Does Glastonbury Festival Live Up to the Hype?

Let me start by saying this: I don’t usually attend festivals. I’ve tried, I’ve been to a few and they are just not for me. The £10 drinks, for a single? I’m sorry but it ain’t on. The crowds, the food (or lack of). The hours waiting around for the one act you actually want to see, with little else to fill your time without bankrupting yourself. Maybe I was doing it wrong or maybe I was unlucky in every experience. Regardless, my point is, this article isn’t a festival lover talking about her love of one particular festival. I am someone who doesn’t usually enjoy festivals and yet I will still say that Glastonbury truly lives up to its status as one of the greatest music festivals out there.

My experiences at British festivals have been so mediocre and on occasion, straight up terrible that even the infamous Glastonbury I held out little hope for. There were times I felt I was wasting my ticket as I was aware of the almost cult like group of fans who were desperate for tickets each year. Since attending in 2019, I am now one of those cult fans.

If you are someone considering attending the festival, know someone who will be going, or simply want to know what all the hype is about, I’ve provided the following list of pros and cons for your consideration. I’ll start with the shorter list:

The cons:

Costs:

By far the worst thing about Glastonbury. Not only are the tickets themselves upwards of £200 but the price of food and drink when you get there, travel, and the costs of anything you buy to bring in with you really mounts up. It’s advisable to bring as much food and drink as you can carry with you to avoid the jacked up prices on site, but to last you through all the days you will be there, this can still be overly pricey. Knowing that to buy one alcoholic drink will cost you 15 minutes in a queue and the best part of a tenner, you want to have your own plentiful stock. But liquid is heavy and to take sufficient amounts means sacrificing other items you may want to bring. Bear in mind, you have to carry everything across the site which can be a very long walk when trying to carry 24 cans of beer and litres worth of spirits AND mixer, plus clothes, toiletries, snacks, shoes and anything else you’ve packed with you.

Due to these costs, for many, going to Glastonbury may mean to sacrifice a holiday abroad that year. It takes planning and saving, however I’d still argue it is worth it, even if just once in your life. (Although, everyone I’ve met who has been seems desperate to attend every year)

When it comes to price it’s not all bad news. Dearest Michael and Emily Eavis ensure there are some measures taken to prevent their event from being a complete drain on your wallet. Most food stalls have a £5 meal option, so you can enjoy your time at Glastonbury without selling your soul to avoid starvation.

Weather:

Incredibly unpredictable and can completely change your experience. Glastonbury is famous for its mud therefore wellies are essential. However, when I attended in 2019, it was during a heatwave and there was no mud in sight. In fact, it was so dry that all the dust in the air acted as a kind of dry shampoo for my hair (gross, I know), which miraculously did not appear greasy even on the 5th day without a wash. Whilst this was an unexpected bonus, the heat and complete lack of shady spots on site put everyone at risk of heat stroke. It was so hot that between about 12PM to 4PM on the Saturday we did not do a thing but drink water, moan about the heat, and sleep. The unpredictability of the weather can be a nightmare but as long as you are prepared for all eventualities you will still have a fantastic time, rain or shine. Wellies, waterproofs, sun cream and plastic bags for those dirty wellies are all essential, no matter what the forecast predicts.

The Walk:

For me, the walk from the car to the camp site was the worst moment of the event. I came fully prepped and had filled a huge backpack with everything I could possibly need (mainly rum and box wine) but I’m certain it weighed more than I do. As a 5’2 woman who has never so much as lifted a weight this proved to be a mistake. It was hot and the walk was incredibly long, I felt I was going delirious. At one point I sat down, but my bag was so heavy I could not lift myself back up and needed 2 people to pull me up. However, this is not an inevitability. If you plan better than I did you can ensure you can actually carry your bag, or better still, bring a wheelbarrow.

Feelings of withdrawal:

Although a con, this one is just a result of the many pros of Glastonbury. For weeks and weeks after returning home from the event it’s practically all I could think about. Re-living moments in my head and, much to their annoyance, reciting to friends the extensive list of acts I saw. I re-watched videos time and time again in a way that I never do with concerts or nights out. I really missed being there and committed myself to going every other year, forgetting the costs. Returning to normal life after 5 days of Glastonbury magic is a kind of anti-climax like I’d never experienced before.

So those are the cons, greatly outweighed by the following pros:

The Music:

This seems obvious doesn’t it, but it really is incredible how diverse and numerous the acts performing at Glastonbury are. Due to it being such an infamous festival it attracts big names, legendary artists and hundreds of smaller, obscure groups which grab your attention as you wander past and find yourself loving. You will see plenty of artists that give memorable performances who you never would have otherwise seen. The line up is so full that there is hardly a moment when there isn’t someone performing who you might want to see.

The Food:

Although it can expensive, there are some wonderful food stalls that serve truly delicious food on site. You can find cuisines from around the globe which include plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. My personal favourites were a Mexican stall where I had a delicious chicken quesadilla with plenty of extra bits and dips, and a stall right by the Pyramid stage which sells giant Yorkshire puddings to be filled with meat, mash and gravy.

Shangri-la:

This is probably one of my favourite bits about Glastonbury; the night life. Shangri-La is like its own separate world within Glastonbury where many people head to after the sun has set. Its goal is to ‘hold up a mirror to the masses’ and is themed each year with something provocative hoping to inspire activism. I am struggling to find the words to describe it. It feels almost like a mini city with huge infrastructures and projections that will blow your mind, especially at the end of the day when you’ve consumed the entirety of the box wine you dragged in with you. There is of course music and acts performing but it is nothing like what you would see during the day. For an example of what it’s like, I’ve provided one of the few images I took whilst I was there, of the first thing I saw as I walked into Shangri-La; this giant head, with a screen over its eyes shooting out lasers, fireworks and static images:

The atmosphere:

There is something truly special about the atmosphere at Glastonbury. Not once did I see a fight or any aggression that you usually get when you have thousands of intoxicated people in an unfamiliar setting. Neither did I ever feel overwhelmed by huge crowds that you can barely move in; even when watching acts at the Pyramid stage, you can easily find spots a little further back where you have a great view of the stage but also have room to dance. There’s an inherent peace, joy and mutual respect at the event. There is something about the very landscape of the site that makes it really feel like its own world. Sitting at the top of a hill looking over the site on the first night was a really memorable and exciting moment.

Access to essentials:

I wish someone had prepared me for the toilet situation. On the first day when the small swinging metal doors and ‘long drop’ system was pointed out to me as the place to go, I laughed thinking it was a joke and that these must just be urinals; I could see plenty of men’s heads popping out over the doors after all. But no, these were for the use of everyone. However, after this initial shock, they turned out to be incredibly convenient. Everyone is in the same position so there really isn’t any embarrassment, plus there are loads of them and they rarely had queues. They were so convenient in fact that when I found myself desperate half way through the Killers set on the Pyramid stage, I managed to run to and back from one of the long drops so quickly that I only missed one song. Miraculously I also found my group again amongst the crowd – just one example of the magic of Glastonbury.

There are also plenty of re-fill stations for water bottles, numerous cash points, and you won’t have to walk more than 5 minutes before finding a food stall. Basically, you don’t ever have to worry about a Fyre festival situation when at Glastonbury.

Alternate activities:

I challenge anyone to get bored at Glastonbury festival. There is something for everyone, and there are so many alternate activities that you could go your entire stay without even seeing an artist perform (although this isn’t recommended when the live music is so wonderful). The food stalls alone mean you could treat it as a food festival. You can shop at vintage clothes stalls, watch a magic show, go to a yoga class, attend a dance class at Glasto-Latino or even go skating at the skate park.

The charity aspect:

There is a significant charity presence at Glastonbury. Three benefactors of the festival are Water Aid, Greenpeace and Oxfam. Greenpeace even has its own field and stage. Last year the stage was situated within a ‘tree’ made by an artist out of recycled materials and littered plastic to raise awareness of plastic pollution. Emily and Michael Eavis donate a huge percentage of the profits to these charities as well as other worthy causes.

It’s for everyone:

Glastonbury festival can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. It caters for everyone in its music, food, and activities. It’s wonderful and fun and accepting and glorious and if you’re lucky enough to be able to go then evidently, I can’t recommend it highly enough.