Noise pollution

[SPW]

One of the things that makes the festival great imo is that there are different sets taking place at every turn, and smaller venues are able to do their thing alongside the bigger stages.

 

BUT, is there a limit to that re noise pollution? The Park suffers a little from noise pollution and this year I really noticed1 that noise from The Glade while at The Other Stage. In the more subdued songs during Snow Patrol is was starting to bother me so moved from the right side to the left and nearer the front for Wolf Alice but it was still an issues between songs?. 

[Mark E. Spliff]

38 minutes ago, SPW said:

BUT, is there a limit to that re noise pollution? 

If you mean "can it be too much" then yes it can.  For example, Henning Wehn was doing a set in the Cabaret Tent when one of the small adjacent outdoor stages fired up and drowned him out to the extent that he had to make his excuses and end early.

 

It's a tricky one to manage at a temporary event like a music festival, because there are so many variables (wind speed/direction, loudness of the acts and their audience, type of PA etc) that by the time you've sussed out where the clashes are, it's too late to do anything about it.

[Spindles]

The sound clash at other used to be worse with the original glade location.  They've certainly made small changes over the years to the angle stages point to improve on this that I've noticed.

 

The Park is the real problem, as often it hosts artists that are gentler than the sound clash from Stonebridge so it's really noticeable there.

[timbrass]

There is an interesting YouTube video about how speaker  Line Arrays have helped make sound clearer and more focused that old point arrays....

[HyperTechnoHorse]

get rid of stonebridge. 

[WS_Jack_III]

I remember being able to hear the Black Eyed Peas all the way from West Holts (Jazz World) in 2009 while I was at the Other stage watching Prodigy I believe. I mean that sounds crazy but it definitely happened. 

[SPW]

Agree The Park can be issue - last year experienced pollution from both Stonebrudge and The Bimble Inn (admittedly the latter when big crowds push folk up that way).

 

While I noticed it last year at The Other, it felt more of an issue this year. I was front and left of the stage for Wolf Alice, as said having moved after the noise pollution being too much at Snow Patrol, and The Glade was really clear between songs and during quieter bits. I could even hear it just as The Prodigy came out but then they more than drown it out 😀!

[FuzzyDunlop]

6 hours ago, HyperTechnoHorse said:

get rid of stonebridge. 

 

Stonebridge needs Moving 

 

I like it in the DJ Yoda on Fri '23 was a massive highlight - but it can have a negative affect on the Park.

 

Could it move to the Williams Green & scrap Carhenge?

 

 

[Pilgrim S]

That bass during Charli XCX must have reached Cornwall. 

[pie_and_a_pint]

When you can hear the Stonebridge Bar over Orbital (as happened last year) it’s too loud. It’s high time Stonebridge was moved or removed - it ruins many ‘gentle’ acts on the Park stage. 

[oldmagsy83]

4 hours ago, FuzzyDunlop said:

 

Stonebridge needs Moving 

 

I like it in the DJ Yoda on Fri '23 was a massive highlight - but it can have a negative affect on the Park.

 

Could it move to the Williams Green & scrap Carhenge?

 

 

 

This is what they should do, as carhenge is shite and an absolute waste of space. 

[Magic Toaster]

2 hours ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

When you can hear the Stonebridge Bar over Orbital (as happened last year) it’s too loud. It’s high time Stonebridge was moved or removed - it ruins many ‘gentle’ acts on the Park stage. 

 

10000%. It also ruins all the smaller venues in the Park.

[Acid_Haze]

2 hours ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

When you can hear the Stonebridge Bar over Orbital (as happened last year) it’s too loud. It’s high time Stonebridge was moved or removed - it ruins many ‘gentle’ acts on the Park stage. 

Yeah Stonebridge was so annoying during Arooj Aftab last year

Edited July 4, 2025 by Acid_Haze

[Acid_Haze]

2 hours ago, pie_and_a_pint said:

When you can hear the Stonebridge Bar over Orbital (as happened last year) it’s too loud. It’s high time Stonebridge was moved or removed - it ruins many ‘gentle’ acts on the Park stage. 

Yeah Stonebridge was so annoying dueing Arooj Aftab last year

[Spindles]

I think they should expand the public space and reduce the crew space on the Other stage end of Silver Hayes and move Stonebridge in there.  As it stands the crew area inhibits the width of the entrance into Silver Hayes.  At the cost of a little more of Oxlyers public camping a problem choke point could be improved, Stonebridge could move somewhere more accessible and the wider space could fit another, Gully sized venue.

[Skip997]

Just now, Spindles said:

I think they should expand the public space and reduce the crew space on the Other stage end of Silver Hayes and move Stonebridge in there.  As it stands the crew area inhibits the width of the entrance into Silver Hayes.  At the cost of a little more of Oxlyers public camping a problem choke point could be improved, Stonebridge could move somewhere more accessible and the wider space could fit another, Gully sized venue.

Where are they going to put the crew? 
 

Probably best you don’t answer that. More exiling the crew to outside the festival? 

[Spindles]

I'd only be talking about a relatively thin strip to widen the entrance, 10-15m would make open up entry to reduce the choke point and give space to locate Stonebridge.  This is just the typical kind of thought I have after a spliff, so don't take it too seriously. 

[dingbat2]

It still saddens me the sound bleed from the Pyramid (I think it was anyway but might be wrong) as Art Garfunkel was performing Bright Eyes a few years back in the Acoustic stage. Such a quiet beautiful song being drowned out by drums and bass elsewhere.  I think it pissed him off too

[stuie]

1 hour ago, Skip997 said:

More exiling the crew to outside the festival? 

 

If it makes the event better for the paying customers, why not? 

[Sky_Fly]

+1 for Stonebridge needing to be moved, the soundbleed from there is so bad onto the Park.

 

Glasto is still a million times better than other festivals at managing soundbleed. SGP was awful the last time I went, felt like I never could hear just one stage! 

[tigger123]

3 hours ago, Skip997 said:

More exiling the crew to outside the festival? 

Seems fair if it helps the paying festival goers experience.

 

My employer don’t provide me accommodation onsite 

[goldfishboy]

what if they rebuilt stonebridge as an indoor venue a la assembly to contain the noise better? or moved it down the hill where hms sweet charity is currently located?

[clarkete]

17 hours ago, HyperTechnoHorse said:

get rid of stonebridge. 

 

Just turn them down, it's a bar ffs playing records often drowning out bands that have travelled from other countries to play for thousands of folks for a reduced fee. 

[tarw]

5 hours ago, stuie said:

 

If it makes the event better for the paying customers, why not? 

Stuie you are a fountain of knowledge for all things Oxfam related but seem to have very little understanding of how GFEL stewarding works. 
There are a multitude of reasons why a lot of crew need to be camped in the area that they are working in. I don’t want to derail this thread with them but if you really want a discussion about this start a new thread. 

[stuie]

4 hours ago, tarw said:

Stuie you are a fountain of knowledge for all things Oxfam related but seem to have very little understanding of how GFEL stewarding works. 
There are a multitude of reasons why a lot of crew need to be camped in the area that they are working in. I don’t want to derail this thread with them but if you really want a discussion about this start a new thread. 

 @Skip997 has started another thread, so I'll reply there 🙂