Some want a good night’s sleep and I would therefore advise heading towards the more remote areas in the northern and western extremities of the site, which will be comparatively quieter.
Others want to be close to their favourite stage or entertainment area and more still want to be in night time Party Central. Your choice may be restricted by which pedestrian gate you enter the site through and how far you are prepared to walk to your campsite once you get in. Later arrivals will also find that there will be a considerably reduced choice of fields which still have camping space available.
Take a look at the 2024 Site Map for reference and we'll work our way anti-clockwise around the site starting in the top right hand (North East) corner. To give you a rough idea of how quickly the various fields fill up all of these photos other than the ones of the Spring Ground Accessible campsite were taken sometime between 10am and 1pm on the Thursday in either 2023 or 2024.
Cockmill Meadow (Family Camping)
The area known as Cockmill Meadow in the north eastern corner of the site is specifically reserved for Family Camping. There is no designated ratio of adults to children in any group so families and friends without children are able to camp together here but please bear in mind that this area is very popular due to its proximity to the Kidz Field and space is limited so people without kids in tow should ideally look elsewhere.
In fact one of the recommendations following the Mendip District Council debrief of the 2022 festival was to review the rules about camping in Cockmill Meadow to try to ensure that it is not occupied by groups of adults who don't have children with them. I did have a chat with a couple of the campsite stewards here in 2023 and they told me that although there was no strict policy to prevent non-family groups from camping here they had been encouraging groups who obviously didn't have children with them to move along.
Also please be aware that the field is traversed by a set of power lines which can hum and crackle quite alarmingly when it is wet.
Cockmill Meadow is entered almost immediately from Gate B but this is quite difficult to access for the majority of ticket holders unless you manage to get yourself into the Eastern "Purple" car parks, so alternatively use the "Blue" Car Parks and enter the site at Gate C, turning right up the track which runs uphill between the Acoustic Tent and the Kidz Field (you can see the big helter-skelter in the Kidz Field to the left of centre in the photo above).
It's a long hike from the Western Gates A and D so people entering via those gates with their kids may find it more convenient to choose the alternative Family Camping area in Wicket Ground. Later arrivals will also find that Wicket Ground will still have masses of space available long after Cockmill Meadow is full.
Ash Tree (Family Camping)
With Cockmill Meadow being so popular and, as a result, becoming rather over-subscribed, the family camping area in the north east of the site was extended in 2024 into a new adjacent, tree lined field which had previously been reserved for crew camping. And to a great extent the addition of Ash Tree camping appears to have been succesful. Whereas in the past Cockmill Meadow has often been bursting at the seams by the time I have visited on the Thursday lunchtime, there definitiely appeared to still be a fair amount of space available for family groups who were arriving at that time in 2024.
Big Ground
This photo is taken from the often appropriately named Muddy Lane, which runs up the Eastern side of Big Ground and is looking directly down the hill towards the Pyramid Stage. This and the fields adjacent to it afford the best access to the main stage as well as some pretty spectacular views to the West and across the southern part of the site.
Big Ground and the other fields on the hill which overlooks the Pyramid tend to fill up fairly rapidly on the Wednesday as they are popular with those who like to be close to the action on the main stage. However on the flip side it's relatively quiet here at night as there are no late night entertainment areas particularly close by.
Again Gates B and C to the East of the site offer the quickest and easiest access to this area.
Kidney Mead
Here we are looking across the comparatively flatter area of Kidney Mead. This field is handy for the Pyramid Stage, which you can just see peeping over the hedgerow, as well as the Acoustic Stage, the Cider Bus and the main central "Babylon" market areas. However it is also close to some of the busiest toilets on the site so make sure that you camp well clear of these to avoid noise & nasty niffs.
It also gets quite congested here when the headliners and other more popular acts are performing on the Pyramid as a lot of people use the path through Kidney Mead to enter and exit from the top end of the Pyramid Field.
Try to access the site via Gate C if you are planning to camp here.
Hawkwell
This is Hawkwell, which sits on the slope immediately below Worthy Farm. As you can see it’s on a very steep incline and some of those tents near the top of the hill must be pitched at something approaching a 45 degree angle which can’t possibly be conducive to a comfortable night’s sleep.
However you will have a great view of the Pyramid from your campsite looking out over the tents further down the hill.
Michael's Mead
Moving further westward and looking downhill toward the Pyramid Stage, this is Michael's Mead. Much like Hawkwell next door, Michael's Mead can be quite steep in places.
This area together with the adjacent fields of Hawkwell and Webb's Ash are fairly central and as a result they are just as accessible from the Festival Bus Station at Gate A as they are from the Eastern Gates B & C, so they are a good bet for anybody who arrives by means of public transport and wants to be camped close to the Pyramid Stage.
Webb's Ash
Webb's Ash isn't actually labelled on the current site map but it basically forms the flatter area at the bottom of the hill below Michael's Mead and Hawkwell. As you can see it is very close to the action on the Pyramid Stage. The yellow roofed marquee to the left of the picture is the Mandela Bar so you never have far to walk for your breakfast beer either.
Spring Ground (Accessible Camping)
This is Spring Ground, which is home to the Accessible Camping Area for disabled visitors. It has a concrete ramp at the entrance to the field in order to make wheelchair access easier as well as charging facilities for mobility scooters, a high dependency unit and all sorts of other ways of making life a little more comfortable for those with disabilities.
The Accessible Camping area is reserved for people with permanent disabilities and their carers and Campervans are also allowed in the adjacent Wickets Ground for disabled visitors. Make sure you register well in advance in order to be able to camp here. There are more details on facilities for the disabled together with some useful links for first hand experiences later on in Part 4. - photo courtesy of Dawn Fletcher-Park.
Hitchin Hill
The fields in the extreme Northwestern portion of the site between the farm and Gate A tend to fill up less quickly than the other fields to the north and there is often space available here for later arrivals on the Thursday and possibly into Friday. You'll have a great view looking south across the site but you will probably find yourself camped on quite a slope. This photo shows the view from Hitchin Hill looking out across the site with the Pyramid Stage just above and to the left of centre of the shot.
Lime Kiln Ground
Next to Hitchin Hill and at the most northerly point of the site is Lime Kiln Ground. Again you will be waking up to spectacular vistas if you choose to pitch your tent here including views of Glastonbury Tor, which you can just about make out in the distance at the top of the picture. It is an uphill slog to get here with your gear and to get back to your tent each night and this area certainly isn't for night owls who enjoy the after hours attractions of the South East corner as it's as far away from that part of the site as it is possible to get. On the other hand you may see this as being an advantage.
Wicket Ground (Family Camping and Accessible Motorhomes)
Here we are looking down over the second Family Camping area of Wicket Ground and as you can see there is tons more space here than there is in the traditional family camping field of Cockmill Meadow and the new addition of Ash Tree, which we covered at the start of this little tour.
Wicket Ground also has the advantage of fencing to prevent youngsters from escaping and stewards at the entrance ensure that this area is reserved entirely for family groups.
To access this area use the Western car parks and enter the site via Gate A if at all possible.
In 2023 a portion of Wicket Ground was assigned to motorhome users with accessibilty needs in order to relieve some of the pressure on the main Accessibility camping area in Spring Ground. Despite this there is still plenty of room for family campers.
Lower Mead
As you can see from this picture, Lower Mead is very handy for those who enjoy watching the up and coming talent at the Woodsies Stage. It is only a relatively short walk from Pedestrian Gate A and you'll find that the Pyramid, the Other Stage and the Silver Hayes dance area are all very accessible from here. However people returning to Lower Mead in 2023 found that the amount of public camping space had been significantly reduced to allow for an expansion in the neighbouring hospitality camping area and nowadays it only extends to a relatively small triangle of land.
The San Remo venue is situated at the bottom of this field with big name artists and DJs playing until 3am so earplugs would probably be a good idea if you fancy an early night. You will also find that this field can suffer from 24 hour traffic noise as the main access road for the site runs behind a fence along the bottom of the field. However, the area doesn't get as congested with foot traffic as it once did prior to the Woodsies Tent moving to its current position in 2016.
Darble
In 2010 the fenceline was extended considerably to the West in order to provide lots of additional camping space in this portion of the site.
The first field you come into if you enter via Gate A nowadays is called Darble and this area is therefore perfect for those who arrive at the festival by means of public transport and who want to get their tents up as soon as they get into the site.
Darble also includes the designated area which is specifically reserved for people who cycle to the festival.
Rivermead
A straight walk down the hill from Gate A and Darble brings us to the attractively named Rivermead, which I always reckon sounds a bit like somewhere you might find in a JRR Tokien novel. You'll find some lovely flat ground here for comfortable camping but in a wet year I would suggest that this field's proximity to the river would make it rather soggy underfoot.
A proportion of Rivermead was allocated to crew camping in 2022 and in 2023 this allocation increased to roughly 50% of the field, together with all of the adjacent Pylon Ground which had also previously been available for General camping.
Bushy Ground
Another large field made available for the first time in 2010 was Bushy Ground and again there was plenty of camping space here even though a large proportion of the field was cordoned off that year in order to provide enough room for 40,000 people to watch England’s World Cup match against Germany. The whole field has been made available for public camping in subsequent years.
One thing you do have to remember if you camp in Bushy Ground is that the Park Farm farmhouse and dairy unit lie between Bushy Ground and the remainder of the festival site and, as the farm is out of bounds to festival goers, you will have to navigate your way around it in order to find your way to and from your tent each day, which can be a bit of a faff. My son and a group of his friends camped here in 2024 but don't intend to return in future years for this very reason.
Bushy Ground is easily accessible from either of the Western Pedestrian Gates A or D.
Oxlyers
The majority of the flat camping space within the site can be found in Oxlyers which is bordered by the Silver Hayes dance area to the north and the disused railway track to the south. Personally I’ve never camped in this part of the site because this field is one of the most low-lying areas and is therefore the most likely to get muddy if it is wet. The north western half of this field used to be known simply as "Dance Field" and you can see why with the marquees of Silver Hayes visible in the background.
Oxlyers is also the closest camping area to The Other Stage, which you can clearly see beyond the tents and flags in this photo. In addition it’s a relatively short walk from here to the Pyramid Stage and the Park is also less than 10 minutes away, so many people consider this to be a prime central location for easy access to most of the main entertainment areas.
In order to find your way to Oxylers when arriving at the festival you can enter via Gate A, from which it is a relatively easy downhill walk through Silver Hayes, but it's also very accessible from Pedestrian Gate D once you have navigated your way around the out of bounds area of Park Farm.
South Western Camping
The remainder of the public camping fields which we haven't covered so far are all to be found within the South Western portion of the site and these are all reasonably handy to reach if you park your car in the Western Car Parks and enter the site via Pedestrian Gate D. You will find that it is a very long hike through the festival site to get to these fields from any of the other gates, and especially from Gates B & C in the East.
Dairy Ground
Here we have Dairy Ground which is actually the field I often used to park my car in before the site was extended to bring this field inside the fence for the first time in 2007. It is immediately accessible from Pedestrian Gate D so it’s the most convenient place to drop your gear and set up camp for anybody who parks their car in the Western car parks and enters the site through there.
The bottom of this field used to be prone to flooding and for a number of years the affected area has largely been cordoned off for use as crew camping with the majority of the public camping area slightly further up the gentle slope to the south. However for 2023 the whole field was made available for general camping so my advice would be to avoid the areas towards the bottom of the slope if rain is forecast.
With the amount of space made available for public camping here having been increased significantly in 2022 and again in 2023, there was still a fair bit of green grass visible here when I did my tour on the Thursday lunchtime. A lot of the people who were arriving at that time seemed to be herding straight through here in search of non-existent spaces in the more popular fields to the south of the site, most of which had already been choc-a-bloc full since the Wednesday afternoon.
Please note that on every site map which was produced between 2007 and 2015 this field was known as Paines Ground and vice versa with Paines Ground called Dairy Ground. Quite bizarrely, nine whole years later, somebody realised that these fields had been labelled the wrong way round and so their names were switched in 2016. So if somebody recommends you to camp in Dairy Ground please remember they may well be referring to the field next door.
Back House
In the South Western corner of the site there are a number of relatively small camping fields. The next one we stumble upon in our anti-clockwise journey around the site is a relatively new addition called Back House.
When I have done my Thursday lunchtime tours around the campsites over the last few years Back House has been closed off and reserved for people arriving on the Thursday. However, as you can see, in 2023 this no longer appeared to be the case and although the field was by no means full when I took this photo there were a lot more tents in there than had been the case in previous years when it had been virtually empty at the equivalent time.
Bailey's
This field is known as Bailey's, and is another relatively small and secluded field in the South Western portion of the site. It's very accessible from Gate D but is tucked away out of site behind some high hedgerows and so doesn't tend to fill up anywhere near as quickly as the neighbouring and much larger Paines Ground.
Rig's Field
Rig's Field was only brought inside the fence and designated as a public camping space for the first time in 2014, when it was known as "Chambers". Prior to that it actually formed part of the old West 60 campervan field and the Gully gate to the Sticklinch pre-erected camping area, which replaced the Western campervan fields still enters into the site via this field. So, despite its remoteness, you do get foot traffic along the track which runs through this field pretty much 24 hours a day.
If you are not arriving at the festival until the Friday, Rig's Field tends to be the very last to fill up, so my advice would be to head in this direction and pounce on any available piece of grass you might spot along the way.
South Park 1
Next door to Rig's is South Park 1. Like its neighbours above, this field is surrounded by both the perimeter fence and high hedgerows and therefore has a secluded feeling to it. It is however a good 10 to 15 minutes walk from here to the Park Stage and much further to any of the other major entertainment areas.
For the first time in 2017 South Park 1 became home to an area called Cineramageddon which added a little more to the noise and foot traffic in this area but Cineramageddon disappeared in 2023 and so camping space here has been increased back to the area which was available pre 2017.
South Park 2
South Park 2 is the most southerly of the public camping areas and as you can see it has some pretty spectacular and unobstructed views looking north towards the Pyramid and Other Stages and across most of the festival site. It's on a bit of a slope but only the part furthest up the hill and closest to the fence appears to be uncomfortably so.
Paines Ground
This is the absolutely vast Paines Ground, which is probably the biggest single camping field on the site. It slopes gently and this is where my son and daughter and a lot of their friends have all camped every year bar two since 2014. Paines Ground used to have space for new arrivals on the Thursday but with the adjacent Park Home Ground becoming increasingly popular and reduced in size with the arrival of Arcadia, the overspill has meant that Paines Ground is getting close to capacity on the Wednesday afternoon these days.
Please see my previous comments regarding the labeling of Dairy Ground and Paines Ground and how they swapped names in 2016. If your friends tell you that they always camp in Dairy Ground they may well actually be referring to this field.
Park Home Ground
The amount of public camping available in Park Home Ground was reduced by almost a half in 2014 with Arcadia moving into its new home in the flatter middle section of the field. This also created a fair amount of additional through traffic and noise into the early hours so please don't expect a peaceful night's sleep here until at least 3am when Arcadia shuts down for the night. See the "What Happens At Night?" section in Part 6 for a better idea of what I am talking about.
Like its neighbours, Park Home Ground slopes gently and it also has the advantage of being right next to The Park entertainment area, which occupies a tree-lined portion at the top of the field. It's also just a short hop over the disused railway track to the Other Stage Field. And as an additional bonus it has the Co-Op store at the bottom of the field for all your mid-festival retail requirements.
Pennard Hill Ground
One of the most popular camping fields is Pennard Hill Ground, which we can see here looking uphill from the railway embankment with the tipi field, Glastonbury-On-Sea, The Park and the lounging area further up the slope behind it. This is where I camped with a group of friends for three of the four Glastonburys between 2008 and 2011.”Pennards” has the reputation of being a bit of a party zone as it's the closest public camping area to both the Stone Circle and the late night "Naughty Corner" in the South Eastern portion of the site. It fills up very quickly and there is usually very little space left here by the Wednesday lunchtime so you really need to be quick off the mark to get yourself a decent sized pitch here.
Unfortunately the bottom of "Pennards" is the camping area which suffered worst from flooding following the massive thunderstorm which struck on the Friday morning in 2005. As you can see from this photo, which was taken by my friend Bob for The Guardian newspaper, the deluge flowed down the hill until its escape into the River Whitelake, which runs through the site, was blocked by the railway embankment at the bottom of the hill. - photo courtesy of Bob Rose
This amazing video was taken by somebody who was camped on Pennards in 2005 and gives you a good idea of the absolute carnage the poor people who were involved had to endure and the Dunkirk spirit which ultimately prevailed.
Major drainage improvement has since been undertaken to alleviate the problem should we be unfortunate enough to see a repeat of such extreme rainfall and in recent years the area at the bottom of the field has been cordoned off for crew camping.
How can I tell which fields still have space when I get there?
If you are still not certain where you want to head for when you arrive at the site then ask the campsite stewards, who should have up to date information as to which areas have already reached their maximum capacity. There are usually large maps of the site at each of the pedestrian gates and at the camping steward bases, with the fields which are designated as already being full shaded out.
The last fields to fill up are generally the ones to the extreme north west and those which run down the Western fenceline of the site. I took this photo at 10:45am on the Thursday of the 2024 festival and what this helpful young lady is showing us is that at that point in time the most popular fields like Pennard Hill, Park Home, Paines, Oxlyers and all the fields surrounding the Pyramid Stage Field were either completely full or getting very close to it. However most of the fields to the North and West of the site were still being shown as 75% occupied or less in some instances as some of the photos above, which were taken shortly afterwards, will testify. So basically if you are not turning up until the Thursday or Friday and are arriving from the East, be prepared for a very long walk and travel lightly because you will also be struggling through the throngs of people who have got there before you and are already partying hard and enjoying their festival. There's nothing more disheartening than watching the later arrivals having a melt-down as they struggle with huge piles of gear in the search of non-existent camping spots.
If you tune your car radio in to Worthy FM as you approach the festival site you will find that they will be giving out details of which fields still have plenty of space for you to camp.
If you are told by a steward that a field is full don't try to sneak in anyway. The festival has been heavily criticised for overcrowding in the past and the resulting safety concerns are regularly raised as an issue at the council license reviews. So if you camp in a field which is already "full" you are effectively jeopardising the future of the festival.
On several occasions I’ve also seen people pitching tents in areas which are designated as fire lanes. Please don’t do this or you’ll only find that you are asked to move your tent to somewhere where it isn’t blocking an emergency access.
Can I save space for my mates?
If you are hoping to camp with friends who are going to be arriving later than you then it is preferable for you to take their tents with you and put them up for them rather than trying to save space. Many people frown on the practice of taping off areas and I have to admit that I feel that it is rather anti-social and goes against the tremendous community spirit which otherwise prevails at the Festival.
If you must tape off an area for friends who are arriving later, head for one of the less popular camping fields where space isn't going to be at such a premium. It would be polite to put up signs around your patch saying something along the lines of "Space saved for friends arriving Thursday, Thankyou". Your neighbours are less likely to think you're just being greedy. Also make sure that the tape you use is highly visible to prevent tripping and don't tie it to your tent so that if somebody does trip over it they won't take your tent down with them.
Any other camping tips?
Before you leave home make sure you have at least one dummy run at putting your tent up and try to familiarise yourself with the process so that you can erect your tent without needing to read the instructions. Don't forget that when you get to the festival you may have to put your tent up in a limited amount of space and possibly windy or rainy weather. It could also be dark.
Even if you've used your tent before it's still a good idea to put it up before you leave home to make sure that it hasn't perished and none of the parts have gone missing. Check all the poles to see if any of them are starting to fray or split. Much better to replace them now than trying to hold them together with tape at the festival.
Try to pitch your tent away from toilets and pathways if you want to avoid unpleasant smells and having your tent trampled into the ground. The temporary tracking is great for getting around but is also incredibly noisy if you camp nearby and the sound of boots clomping along throughout the night will drive you insane. The same applies to the slamming metal doors at the longdrop toilets.
Remember that dips and gullies can potentially turn into ponds and streams in the event that it rains heavily and if you’ve pitched your tent in one of these areas then no amount of waterproofing will prevent your tent from being flooded. -
photo courtesy of Bob Rose
If at all possible pitch your tent with the door facing downhill and/or away from the prevailing wind. This will prevent a pool forming in your porch if it rains or if the wind gets up. It's also much more comfortable to sleep with your head pointing slightly uphill.
If the weather is sunny then most tents become unbearably hot by 8am. If you want to have a bit of a lie in every morning then try to pitch your tent to the West of trees, hedgerows or other large tents and structures so that your tent is shaded from early morning sunlight. Alternatively some tents are made from reflective or black out material and tend to stay cooler for longer. Others have openings at both ends in order to create a through-draft.
Covering your tent with foil or pitching it under a tarpaulin, parachute or camouflage netting are other ways of keeping your tent cool and shaded. However gazebos are frowned upon as they take up a lot of unnecessary space in the camping fields and tend to be the first things to get trashed if the wind gets up, so the festival specifically asks you not to bring them.
Not all guy ropes are essential in anything other than stormy conditions and the more you have pegged out the more likely people are to trip over them and damage your tent.
And please don’t tie guy ropes together or block the paths which naturally form through the campsites with other obstacles. People have to get in and out of the campsite somehow and blocking their access and exit is not only anti-social it is also dangerous in the event of an emergency. If you want to minimise the number of people walking past your tent then simply pitch it away from the main pathways and as close to your neighbour’s tent as possible.
Remember that once you have put your tent up and gone for a stroll the landscape may have changed significantly by the time you return, especially if you've included a visit to the Cider Bus or Brothers Bar during your wanderings. So before leaving your tent, make sure that there is a visible landmark nearby to use for navigating your way back again. Many people make their own flags but try to think of something a little more original than the ubiquitous Cross of St George.
The What3Words app is also a fantastic way of finding your way back to your car or campsite.
Can I stay in a Tipi?
Yes, special tickets are available for groups of people who want to share the ethnic experience of living in a tipi for the duration of the festival. These cost £1,750 in 2024, which sounds a lot but the tipis comfortably accommodate 6 people, so you could look at it that you are effectively paying a little under £60 a night each for your accommodation for 5 nights, which I guess doesn't make it sound quite so lumpy.
The hired tipis are in an area known as the Tipi Village, which is situated on the hillside overlooking The Park area at the Southern end of the site. Facilities here include showers and toilets which are specifically for the use of tipi residents.
Tickets for the Tipi Village usually go on sale a few weeks after the general ticket sale at the same time as those for the Campervan Fields, Worthy View and Sticklinch.
Security - Is there much crime?
In recent years crime at Glastonbury has fallen to an all time low and this is predominantly down to the "Ring Of Steel" Super Fence. Admittedly, before the fence was introduced in 2002, as many as 100,000 "fence jumpers" would get into the festival without paying, and unfortunately a good number of these people came with the sole intention of helping themselves to everybody else's belongings while they were away from their tents. In 2000 I lost count of the number of times I returned to my tent to find it had been ransacked and there were many instances reported of tents being slashed or even being completely removed together with their contents.
However the introduction of the Super Fence and much better security both around the site, in the car parks and also in the neighbouring villages, all but eradicated one of the issues which seriously threatened the very existence of the festival. Muggings at the festival, for example, fell from 157 in 2000 to a statistic which is hardly ever reported nowadays.
Unfortunately crime never goes away entirely and every year I read stories of people reporting thefts from their tents and cars both at Glastonbury and at many other festivals in the UK both large and small. My contact at Avon & Somerset Police is keen to point out that, based on reported crime, some 99.8% of all punters enjoy a crime-free festival. However it’s a sad and annoying fact of life that tent thefts do still happen and whilst it is highly unlikely that you will fall victim to crime at Glastonbury it is worth following a few basic
Do's and
Don'ts to make sure that the risk and potential impact are minimised:
Don't take anything that you can't afford, or wouldn't want, to lose.
Don't leave anything visible in your car and open the glove box to show it is empty.
Don't leave anything valuable or attractive to thieves in your tent.
Don't padlock your tent. This is an advertisement to any thief that there is nobody home and there is something worth stealing inside. A padlock is no protection against a knife and then you have a slashed and ruined tent into the bargain as well as anything you may lose.
Don't keep all your money in one place. Use two wallets and keep one with some cash and a spare debit or credit card safely locked away so that if you do lose one it won't completely ruin your Festival.
Do use the Property Lock Ups.
Do get to know your neighbours, look out for one another and report anything suspicious to the police or campsite stewards.
Do take all of your gear out of your bags as soon as you set up camp. Thieves are opportunist and if they can't grab a bag and run within a couple of seconds they generally won't bother.
Do keep your valuables in your sleeping bag at night. Many people have woken to find their tent open and their trousers missing together with their wallet, phone, car keys etc.
Do kick up a fuss if somebody comes into your tent during the night. If you don’t then you’ll probably find that your friends and neighbours are the next people to be paid a visit.
The peak times for tent thefts are in the early hours of Thursday and Friday when wallets are full and punters have often overindulged, celebrating their first nights at the festival, so please try to be particularly vigilant at these times.
What are the Property Lock Ups Like?
There were 14 Property Lock Ups dotted around the site in 2024, which can be located by looking for the keyhole symbols on the Site Map or the padlock symbols on the official app. They are basically large steel cages housed inside marquees.
They are free to use although a donation towards the charities and peace organisations who run them would be appreciated if you can afford one. They operate a cloakroom style ticket retrieval system but will also ask for details of your name, contact number and address in case you manage to lose your ticket and so that they can verify that you are the genuine owner of the stuff you leave when you come back to collect it. It's a good idea to take a photo of your ticket as a back up precaution in case it goes missing.
The picture above gives you a good idea of what the Lock Ups look like. You can store anything in there from a wallet to a bicycle. The lock ups are open 24 hours a day but they close at midday on the Monday so make sure you have collected anything you have left there by then.
How easy is it to find your way about?
Getting lost at Glastonbury is all part of the fun and in all honesty there are some parts of the site where I still have to look at a map and think twice about which way I need to go in order to get to my desired destination. If you do end up going slightly wrong then the chances are you'll stumble across something random and unexpected so it's never really a massive deal.
If you really do get seriously lost then there are signposts at all of the major junctions of the tracks which criss-cross the site and you have the map in the programme to put you back on track. The Glastonbury phone app also has a location function which allows you to pinpoint your position.
If you still have no idea where you are then ask one of the stewards in the pink hi-viz jackets or just find your way to the nearest Information Point where they have far more detailed maps available for your convenience and the staff will be able to show you exactly where you are and give you directions on how to get to wherever it is you want to be.
There are a few landmarks such as the Pyramid Stage, the Acoustic and Woodsies Tents, the pylons, the illuminated Ribbon Tower in The Park (see photo) and the Tony Benn Tower at the main Meeting Point near Carhenge, which are visible from around the site and can be used as navigation beacons. Remember that the Pyramid and Other Stages face away from one another and share the same backstage compound, so to find your way from one to the other is simply a matter of following the tracks around in a large circle.
As far as the rest of the site is concerned there are 3 major thoroughfares which are handy for getting relatively quickly from one part of the site to another. The disused railway track crosses the festival from east to west, so as long as you can find your way there then places like Pedestrian Gate D, the Other Stage, The Glade, the Green Fields, West Holts, Avalon and the late night areas in the South East corner of the site are very easy to find.
Similarly there is another track which runs perpendicular to the railway from the Sacred Space and the Green Fields in the south, past West Holts and the Circus Field to the central market area, Carhenge and the main Meeting Point. It then continues as "Muddy Lane" up past the Kidz Field and through the Cockmill Meadow Family Camping area to Worthy Farm and Pedestrian Gate B at the northern end of the site.
A third track, known as Stage Road runs from Vehicle Gate 5 in the northwest and provides vehicle access to the Silver Hayes and Pyramid/Other Stage backstage areas. However, when it re-emerges from the other side of the Pyramid Field it is available for pedestrian use and continues past the Cider Bus, the Kidz, Acoustic and Theatre Fields and on to Pedestrian Gate C in the East.
