'I've been to Glastonbury Festival 15 times in a row and here are my hacks' | SWNS

A man who's been to Glastonbury 15 times in a row has shared his top tips - including where to shower and how to navigate the toilets.

Dan Thomas has been to every festival since 2002 and is heading to Worthy Farm to see the Arctic Monkeys and Elton John next week.

He says Wednesday is the best day to arrive, use the showers in the kids' field, never camp next to a path, and always choose a compost loo over a long drop.

His must-pack item is an s-shaped hook to keep his bag off the floor in the toilets, and never leave the site on Monday lunchtime.

The content creator from London said: "I personally think having a shower is one the best ways you can start your day. If you've had a long tiring day as you will at Glastonbury it makes you feel like a million dollars.

"There are six ways to get a shower there. There's a single gender free communal shower and free cubicle showers in the kids field.

"If you're in a glamping site they will have them, but if you're not shy there's a naked sauna and campfire on site which you can pay £15 to go into and they have showers.

"Other options are using a solar powered shower or a rechargeable USB pump shower or you can effectively sponge bath with a large Tupperware box."

Dan added: "In terms of toilets there are several different kinds. There's long-drops which are essentially cubicle seats over a large box.

"They're open air so people can see the top of your head but there's ventilation which is good.

"There's female urinals and compost toilets too.

"My advice would be to skip the long drops and head for the compost toilets.

"People are put off them because they smell like portaloos but once your inside they're bigger, deeper and generally less smelly because the compost has a neutralising smell."

When it comes to making sure you have a good weekend, Dan insists the preparation begins weeks before.

He has made a list of 50 essential things people should bring to the festival, - including an 'S' hook to avoid putting your belongings on the toilet floor and a four wheel trolley.

He also encouraged festival-goers to bring plenty of their own snacks, but also enjoy the "amazing" food on sale there too.

He said: "People don't realise that Glastonbury is the only festival that you can bring all your own food and drink everywhere with you - it just can't be in glass.

"The biggest way to save money is to bring it all yourself.

"I always bring cereal bars, Peperami and pitta breads with some peanut butter as they all hold together well.

"I rarely buy drinks there but a pint is around £6. I would say though that Glastonbury has some of the best food around - so definitely try a stall or two if you can."

He recommends in terms of finding a camping spot the most important criteria is to not settle "at the bottom of a hill, near a path or next to the toilets."

Once the festival is in full swing, Dan confirms it's "impossible" to see the whole site but urges people to "not be lazy" and explore.

He said: "Although Glastonbury is the best music festival in the world, it's also the best place to do just about anything else.

"Some people treat it as a food festival, some people treat it as a cultures festival. No single individual person will see all of Glastonbury - not even the owners.

"It can be easy to feel intense FOMO because there's always something going on but the most important thing is to follow your gut and do what you want to do.

"The first year I went right to the front of the pyramid stage and it was amazing, but now I don't mind popping in and out.

Dan's full list of Glastonbury tips are:
1. Make a packing list weeks before you go
2. Bring an 'S' hook so you can hang up your belongings in the toilet
3. Get to the site as close to Wednesday morning as possible
4. Don't attempt to see the entire festival - go with your gut and rest if you need to
5. Get a shower at one of the two free showers, pay to use the naked sauna ones or bring your own portable shower
6. Take plenty of food and snacks - including pita bread, cereal bars and peanut butter
7. Remember you can bring your own alcohol anywhere on the site.
8. Don't attempt to leave on Monday around lunchtime
9. Use the compost toilets over the others if you can

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[stuartandvicky]

I would also suggest an umbrella, a decent size one will provide shade in the hot weather and shelter if it rains. Its not a pain to carry and is a good tool for locating friends in a crowd as well.

[bungle]

My tips for when I went to Glastonbury five times in the 90s: scousers have terrible drugs but they’re great for paying to hop the fence, ketamine sounds like a good idea until you get stuck in mud, don’t take nice clothes, don’t take speed as you’ll never sleep, don’t take 10 Es daily, eat more than one hamburger in five days, don’t drink strictly alcohol for five days and allow water, don’t have a mental breakdown when you get home as you didn’t sleep the entire festival.

[Fidelgavstro]

Tip 1. Take a collapsible washing up bowl and a facecloth instead of wet wipes. Boil up some water and cool with cold water, and wash. Loads better for the environment.
Tip 2. If you want to get a trolley, two wheel sack barrows are much better and easier to use than 4 wheel ones in my experience. Much better to push than pull, especially up a hill.
Tip 3. Walking boots over wellies every time. Get some gaiters if you're worried about mud.

[ringtail]

I've been 11 times, though my last one was a few years back.

One decent tip would be to get there on Tuesday and stay at a local camp site, then there's less drama for getting in when the gates open the next day.

You need a day bag, like a small rucksack. But if you buy a newspaper from a stall in the festival it will normally come in its own cloth bag, so you can use that.

Don't camp too close to toilets (noise/smell). Do camp fairly close to taps.

Don't camp at the bottom of a hill or you'll be flooded when it rains.

Take lots of plastic bags to separate wet, used, muddy clothes into. Take a pen.

Read the festival programme and get out for the first performances of the day.

I always enjoyed taking a few of the flavoured tins of mackerel you get from the supermarket, decent snack when back at the tents.

You don't need walking shoes. Just take wellies, trainers and also flip flops are good for around the tents.

Take a head torch for night time toilet trips.

[nothinking]

I took my wallet and a poncho in 1999, slept on couches in various chil out tents when I had to, travel light 😂

[markgriffiths]

Bring power bank x 2, small one for phone while out and leave bigger one back at the tent. Don’t bother with stoves, cooking kit etc. These are just more things to carry when you can buy every type of meal under the sun, at every hour at the festival. Alcohol - bring spirits, beer and cider warm is horrible. Fresh cider at the festival is superb, and cool beer. You can buy mixers and ice there so it’s just less to carry with u. Take a day rucksack, plastic reusable cups and decanted spirits each day between a group of u. Suncream, trainers, wellies, a toilet roll also in the rucksack! slightly bigger tent, water for the tent. Sorry, but some pop ups are fine - decathlon Quechua ones are great actually, and no complex poles - more time to just enjoy the atmosphere 😎👍.

Tangerine fields is adjacent to the site for a more glamping experience, for not too much extra if u like hot showers, tent already up, near tent parking, space, peace and extra security.

I agree with the rest, only use a trolley if u really need to. A sack truck with big wheels and bungees worked for me in the past also. Roll on 2024!😎👍

[andrewhaines]

How is it that people can go multiple times to Glastonbury, when it's supposed to be a "lottery" system for tickets? To be honest, I probably wouldn't want to go with the sort of headline acts they get, but there you go. I always try to watch for new bands that may spike my interest, but it seems the coverage on TV doesn't show this anymore or is minimal in terms of filming the up and coming stages, etc.

[twenty_co_uk]

Go as crew.... Backstage bars .. secret bars... Get paid for being there . The festival starts well before the punters turn up. Then get in your buggy on the last day and grab a lorrys worth of beer to take home with you. Sorted

[stephengregory]

My question is: how did you get tickets that many years in a row?

[offwithhishead]

Heh! Heh! This is hilarious, and on the ball. Agree on cheapo trollies, we have an endless stream of folk wanting them fixed at our blacksmithing workshop. Mostly they are just write-offs, and the poor folk are left wondering how they are going to haul their sprogs around the fest.

[arykesdeminno]

2017, 2019, 2022 we got there early and parked in Orange car park.
Only 15 minutes walk to where we usually camp, near Arcadia.
This year we arrived early but staff put us and many others who also got there early Wednesday around 2am in the Pink car park.
It took us around 30 minutes each way from camp site to the car.

Anyone know why they put us in Pink car park and not the Orange like previous years?

Our friends got there late Wednesday evening and parked in Orange car park.

[johnjones]

bushy ground is the best place to stay, its so easy to get around

[Wearenotreallyhere]

Radio 1 Roadshow for posh people but bigger.

[gwhufc]

how have u managed to get tickets 15 years in a row ffs

[sevenwatson]

My ex husband went with friends. Everyone took tents and a chair but, by arrangement one also brought a marquee which was placed with the tents around it. There was always someone at the marquee and was a meeting/eating place to catch up in between waiting/seeing acts.

[brettboykin]

15 times eh?? How is that possible when some have been trying unsuccessfully to get tickets for 15 years?

[wmpsw]

How about tip on how the hell you got tickets 15 times in a row ?

[lofo]

I thought this was going to hacks to get tickets 🤣🤣🤣.. ive been twice but attempted to get tickets 8 times

[tonorivers]

What is the bottle of Fabric Conditioner for ?

[tonyally]

The best hassle-free Glastonbury you can ever have is stay at home and watch it on the TV