You have no items in your shopping cart.
What is Glastonbury festival, and where did it come from?
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts caters for pretty much all music tastes, and a whole lot more besides. ‘Glasto’, as it’s known to the cool kids, is the biggest festival of its kind in the world, and is a truly unique melting pot of arts, crafts, and popular culture (along with a healthy dollop of not-so-popular culture for good measure).
Glastonbury as we know it today takes its roots from the early 1970s, when local dairy farmer Michael Eavis built on Glastonbury’s heritage for holding niche arts and music festivals, and created an annual event which now attracts over 137,000 revellers. The music on offer at Glastonbury spans from folk to Opera, taking in indie, reggae, hip hop, rock, jazz, electronic, and dance along the way, and the range of other performing arts includes comedy, dance, circus and theatre, to mention a few. The festival also holds the title of being the biggest ‘hands on’ craft festival and sculpture park in Europe, and is also a mecca for alternative therapies and spiritual expression. Suffice to say, it’s more than just a gig in a cow field.
Who can I see at Glastonbury 2010?
To be honest, it would be shorter to list the acts who aren’t performing at Glastonbury 2010, but to mention the highlights of the highlights... Muse, Scissor Sisters, U2, Florence and the Machine, Dizzee Rascal, and Kate Nash. The Pet Shop Boys have somehow made it onto the bill too (admin error, presumably). For those seeking something a little more intimate there’s the silent disco, which is basically a tent full of people dancing with headphones on.
What else do I need to know about Glastonbury?
Entry requirements are very strict, so be sure to remember your photo ticket - you definitely won’t get in without it. Your valuables are never going to be 100% safe at any festival, no matter how many precautions you take, so take as little as possible and nothing of any value unless you absolutely have to. There are safety deposit boxes available for hire if you need them. A tent and sleeping bag are essential for all campers (sounds obvious, but tonnes of people forget to take them every year - must be the excitement), and it’s worth taking some spare pegs because they often go walkies. Forgetting every-day items like mobile phones, contact lenses (and solution!), medication, and cash cards can really screw things up, so preparing a packing list to make sure you’ve got everything is a sensible thing to do. Once you’re inside there’s plenty of security guards and police on patrol to help you out of you get into trouble, but despite Glastonbury’s world famous bohemian, carefree atmosphere, don’t be lulled into a false sense of complete security. Keep your wits about you, basically. There’s always safety in numbers, so try and stay with at least one friend at all times, and if possible, set up camp with people you know.
So, what are the downsides to Glastonbury?
The portaloos. That’s it.
Enjoy!
Looking for tents and camping equipment?
At tentastic.co.uk, we specialize in high quality branded outdoor and camping equipment. All of the products that we sell have been rigorously tested, and we’re confident that when you receive your purchase, you won't be disappointed. To see our full range of goods from some of the world’s leading manufacturers, including Gelert, Coleman, Camping Gaz, and many more - go to our homepage, or call us on 08452 577293(local rate).
