Glastonbury. What's it all about?

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Soldato
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As you can probably guess, I've never been to Glastonbury. That's not to say I don't like festivals; I've been to a few, most of them abroad. And with that experience I just can't see the appeal of Glastonbury. Can someone please explain...

Why would I pay a significant amount of money to go to something in the middle of nowhere, for an unreleased lineup with a headliner that was cool when my dad was in school, to queue in traffic for hours, for a single weekend, to put up a tent in British (probably wet) weather, to spend most of the day tramping around in wellies?

When for a little bit more money and travel time you can get a flight to somewhere in eastern europe, to a 4/5 festival in or near a city (Exit, Sziget, + many more in Croatia), enjoy the 30+ degrees sunny weather, cheap beer, cheap food in restaurants during day, hot girls, stay in an air conditioned hostel 5 mins taxi from the festival, party on the beach etc

You may think the latter is going to be way more expensive, and it may be 2/3x the price. But the VALUE you're getting is so much more!

I'm not wanting to hate on people who love Glastonbury, or have tickets and are really excited - that's great and I'm sure it will be awesome. I'm happy for you if it's your thing. But I think a lot of people blindly get sucked into it not knowing what else is out there..?
 
The same reason some people choose to go camping and walking as a holiday while others go all inclusive and toast by the pool for 2 weeks, different strokes for different folks.
 
Glastonbury isn't really about the music in my experience. It's just a great cultural event with people from every walk of life there for a common reason, to have fun. It doesn't matter if you don't listen to any of the main music, there'll be something on one of the hundred odd stages that'll be interesting. Or, you can just sit in one of the main tents/fields/areas and chill out. Go see the amazing circus, or maybe just have a great pub crawl.

Sure, it's expensive. But, it's totally unique. I don't think that there is another festival like it in the World. Burning Man maybe, but that's about it?

If you look at it just in terms of the main stages and bands then I see your point, but it's not all about that. There's so much more.
 
Because the mainstream want to wear their hunter wellies, tight jeans and hooded gilets and plaster facebook with "I DUNS WENT TO A FESTIVAL" with 439285739 pictures.

Edit: In all seriousness, i wish i went to glasto back 10+ years ago. But it doesn't appeal to me now.
 
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It's about 1/4 music and 3/4 living like a hippy for 5 days with no worry in the world but hang out with your best friends, chatting, watching sunrise, dancing in the rain, eating over price burgers, smelling like a homeless and not be judge on it, and tick it off the bucket list.
 
Ahleckz said:
Glastonbury isn't really about the music in my experience. It's just a great cultural event with people from every walk of life there for a common reason, to have fun. It doesn't matter if you don't listen to any of the main music, there'll be something on one of the hundred odd stages that'll be interesting. Or, you can just sit in one of the main tents/fields/areas and chill out. Go see the amazing circus, or maybe just have a great pub crawl.

Sure, it's expensive. But, it's totally unique. I don't think that there is another festival like it in the World. Burning Man maybe, but that's about it?

If you look at it just in terms of the main stages and bands then I see your point, but it's not all about that. There's so much more.
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Yeh I didn't consider all that as frankly I only have TV spectators opinion. Also my main objective at festivals is to get intoxicated so I probably wouldn't appreciate all the other activities that are going on.
 
I've been to most of the major UK festivals as I used to volunteer behind the bars and to be honest it's rare I spent any major time actually watching acts, it's all about the atmosphere and just having a good time.
 
Because funnily enough people don't go for a headliner that's "cool" or still relevant to be down with the kids.

They go to enjoy good music, soak up the atmosphere and drink some beer with their friends.

That said Glasto has a lot of the middle class hippy types that annoy me, spend the weekend taking selfies with their facepaint. Not the worst though, Reading this year was awful with a load of children munching their gums off in a field because "ermergerd Mac LeMore is on and mummy isn't here". Going to take a good lineup to convince me to not end my streak.

No foreign festivals have a lineup I'd consider going to watch except for perhaps knotfest and warped tour, which are expensive considering you fly to America. And there was one in Aus I can't remember the name of now.

If you're into club music and electronica and all that type of thing then European festivals are the way to go, if you have decidedly contemporary tasted then somewhere like Benicassim will do you nicely. But I'm not into that stuff.
 
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People are chasing after an ideal experience and they think they will find it a glastonbury. I would never go there, far too many people. Even the thought of having to queue up for basic things constantly just annoys me. I am over dance festivals now, just lost interest in dancing completely. I would like to go to some small metal/rock festivals in europe and uk. One annoying thing about going to international festivals in europe is that not everyone speaks english. A festival for me has to be in the sun or its a waste of money as you spend most of the time in the tent or standing in the rain. If glastonbury is not about the music then you might as well just go camping in wales as you have less queues. I think its a lot of the time people just want to be able to say they went to glastonbury even though they never had a good time they will convince themselves its all apart of the fun. That what happens when festivals go commercial, they start out all about the music and they end up being full of posers who looking for a cliche experience so they can post it on the facebook wall and think they cool.
 
The chance to throw bottles of your own urine at 'Stars' you don't like is the singular appeal factor that would tempt me to attend Glastonbury. That and maybe the chance of bumping in to Michael Eavis and landing a decent punch.
 
Raymond Lin said:
It's about 1/4 music and 3/4 living like a hippy for 5 days with no worry in the world but hang out with your best friends, chatting, watching sunrise, dancing in the rain, eating over price burgers, smelling like a homeless and not be judge on it, and tick it off the bucket list.
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Then go on holiday to recover.
 
Bit of a pointless position to take OP. Pretty sure everyone who enjoys the festivals you go to would enjoy Glastonbury and vice versa. Glastonbury has something for everyone. I've been the last couple of years and it's a brilliant event. I pretty much only did dnb/dancey stuff but there is huge range and if you fail to have fun you would have to be dead inside.

Why get hung up on the headliner when there are dozens of other stages all with big acts in their genres at the same time. There are also incredible secret gigs, I saw a secret skrillex gig while the rolling stones were embarrassing themselves year before last.
 
**** music, **** food, **** beer, **** drugs, **** weather, people go just so they can tell the whole world on social media that they've been. When actually they've just been shafted for a sizeable amount of money to spend some time in a field with a bunch of hippies with hygiene issues. Oh and recruitment agents, estate agents and other untrustworthy types.

;)
 
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doofer said:
The chance to throw bottles of your own urine at 'Stars' you don't like is the singular appeal factor that would tempt me to attend Glastonbury. That and maybe the chance of bumping in to Michael Eavis and landing a decent punch.
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I've seen urine bottles thrown at Keanu Reeves at Glasto! Along with oranges, apples, mud and underwear.
 
All my mates went this year. I love music but refuse to go because the idea of living in a field with no proper toilets, showers and a bed sounds like my worst nightmare.

I'm a clean freak so it's basically never going to appeal to me unless I can stay in a proper hotel near by.
 
Sliver said:
Lmao. The fact that you think Glastonbury should be on your bucket list is both amusing and sad. Seriously. :rolleyes:
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Have you been?

It's not sad, it is an experience. It is not like any other festival, it is not like V, Reading or Party in the Park. It is not like a concert, it is not just about camping.

I am not tempted to go now, been twice, saw Paul McCartney, seen Manics, seen Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant (Reading). Had my belongings stolen, done the whole no shower thing, did the mud, did the sunrise. Don't regret it one bit.

Better than sitting at home wondering about it all.
 
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