Site changes for 27

[deepkittycaz]

If it's gone I'll be heartbroken. I try and come back with something I've made every year.

[stuie]

9 hours ago, kalifire said:

I phrased my last post poorly. I wasn’t suggesting that the festival eeks out every last penny from every last bit of land on the basis of profit. Of course the fields mentioned are historically a core part of the heart of the event. But they also need to resonate with the attendees or they just exist because they always have, which might be lovely in terms of tradition but isn’t necessarily the best use of land. 

 

If anything, these activities don't have enough capacity - the majority of the bookable crafts and workshops in the Green Fields are always sold out by Wednesday! 

[parsonjack]

Just to note that the potential changes to Gates B/C and Pyramid orientation are up again for discussion at next Wednesday's Pilton Parish Council Meeting....Item 190...

 

https://www.piltonparishcouncil.org/_files/ugd/b07813_e324f442ea67495c9031b57d8bb26032.pdf

[Ayrshire Chris]

10 hours ago, deepkittycaz said:

If it's gone I'll be heartbroken. I try and come back with something I've made every year.

a place for a quiet wander and always something to see and do. Also got to remember that although most of us on here have been many times there’s always plenty newbies every year who find and enjoy it 

[Ben7amin_]

Its absolutely essential that the festival has some quieter areas.    A lot of people find it surprisingly overwhelming being in massive crowds the whole time.    

 

Ive been OK with it, but has i get older popping to the Green fields for a coffee in between the chaos of the main site is a bit of refuel - that many of us often need. 

 

Saying that the Green craft area changes very little not since ive been going and a perhaps a bit of a refresh would be welcome. 

[gfa]

Quiet areas do get added as well as removed. Removing say the greenfields doesn't necessarily mean its going to become a dance stage belting out till 6AM.

 

They just added for instance the new Tree Stage which while ambient (dance) music, is generally a quieter chill out area.

[dotdash79]

They have also added the dragon field in the south east corner as a chill out space. 

[Spindles]

55 minutes ago, Ben7amin_ said:

Its absolutely essential that the festival has some quieter areas.    A lot of people find it surprisingly overwhelming being in massive crowds the whole time.    

 

Ive been OK with it, but has i get older popping to the Green fields for a coffee in between the chaos of the main site is a bit of refuel - that many of us often need. 

 

Saying that the Green craft area changes very little not since ive been going and a perhaps a bit of a refresh would be welcome. 

I couldn't agree more.  I've used the area as an escape for years, and like yourself the older I've got the more I've found I need that little oasis of calm from time to time.

[Justcalledtosay]

On 09/04/2026 at 11:29, Crazyfool01 said:

this has been shared a fair bit 

 

We hope this finds you keeping well. 

 

We’re reaching out with some significant news. 

 

We founded Greencrafts, forging a space for craft at festivals, a long time ago. We know craft is generative, and it has amazingly positive impact on the human condition. And the connection made between makers, festival publics, natural materials and traditional skill-share is powerful. Many people don’t have a way to engage with craft, and getting hands-on with a maker sharing their skill can be a transformative experience. And it builds support for the work of creatives, makers and traditional methods. It’d never been done way back in 1992, but we wanted to develop a home for craft in mainstream festivals. We believed (and still do) in championing how craft and sustainable living have transformative potential for future generations. And we’ve had loads of feedback affirming this. We’ve reached and connected with a whole new massive audience. And spearheaded for many years craft’s contemporary relevance and uplifting magic at festivals.

 

Festival’s are profit driven structures, and corners can get cut. For a long time now we’ve championed the value of craft, skill-share, public participation, green thinking  and independent creatives; and how much this adds to a festival public’s experience; safely. Sadly though we’re ever mindful that festival managements can cut corners, something we’ve pushed back on for some time. Behind the scenes, festival management structures and people holding power surrounding us, has sadly become ever more scary, making it impossible to continue in a way that aligns with our values. We’ve always pushed back and fought for what we believe in. And we won’t be complicit in knowingly putting people at risk. We won’t support profit over people, over ethics, over welfare, over safety, or over humanity. 

 

Because of this, after 33 years in many fields crossing both sides of the ocean, Greencrafts won’t be a part of festivals anymore, from 2026 onwards.

 

A lot has happened that’s led to this. We haven’t taken this move lightly. And we know how when you raise (safety, moral, other) issues, you can be cut off at the knees.  We have raised safety, welfare and ethical issues, offering open-hearted requests and suggestions, but they’ve fallen on deaf ears, with broken promises. We worked semi-voluntarily for decades in very large events to make Greencrafts possible, but safety is non-negotiable for us. We’ve broached discussions, meetings, wrote lengthy reports and more, hoping when it’s people’s lives we’re talking about, that an open hearted discussion could be had. But another way is not desired. Promises were made and broken. Festivals are no longer a space that safely value small scale craftspeople or creatives. And we’re walking away to other more positive and progressive spaces. We know that the powerful force of craft will flourish, but it won’t be with us at festivals anymore.

 

Many incredible people have been a part of Greencrafts with us over the decades and we’re thankful to everyone who joined us in various fields and countries over the last 33 years. For us it was about enabling and supporting those moments of magic with you on the land, seeing the collectivity of living craft, its positive affecting change on the public, and its vibrant energy in our created pop-up villages. We’d like to thank you all. And those we may not be able to reach.

 

We were keen to get this news to you as early as we could, as we know people are planning their diaries. We’re sorry but we aren’t able to get into conversations about it. We know there might be queries – and this is why we’re sharing an outline here to explain. We’ve been approached about running areas at other events this year, but we’ve decided not to do this, and we’re not passing our Greencrafts Village name, working methods etc onto anybody else. Greencrafts won’t be at any events in 2026 onwards. Nor will any representatives of us. Please if you have one of our high-vis vests we ask that you discard it, so there isn’t any confusion at other events going forward. We’ve been told separately by Glastonbury’s management that there isn’t an interest in replacing us or desire to have a craft area at the festival anymore, which we felt it only right to share. 

 

This has been a big decision after so many years at so many different events on both sides of the ocean, and it’s not been arrived at easily, but the time came to draw a line, prioritize safety, welfare and humanity, say enough’s enough, and in doing so, this is where we landed. 

 

We want to close this by saying thank you. It’s been an honour to create what we did with you all. And we wish you all the very best, and we hope that our paths might cross again at some point. 

 

All the best signing off from, 

Signed by the craft field organisers.

Wait...the crafting area was run by a company?

[incident]

27 minutes ago, Justcalledtosay said:

Wait...the crafting area was run by a company?

 

By a defined group at any rate.

 

Not certain whether they are/were incorporated as a company or not, and it might be complicated by the fact that they were based in Ireland, but it wouldn't be a surprise - lots of groups, stages, stalls, etc you see at festivals are organised that way just because it makes sense to do so.

[kalifire]

I don’t know, but I think it’s fair to assume whoever was managing this area had pretty deep historical roots with the festival, and that something fairly significant must have happened to entail their replacement. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

28 minutes ago, kalifire said:

I don’t know, but I think it’s fair to assume whoever was managing this area had pretty deep historical roots with the festival, and that something fairly significant must have happened to entail their replacement. 

 

Or the corollary- not enough was happening.

[giantkatestacks]

On 10/04/2026 at 12:56, kalifire said:

I don’t know, but I think it’s fair to assume whoever was managing this area had pretty deep historical roots with the festival, and that something fairly significant must have happened to entail their replacement. 

Yes but that happens just look at LV.

 

I actually think that the value of the craft fields and green fields in general is that it doesnt change as all the other areas change around it. Its the medieval old town as opposed to the constant reinvention of the business district.  It anchors old timers in its familiarity but shows young uns something completely different that they may well never have encountered before. 

[Piltonian]

On 10/04/2026 at 09:14, parsonjack said:

Just to note that the potential changes to Gates B/C and Pyramid orientation are up again for discussion at next Wednesday's Pilton Parish Council Meeting....Item 190...

 

https://www.piltonparishcouncil.org/_files/ugd/b07813_e324f442ea67495c9031b57d8bb26032.pdf

This meeting took place in March. The intention is .... Gate C is moving to Pylle Road, Gate B just round the corner to Cockmill Lane. They'll be an increase to the perimeter fence on the East of Cockmill Lane. Campervans and parking will be moved. Additional 12,000 camping spaces created for staff and ticket holders (off/on site). 

 

They'll be applying for planning to increase the size of the Pyramid stage but not this year. Orientation and location will be the same.

[incident]

4 minutes ago, Piltonian said:

This meeting took place in March. The intention is .... Gate C is moving to Pylle Road, Gate B just round the corner to Cockmill Lane. They'll be an increase to the perimeter fence on the East of Cockmill Lane. Campervans and parking will be moved. Additional 12,000 camping spaces created for staff and ticket holders (off/on site). 

 

They'll be applying for planning to increase the size of the Pyramid stage but not this year. Orientation and location will be the same.

Thanks for that.

 

Interesting that the gate location is being used as the "headline", when really I'd say the fence move would be by far the more impactful change.

 

If the main fenceline is being pushed all the way out to Pylle Road, then that means the relevant parts of Cockmill Lane need to be fully closed for at least a month and probably more which I'd imagine affects locals more than anything.

[Ben7amin_]

Id like to see a live size Michael Eavis statue somewhere on the site -  so long after he is gone he is always there.

 

 

[Piltonian]

15 minutes ago, incident said:

Thanks for that.

 

Interesting that the gate location is being used as the "headline", when really I'd say the fence move would be by far the more impactful change.

 

If the main fenceline is being pushed all the way out to Pylle Road, then that means the relevant parts of Cockmill Lane need to be fully closed for at least a month and probably more which I'd imagine affects locals more than anything.

The existing ring fence will remain in place. They'll be two further ring fences the other side of Cockmill Lane with traffic controls across the road which will remain open to authorised vehicles as before. Campervans will be where the parking used to be (within the current licence boundaries). Parking will move further East to land recently purchased.

[lazyred]

28 minutes ago, Piltonian said:

This meeting took place in March. The intention is .... Gate C is moving to Pylle Road, Gate B just round the corner to Cockmill Lane. They'll be an increase to the perimeter fence on the East of Cockmill Lane. Campervans and parking will be moved. Additional 12,000 camping spaces created for staff and ticket holders (off/on site). 

 

They'll be applying for planning to increase the size of the Pyramid stage but not this year. Orientation and location will be the same.

Does this mean losing the current quiet campervans fields?

[drunk pumpkin]

31 minutes ago, Piltonian said:

This meeting took place in March. The intention is .... Gate C is moving to Pylle Road, Gate B just round the corner to Cockmill Lane. They'll be an increase to the perimeter fence on the East of Cockmill Lane. Campervans and parking will be moved. Additional 12,000 camping spaces created for staff and ticket holders (off/on site). 

 

They'll be applying for planning to increase the size of the Pyramid stage but not this year. Orientation and location will be the same.

Can some clever person show what the changes look like to the site. I've no idea where that road is so can't visualise the changes 😞 

[Piltonian]

6 minutes ago, drunk pumpkin said:

Can some clever person show what the changes look like to the site. I've no idea where that road is so can't visualise the changes 😞 

If you look at the site map, Cockmill Lane runs the length of the current perimeter fence Gate B to Gate C and beyond. Pylle Road is Blue Route.

[drunk pumpkin]

Just now, Piltonian said:

If you look at the site map, Cockmill Lane runs the length of the current perimeter fence Gate B to Gate C and beyond. Pylle Road is Blue Route.

Thanks, i'll take a look

[drunk pumpkin]

The move of Gate C back to Pylle road looks like a significant change, I can understand now how it would add in so many more camping spaces. I wonder how that impacts some of the glamping sites such as Love Fields and Camp Kerala (and others) which look like they'll be impacted with the move.

 

I also wonder what they'll do with that fecking hill!

[gooner1990]

40 minutes ago, drunk pumpkin said:

The move of Gate C back to Pylle road looks like a significant change, I can understand now how it would add in so many more camping spaces. I wonder how that impacts some of the glamping sites such as Love Fields and Camp Kerala (and others) which look like they'll be impacted with the move.

 

I also wonder what they'll do with that fecking hill!

 

Camp Kerela is on the old Williams brothers farm so I don't think that would be affected, but would be as you say would be some of the glamping such as Love Fields etc.

[compactdisc]

2 hours ago, Piltonian said:

This meeting took place in March. The intention is .... Gate C is moving to Pylle Road, Gate B just round the corner to Cockmill Lane. They'll be an increase to the perimeter fence on the East of Cockmill Lane. Campervans and parking will be moved. Additional 12,000 camping spaces created for staff and ticket holders (off/on site). 

 

They'll be applying for planning to increase the size of the Pyramid stage but not this year. Orientation and location will be the same.

Those who know more than me will be able to refine this, but it seems to me that something like this is proposed, with the Quiet Campervan fields becoming standard camping inside the fence?

 

Edited April 13 by compactdisc

[Crazyfool01]

28 minutes ago, compactdisc said:

Those who know more than me will be able to refine this, but it seems to me that something like this is proposed, with the Quiet Campervan fields becoming standard camping inside the fence?

 

Which leads me to wonder why more camping is needed ? Or which current camping is being removed ?