Glastonbury Festival
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
The Glastonbury festival is held every June near Pilton village in Somerset, England and is organised by Michael Eavis. It is unique among festivals in England due to its wide variety of musical acts, performing arts, craft stalls etc. The atmosphere to be experienced at the Glastonbury festival is unlike that of any other, the only way to explain it would be to say that it is the only festival that many people attend without necessarily wishing to see any bands.
In order to survive Glastonbury the correct attitude must be adopted prior to entry, many do this by getting in free. This is another reason why this experience is unique, there are several methods employed to avoid paying for this festival and the traditional one is to jump over the fence. It has been observed that there are many ways to do this; get a leg up from a mate, pay to climb up an 'entrepreneur's' ladder, climb under the fence through a ready made hole. Another rarely chosen method is to employ the tactic of using a rope and a grappling hook although in the experience of the author this has never been achieved successfully.
To avoid any repercussions from the Eavis estate it should be noted that as of next year it will virtually impossible to 'hop' over the 10ft fence. Due to a reported 20,000 people getting in for free at this years festival Michael Eavis is planning to spend huge sums of money on a spiky barrier on top and below the fence.
Another way to explain the amazing experience is to recount a story from a 4 year Glastonbury veteran,
"I lost my wallet on the Friday night of Glastonbury 2000 and went to lost property on Sunday afternoon in a fit of insanity that created the thought of my wallet actually being there. I arrived to find a large unwelcoming queue, after standing there for a while deciding whether to stay I read the advice about lost property in the program. It stated that many people were reunited with their belongings after the festival and a visit to lost property is not a waste of time. With a renewed sense of hope I waited, after about 45 minutes I was nearing the front of the queue and filled out a form. As I was about to enter the building a large man tapped me on the shoulder and asked my name. I responded with my first name followed by my surname, the man responded with words that I will never forget; "Oh, I thought I recognised you, I've got your wallet". I was speechless and unable to respond in any way until he produced my wallet. I took it, and holding my mud covered wallet proceeded to open it to find the £20 that I had presumed gone forever still present. The gentleman proceeded to explain that he had recognised me from behind as he was about 5 people behind me in the queue. He had previously examined my NUS card and managed to recognise me from behind, from a picture in which I had long hair (removed two weeks earlier). This man was in the same queue at the same time as me in a festival of 120,000 people! I can't begin to imagine the odds. After a short conversation and thanking him about 50 times I returned to the rest of the festival with a smile that didn't leave my face for days!:-P"
The most feared thing at Glastonbury is THE WEATHER; it can adopt the position of either 'Great Friend' or 'Mortal Enemy'. Out of the 30 or so years that Glastonbury has been going there have been about 4 'wet' festivals. So, the wet festival experience is rare but one which those who have experienced it would recommend avoiding. The MUD:-( at Glastonbury is now infamous after only two years in a row of torrential rain in 1997 and 1998. At the slightest drop of rain every festivalgoer gasps for breath and prays that it won't last, at this year's festival the prayers were answered as two days of rain prior to Glastonbury gave way to sunburn temperatures and bright sunshine.
Anybody who has not experienced a festival should definitely start with Glastonbury as it gets better every year and is not something to be missed.
http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
In order to survive Glastonbury the correct attitude must be adopted prior to entry, many do this by getting in free. This is another reason why this experience is unique, there are several methods employed to avoid paying for this festival and the traditional one is to jump over the fence. It has been observed that there are many ways to do this; get a leg up from a mate, pay to climb up an 'entrepreneur's' ladder, climb under the fence through a ready made hole. Another rarely chosen method is to employ the tactic of using a rope and a grappling hook although in the experience of the author this has never been achieved successfully.
To avoid any repercussions from the Eavis estate it should be noted that as of next year it will virtually impossible to 'hop' over the 10ft fence. Due to a reported 20,000 people getting in for free at this years festival Michael Eavis is planning to spend huge sums of money on a spiky barrier on top and below the fence.
Another way to explain the amazing experience is to recount a story from a 4 year Glastonbury veteran,
"I lost my wallet on the Friday night of Glastonbury 2000 and went to lost property on Sunday afternoon in a fit of insanity that created the thought of my wallet actually being there. I arrived to find a large unwelcoming queue, after standing there for a while deciding whether to stay I read the advice about lost property in the program. It stated that many people were reunited with their belongings after the festival and a visit to lost property is not a waste of time. With a renewed sense of hope I waited, after about 45 minutes I was nearing the front of the queue and filled out a form. As I was about to enter the building a large man tapped me on the shoulder and asked my name. I responded with my first name followed by my surname, the man responded with words that I will never forget; "Oh, I thought I recognised you, I've got your wallet". I was speechless and unable to respond in any way until he produced my wallet. I took it, and holding my mud covered wallet proceeded to open it to find the £20 that I had presumed gone forever still present. The gentleman proceeded to explain that he had recognised me from behind as he was about 5 people behind me in the queue. He had previously examined my NUS card and managed to recognise me from behind, from a picture in which I had long hair (removed two weeks earlier). This man was in the same queue at the same time as me in a festival of 120,000 people! I can't begin to imagine the odds. After a short conversation and thanking him about 50 times I returned to the rest of the festival with a smile that didn't leave my face for days!:-P"
The most feared thing at Glastonbury is THE WEATHER; it can adopt the position of either 'Great Friend' or 'Mortal Enemy'. Out of the 30 or so years that Glastonbury has been going there have been about 4 'wet' festivals. So, the wet festival experience is rare but one which those who have experienced it would recommend avoiding. The MUD:-( at Glastonbury is now infamous after only two years in a row of torrential rain in 1997 and 1998. At the slightest drop of rain every festivalgoer gasps for breath and prays that it won't last, at this year's festival the prayers were answered as two days of rain prior to Glastonbury gave way to sunburn temperatures and bright sunshine.
Anybody who has not experienced a festival should definitely start with Glastonbury as it gets better every year and is not something to be missed.
http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
