You’re never too old to get into the festival spirit. Glastonbury is one of the best and biggest music festivals in the world which attracts 180,000 people of all ages each year. The audience is increasingly diverse, and although the bulk of attendees are millennials, one in five are likely to be midsters, aged 45 and over.
This isn’t surprising, with 3,000 acts and 86 venues there’s something for everybody. Glastonbury is a fantastic place for midsters, where you can discover new music, experiences and culture.
Whether you’re a seasoned festival goer or a first timer, middle age is by no means time to pack in the partying. With Glasto only being once every 1 – 2 years it’s time to go all out!
1. Make Time To Explore
Don’t stick to the mainstream acts and larger venues at Glastonbury. There’s no need to stick to a plan, make time to look around and let your ears guide you.
You can find the line-up info and times here.
2. The Camping (or Glamping) Situation
Get to the campsite nice and early to secure yourself a good position. The prime place to pitch your tent is the furthest away from the action, on higher ground where it’s less noisy, it also offers a spectacular view of the event and you’re away from the mud.
Glastonbury provide an interactive map outlining the best spots to help you plan.
If you’re looking for something a little more luxury, Tipis are a pricey but fancy alternative. At £995 to hire, they sleep six and have hot showers, composting toilets, food and drink, a great option for families.
3. Be Prepared For The Toilet Issue
This goes without saying. The toilets in Glastonbury or any festival for that matter are notoriously disgusting. Pack plenty of wet wipes, toilet roll and anti-bac hand wash, the toilets furthest away from the main stage are usually the cleanest to use.
4. The Sleeping Situation
Sleep is overrated. But if like most of us, you’re partying away until the early hours and have traipsed back to your tent in a drowsy stupor you’ll have no problem drifting off to sleep for a few hours before it all starts again.
The older we get the more we get used to changes in our sleep, getting up more in the night, waking early and maybe the odd hot flush happen to many of us. So a few nights of fragmented sleep at a festival might go unnoticed to the middle-aged festival goer – but if you want to chillax a bit more, noise levels are at their lowest on the hills surrounding the stages, so you could get a further away camping spot. And a few extras like blow–up mattress, eye mask, pillows and sleeping spray can ensure those few hours of sleep you do get are good quality!
So enjoy late night buzz of Glastonbury, while keeping the grogginess and fatigue at bay with a few other tricks like lots of water and cat naps in the day while you soak up the acts. Glastonbury only comes round once annually, you can catch up on sleep when you get home!
5. Keep Hydrated
Hydration is often at the bottom of people’s thoughts during festivals when excitement takes over. Your body loses a lot of fluid from all the dancing and walking you’re doing, plus all that alcohol makes it very easy to get dehydrated, especially when you’re at a venue, with the sun blazing and there’s not a spot of shade in sight.
Wear breathable clothes, bring plenty of water bottles and alternate your alcohol with water, this also works wondered for hangover prevention!
6. Improve Your Experience With Tech
Advances in technology are changing the way we experience festivals for the better. Apps can provide you a live feed of what’s happening and other useful info to get the most out of the event. We suggest bringing a portable usb charger for your phone to avoid those long queues at the power bank!
7. It’s A Marathon Not A Race…
Don’t peak too early. Excitement, anticipations and freedom from most obligations for a long weekend can all lead to you over-doing it on the first day. Keep in mind it’s a long weekend and try not to peak at the Tuesday night pre-Glastonbury drinks.
We hope you have a fantastic time at Glastonbury, it’s one of the best festivals in the world, make the most of it!
