 

those bin painters dont half put in a stint for the tickets ... id be done in ... 5 days in a tent is plenty for me 

[stuie]

6 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

I got the fabled early shifts in 2022, it was good but really quite knackering - in terms of sleep, energy, feet, eating properly, it needs a bit of planning beforehand and during. I got the early early shifts in that the sun/mon/tues was 6am to 2pm each day, and I was done by 2pm Tuesday which felt amazing - though I was knackered at having got up at 5am every morning, and stood around a locked gate with basically nothing to do each day, perhaps twenty people to talk to each shift! Compare that to a standard festival shift, where you’ll see hundreds and thousands of people and have so many interactions. It just goes by so much quicker. 
I had mates at the festival who were volunteering/working in different areas, but found the sat and sun of the festival really hard going - I was just absolutely knackered by that long in a tent, and was quite happy to have the end of the festival in sight. I missed carpets and sofas, and being indoors. I’m not designed for the outdoors life beyond about six days, to be honest . . . 
it’s made me reconsider whether I’d rather just do the normal shifts, cos as nice as it is knowing you’ll have no clashes, it is really satisfying getting a shift out of the way during the festival and going straight out after it and doing stuff - it feels really productive.

 

I dunno, it’s all got its positives and negatives, I didn’t think the earlies were worth all that fuss and attention that they get on the oxfam whatsapp group; people are so focused on getting earlies there. 

 

I think I read mostly negatives in your post to be honest!  I'm on the same page.  8 hours manning a locked gate vs working the ped gates on opening shift, interacting with thousands of excited new arrivals.  No contest for me, that's the stuff I love. 

 

I do always select that i'm available for shift on leaving day though.  There's no point rushing to join the traffic so we don't leave until the Monday evening anyway, making sure we're fit to drive etc.   I've had a Monday shift a few times but it's no big deal if I don't get it, more time to sleep and eat. 

 

 

[philipsteak]

My last two festivals have been "working" on Stickleball Gate so that wouldn't be much different to the early shifts in terms of what you are doing. In fact an early shift might well be busier as it's only security and the very occasional trader from within Sticklinch passing through that gate. And just the two stewards and two security to talk to.

Although that has changed now and the supervisor covers Sticklinch Gate and Stickleball gate so a bit more interesting. 

 

[stuie]

14 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

My last two festivals have been "working" on Stickleball Gate so that wouldn't be much different to the early shifts in terms of what you are doing. In fact an early shift might well be busier as it's only security and the very occasional trader from within Sticklinch passing through that gate. And just the two stewards and two security to talk to.

Although that has changed now and the supervisor covers Sticklinch Gate and Stickleball gate so a bit more interesting. 

 

 

I'm sure it's been asked before, but I can't see it on the map.  What's either side of Stickleball Gate?

[balti-pie]

14 minutes ago, philipsteak said:

My last two festivals have been "working" on Stickleball Gate so that wouldn't be much different to the early shifts in terms of what you are doing. In fact an early shift might well be busier as it's only security and the very occasional trader from within Sticklinch passing through that gate. And just the two stewards and two security to talk to.

Although that has changed now and the supervisor covers Sticklinch Gate and Stickleball gate so a bit more interesting. 

 

The Sunday and Monday shift at Stickleball would probably be quite fun, vendors/passes/all that shebang - that’d be alright! Is there any shade down there? It was boiling hot for my earlies, in direct sunshine from about 7am til maybe 1pm, when a thin sliver of shade appeared and grew. Very welcome. 

[Skip997]

Although I’m very happy with only doing pre festival shifts these days, I did used to love doing the Glade crossroads 11pm to 3am shift during the event.

 

Absolute chaos with loads of fun interactions. You do need “eyes in the back of your head “ and 100% concentration to do that shift. 
 

It’s no longer done by Green Traffic volunteers, maybe it got too hectic. 

[philipsteak]

26 minutes ago, stuie said:

 

I'm sure it's been asked before, but I can't see it on the map.  What's either side of Stickleball Gate?

 

Nobody knows...

 

There are many rumours, tall tales. Those who have passed through it are usually too traumatised to speak of what they saw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(It's essentially a service gate at the back of Sticklinch for Sticklinch traders and security that leads out on to Stickleball Lane. There's a fair few glamping sites out that way)

[philipsteak]

32 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

The Sunday and Monday shift at Stickleball would probably be quite fun, vendors/passes/all that shebang - that’d be alright! Is there any shade down there? It was boiling hot for my earlies, in direct sunshine from about 7am til maybe 1pm, when a thin sliver of shade appeared and grew. Very welcome. 

 

Not much shade. You can usually get some from the fence/gate by moving around. Or from one of the podpad things near by. There was a gazebo that appeared one shift, very handy during that mad storm that hit in the Wednesday morning a couple of years ago, but that blew away.

[Debani]

Just to add the other side of the Oxfam earlies, I have been fortunate a few times and it has been a blast.  I do admit the first time I was a bit underprepared in terms of camping equipment, but subsequently I took everything I might need to be very comfortable for the duration. Including a futon mattress to go under my SIM so I slept very well.  One of the big advantages of parking so close to the Oxfield is that you can take anything and everything.

 

The main vehicle gates pre-festival are extremely busy and a lot of fun, all the different crew, workers and suppliers coming on site, the suppliers often coming in with delivery after delivery on a constant rotation.  It is gobsmacking how much is involved in pulling everything into the site ready to open to customers, the logistics must be crazy.  But yes, I have also been on a smaller gate and that was quite dull.

 

But all done and dusted by Weds am at the latest.  What's not to like?  You get Weds to bimble around and/or sleep to recharge your batteries and then the next 4 days are yours to fill how you please.  So I for one can understand why earlies are sought after, I would love to be lucky to get the opportunity again 

[CharlotteB]

I used to love the after-festival recycling crew gig, but nowadays I can't sleep in a tent for that length of time. Old age 😢 

[Leyrulion]

16 hours ago, Debani said:

Just to add the other side of the Oxfam earlies, I have been fortunate a few times and it has been a blast.  I do admit the first time I was a bit underprepared in terms of camping equipment, but subsequently I took everything I might need to be very comfortable for the duration. Including a futon mattress to go under my SIM so I slept very well.  One of the big advantages of parking so close to the Oxfield is that you can take anything and everything.

 

The main vehicle gates pre-festival are extremely busy and a lot of fun, all the different crew, workers and suppliers coming on site, the suppliers often coming in with delivery after delivery on a constant rotation.  It is gobsmacking how much is involved in pulling everything into the site ready to open to customers, the logistics must be crazy.  But yes, I have also been on a smaller gate and that was quite dull.

 

But all done and dusted by Weds am at the latest.  What's not to like?  You get Weds to bimble around and/or sleep to recharge your batteries and then the next 4 days are yours to fill how you please.  So I for one can understand why earlies are sought after, I would love to be lucky to get the opportunity again 

I think if I went for earlies I'd be similar and have to bring a load of extra stuff down to make the 9 nights camping a bit more bearable. 

Proper coffee and cooking camping set up etc. 

 

I also think, and I know it's not allowed, that I'd definitely be taking a tent to set up in the main festival. Meet pals with tickets there and then camp in Oxlyers or pennards. 

[Someoni]

[ilovelanegan]

2 hours ago, Someoni said:

 

Is this volunteering, paid roles or a mix of both, do you know?

 

[efcfanwirral]

On 1/18/2025 at 8:11 PM, stuie said:

Tbh, I've never fancied the early shifts - if I was going to do them, so I have the whole festival to myself, I'd rather just get a ticket.  The things I love about working for Oxfam are being part of the festival, meeting and chatting to the people and getting some time out from partying non-stop.  Having to sort myself out and go and do a shift mid-festival calms down my behaviour, which in the past has been a bit much sometimes, when I'm not working.  And 7 days on the farm is plenty! 

From my experience this year and last it's not really much of a decision anymore. I always managed tickets in the past but now it feels like it's going to be a once every few years (if that) type thing.

 

I reckon there's going to be a dividing line between people who choose to volunteer by default, like you do, and people who volunteer because they failed to get a ticket, like myself, on how they feel about earlies. I'm still very much in the "would prefer a ticket' group, so would probably want to do earlies despite all the difficulties described in other posts. 

[Someoni]

36 minutes ago, ilovelanegan said:

 

Is this volunteering, paid roles or a mix of both, do you know?

 

I'm honestly not too sure. I thought I'd just post it for folk looking for a way in by any means.

[balti-pie]

I definitely think its much easier to volunteer at glastonbury if you're very much unfussed by the lineup. Out of all the rumours posted so far, i'd really only want to definitely see Neil Young, the rest i can quite readily skip.

Not much FOMO when all you really want to do is mooch about in T+C seeing the cool stuff and eating amazing food, i can just do that at a different time! There'll be bands/artists i will go and watch, but barely anyone who's a must-see - the last couple of lineups have shown me that. And i'm chuffed with that too, its perfect for me. 

[Old_Johno]

1 hour ago, ilovelanegan said:

 

Is this volunteering, paid roles or a mix of both, do you know?

 

They have both,

 

Volunteer bar roles are 6 hours per day

 

Bar manager roles at £16PH

 

can't find much more info on them

[thewomble]

22 hours ago, balti-pie said:

I definitely think its much easier to volunteer at glastonbury if you're very much unfussed by the lineup. Out of all the rumours posted so far, i'd really only want to definitely see Neil Young, the rest i can quite readily skip.

Not much FOMO when all you really want to do is mooch about in T+C seeing the cool stuff and eating amazing food, i can just do that at a different time! There'll be bands/artists i will go and watch, but barely anyone who's a must-see - the last couple of lineups have shown me that. And i'm chuffed with that too, its perfect for me. 

Yeah this is something I found last year as I wasn't so bothered about the lineup. Really enjoyed being able to wander round at my own pace just discovering new things instead of rushing around to be at a certain stage for a certain time!

 

Saying that I would probably still enjoy doing the early shifts and getting all out the way. Providing I had an unreal camping setup with plenty of luxuries to keep me going 😅

[dotdash79]

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