Pedestrian Gates. Which one are you using and why?

[Doohickey]

Gate C again because we will be in a campervan. When there was a Campervan West, Gate D was my favourite, even though it felt like a longer walk to get to the main part of the festival, I loved it. Tiny queue on Wednesday morning at Gate D, probably no more than 10 minutes and then walk over to just below the Glastonbury sign and sit and watch as the fields below fill up (if you were lucky with the wind direction you could hear the buzz of conversation from below as well). I'd be trying for CV West every year if it still existed. On the flip side if you are using Gate C, Tuesday evening sat on top of the hill of death/mild inconvenience is a pretty nice place to be. 

 

Used Gate B once when Gate C flooded enough to be temporarily shut (may have been 2005?) and we all got sent round to Gate B. I had no idea where I was when I got in.

[joeruss]

Gate A this year (first time since we coached it in 2013) as we're looking to try camping Michael's Mead, instead of Pennards

 

Aiming to get there about 7-8am, guessing Gate A is usually heaving at that time?

[Someoni]

1 hour ago, joeruss said:

Gate A this year (first time since we coached it in 2013) as we're looking to try camping Michael's Mead, instead of Pennards

 

Aiming to get there about 7-8am, guessing Gate A is usually heaving at that time?

Yeah the gates will be rammed, but they will start moving reasonable quickly once that 8am hits. 

 

Saying that, there will be what, 40,000 plus in the queues to get in?

[lendan]

A this time as got coach tickets, hopefully we’ll get a decent time on the Wednesday from Cambridge. 

No chance of getting into Kidney Mead or anywhere near the pyramid this time. Any camped close to A gate? How quickly do the campsites fill up around there? 

[Crazyfool01]

2 hours ago, lendan said:

A this time as got coach tickets, hopefully we’ll get a decent time on the Wednesday from Cambridge. 

No chance of getting into Kidney Mead or anywhere near the pyramid this time. Any camped close to A gate? How quickly do the campsites fill up around there? 

Depending on timing if it’s around 11 you’d probably get into Michael’s mead where we are attempting with a small number of tents . Also hoping for an early one as we have no ahead party this time I think 

[joeruss]

12 hours ago, Crazyfool01 said:

Depending on timing if it’s around 11 you’d probably get into Michael’s mead where we are attempting with a small number of tents . Also hoping for an early one as we have no ahead party this time I think 

Gate A the best for Michaels? 

[stuie]

19 minutes ago, joeruss said:

Gate A the best for Michaels? 

 

Gate A geographically closest but Gate B & C will be fine also as you can go straight across the empty Pyramid field. 

[Stokesy10]

Only ever used A and D in 6 GF's, all arriving by car and joining the queue.

 

For the first time ever, I'll be doing the coach on Weds from Brum (PRAYING it's a very early pick up). I believe that means I'll be entering through Ped Gate A?

[Crazyfool01]

2 hours ago, joeruss said:

Gate A the best for Michaels? 

Ideally yep id say so but as above you could use any 

Edited March 18, 2025 by Crazyfool01

[thewomble]

Will be using D for the first time this year as have booked Ashcombe Parking. Still need to plan the details but imagine we'll be arriving around lunch time and hoping for the best! Have some friends arriving via coach and aiming to camp (hopefully) somewhere around dairy. 

[gooner1990]

Last year we arrived at 6.30am and tried to use PGD but got pushed to PGA whereby we encountered the queue of hell and only got through the gates at around 12.30pm.

 

The worst entry in 20 years and was only saved not being worse that it wasn't raining.

 

I think @Gnomicide encountered similar from recollection.

[stuie]

8 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Last year we arrived at 6.30am and tried to use PGD but got pushed to PGA whereby we encountered the queue of hell and only got through the gates at around 12.30pm.

 

The worst entry in 20 years and was only saved not being worse that it wasn't raining.

 

I think @Gnomicide encountered similar from recollection.

what was the reason for this? Was the overnight queue too big at D? 

[gooner1990]

3 minutes ago, stuie said:

what was the reason for this? Was the overnight queue too big at D? 

 

That was the reason given. 

 

We parked up in Pink 49 (over the road), and as we crossed the road onto the site side and started heading towards Gate D stewards were there as the queue was nearly back at the road (they had lined everyone up in the car park) so they shut it off, and pushed us all towards A, which turned out to be a 5 hour queue, everyone hemmed in like cattle. 

 

Eventually one security guard noticed we were all suffering from dehydration, and threw some bottled water to us, then some scousers pushed in and people started fighting and then word went round that D had cleared and were now letting people straight in, but we were hemmed in our bit with the Heras fencing.

 

We then got through gone 12 noon, had to walk all the way back to Paines (hence us trying for Gate D), but that failed as was now full so we ended up camped separated from our mates and went in South Park 1.

 

I think the main issue for the length of time was they kept having to stop the queue i was in for the coach arrivals. 

 

Incidentally the mates we tried to camp with got there an hour or so after us at 7.45am, walked straight up to D, got in the queue, and were pitched up and sipping ciders by 10.30am.

 

Frustrating.

[Gnomicide]

40 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

Last year we arrived at 6.30am and tried to use PGD but got pushed to PGA whereby we encountered the queue of hell and only got through the gates at around 12.30pm.

 

The worst entry in 20 years and was only saved not being worse that it wasn't raining.

 

I think @Gnomicide encountered similar from recollection.

 

Yes indeed. We were actually further up the zig zags than we'd the previous 2 years but it just took ages.

Edited March 18, 2025 by Gnomicide

[gooner1990]

6 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

 

Yes indeed. We were actually further up the zig zags than we'd the previous 2 years but it just took ages.

 

If I get a ticket in the resale, I'm considering changing tact as I can't be dealing with that again.

 

Might try to arrive at around 8am (when our other friends did) when the gates are just opening and pray that they will let us in D.

[Barneym]

30 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

 

That was the reason given. 

 

We parked up in Pink 49 (over the road), and as we crossed the road onto the site side and started heading towards Gate D stewards were there as the queue was nearly back at the road (they had lined everyone up in the car park) so they shut it off, and pushed us all towards A, which turned out to be a 5 hour queue, everyone hemmed in like cattle. 

 

Eventually one security guard noticed we were all suffering from dehydration, and threw some bottled water to us, then some scousers pushed in and people started fighting and then word went round that D had cleared and were now letting people straight in, but we were hemmed in our bit with the Heras fencing.

 

We then got through gone 12 noon, had to walk all the way back to Paines (hence us trying for Gate D), but that failed as was now full so we ended up camped separated from our mates and went in South Park 1.

 

I think the main issue for the length of time was they kept having to stop the queue i was in for the coach arrivals. 

 

Incidentally the mates we tried to camp with got there an hour or so after us at 7.45am, walked straight up to D, got in the queue, and were pitched up and sipping ciders by 10.30am.

 

Frustrating.

That must be so annoying. We were there arrived at 9.30 but by coach and they just let us straight in, easiest queue ever so they must have just let all coach people in rather than stagger between the two queues like they normally do 

[gooner1990]

8 minutes ago, Barneym said:

That must be so annoying. We were there arrived at 9.30 but by coach and they just let us straight in, easiest queue ever so they must have just let all coach people in rather than stagger between the two queues like they normally do 

 

I went by coach in 2023 and walked straight in at 11am!

[Crazyfool01]

22 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

 

If I get a ticket in the resale, I'm considering changing tact as I can't be dealing with that again.

 

Might try to arrive at around 8am (when our other friends did) when the gates are just opening and pray that they will let us in D.

the problem is that there really is no pattern and it applies equally to the gates ... the one consistent is that they prioritise bus queues  at gate A before the carpark queues as any backlog there would knock on further down the line with roads getting clogged 

[gooner1990]

5 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

the problem is that there really is no pattern and it applies equally to the gates ... the one consistent is that they prioritise bus queues  at gate A before the carpark queues as any backlog there would knock on further down the line with roads getting clogged 

 

Which is why I think if I turn up a bit later then the queue for D might have started moving a little and allowed to be reopened.

 

Bottom line is most people coming in cars are now trying to arrive for opening time on the Weds and I can only assume its becoming difficult to manage.  

 

Camping in South Park 1 wasn't all that bad, and it didn't fill up till mid afternoon on the Weds, so if i went for the same area again I could turn up later.

 

Into my mid 40s now and with my long standing shoulder issue the less time I have a rucksack on the better. 🙂 

[Crazyfool01]

1 minute ago, gooner1990 said:

 

Which is why I think if I turn up a bit later then the queue for D might have started moving a little and allowed to be reopened.

 

Bottom line is most people coming in cars are now trying to arrive for opening time on the Weds and I can only assume its becoming difficult to manage.  

 

Camping in South Park 1 wasn't all that bad, and it didn't fill up till mid afternoon on the Weds, so if i went for the same area again I could turn up later.

 

Into my mid 40s now and with my long standing shoulder issue the less time I have a rucksack on the better. 🙂 

yeah my 11am ish arrival walking straight through gate A on the bus a few years back was lovely 

[gooner1990]

1 minute ago, Crazyfool01 said:

yeah my 11am ish arrival walking straight through gate A on the bus a few years back was lovely 

 

Yes I had that in 2023, and it helped massively that one mate had already set up our tent and another had taken my booze and camping chair in his car which made things a lot easier.

[Gnomicide]

Just checked back through our group chat.

 

We left the car park at 05:45, first photo at Gate A taken at 06:17.

 

 

We were in through the gates at 11:09

 

People coming down on the 06:30 coach from Birmingham got to camp about 30 minutes after us.

[gooner1990]

12 minutes ago, Gnomicide said:

Just checked back through our group chat.

 

We left the car park at 05:45, first photo at Gate A taken at 06:17.

 

 

We were in through the gates at 11:09

 

People coming down on the 06:30 coach from Birmingham got to camp about 30 minutes after us.

 

Looking through our whatsapp group chat looks like we parked up in Pink 49 at 6.40am - in queue just after 7am and I got through the gate at 12.05pm...by the time the other 5 I was with were through, everyone had gone to the toilet etc it was 12.30pm by the time we started heading back towards where we wanted to be.

[Superscally]

I heard the biggest queues will be at gates K, L and F.

amirite @Skip997?

[Skip997]

4 minutes ago, Superscally said:

I heard the biggest queues will be at gates K, L and F.

amirite @Skip997?

Justifiably so, but not before 3am

Edited March 24, 2025 by Skip997