Glastonbury is the largest music festival in the UK, and it’s been a guaranteed fantastic time almost every summer since 1981. Not much is known about the Glastonbury 2023 line-up, other than the fact that ‘Rocketman’ himself, Elton John, is headlining the Saturday night. If you have never been to Glastonbury before, you’re likely sitting there believing you can just grab your tickets and turn up on the day without planning – wrong! Glastonbury has around twenty campsites, so you’ll need to put plenty of thought into your trip; we’ve put this guide together to help you out.
Knowing Which Campsite to Use
To have a memorable weekend at Glastonbury, for the right reasons, you need to figure out where to camp. Will you be camping close to the coach drop-off? Will you be near your car? Or would you prefer to experience glamping at Glastonbury festival? Answering these questions is the first step, and now you can explore the individual campsites.
You will want to have a great spot at the festival as well, so that means arriving early and embracing the queues. Typically, you want to be in a spot pretty far from the toilets, relatively close to all of the action, but not too close that you can’t get a good night’s sleep – sounds tricky right?
How to Choose a Campsite
After deciding what type of camping experience you’d enjoy, it’s time to choose which campsite to head to. Every campsite at Glastonbury offers a different experience, whether you’re looking to party hard into the next morning, be part of a large group, or arrive at your very own pre-pitched spot of luxury. Alternatively, you can have a truly luxurious experience and glamp a short way from the action and hop on a shuttle service to the festival site.
Navigating the Toilets
At a festival spanning five days, the toilets can be pretty dank if you go at the wrong time. You want to avoid the peak hours, which are between 6:30am-9am and 5pm-7pm, as you’ll be stuck in line for a very long time. In the morning, the campsite toilets will be heaving, so it’s best to avoid them. Whereas, if you wait until the larger acts are on, the campsite toilets will be relatively quiet.
Pack Shower Shoes
Keeping up with personal hygiene at a festival is important, so you’ll most likely want to have a shower at some point during the day. Again, first thing in the morning will be the peak hours. Before heading to the shower blocks, be sure to wear sliders or flip-flops – just think of the thousands of people that will use the showers during the festival.
Arrive in Comfy Clothing
Glastonbury isn’t a fashion show, so don’t spend too much time worrying about what to wear before you go. The most important aspect of your outfit needs to be comfortable, as you’ll be doing a lot of walking. Once you’ve carried all of your camping gear from the car parks to your camping spot, you will be sweaty, and you’ll be ready for a rest. If you’ve got uncomfortable shows and impractical clothing on, your body will be in pain, which isn’t a great start.
Pack a Chair
If you think your tent, clothes, and drinks for the weekend are too much to carry, be prepared to add a camping chair to your gear. Having somewhere to sit and enjoy a drink, that isn’t on the floor, will feel like the best thing on earth.
Save a Spot for Your Friends
With the sheer number of people attending Glastonbury, camping spots fill up quickly. If you arrive before your friends and don’t save them space, you won’t be camping near them. Therefore, take an extra groundsheet or two and lay them out where your friends’ tents will go.
Leave Zero Trace Behind
Glastonbury festival is committed to its ‘leave no trace’ policy, meaning they expect festival-goers to clean up after themselves. This means clearing your rubbish away and taking all your belongings with you. There are plenty of places onsite to take your campsite’s rubbish, so you have no excuse to leave your mess behind.
Glastonbury festival is a festival about bringing people together for their love of music, but you’ll need to put some work in to make sure you have a brilliant experience. Choose where to camp before going, head to the festival site early, pack the right gear and leave the site clean.