Make no mistake, Glastonbury is a very, very special place. 'You haven't experienced a festival until you go to Glastonbury' people had told me. I must admit the first few hours I was skeptical. But by the time your tent's up and your bags are unpacked, you realise that Worthy Farm really is worthy of it's often referred to title as 'the best festival in the world'.
Five days spent in the depths of Somerset is hardly enough time to sum up every nook and cranny of every muddy field, but here's a little insight into the five delights that make Glastonbury so great:
1. The people
As you stroll around the site you’ll soon realise there really isn’t a stereotypical audience that come along to Worthy Farm; Glastonbury welcomes everyone from all walks of life. The one thing they all have in common though is their love for the festival. Everyone's friendly and there’s no argy-bargy when it comes to slipping through the crowds to get near the front of your favourite band.
2. No limits
The TV doesn’t quite do justice to how big the site is. With there being no main area for all the stages, you can take your luke-warm cans of cider anywhere with you, and if you’re lucky enough to get a good camping spot, you may even be able to sit at your camp and enjoy bands from afar.
3. Secret Sets
Glastonbury holds host to some of the best secret sets going. There may be some leaks along the way, but the crowd aren’t often left unhappy with whoever turns up. Whilst there’s no ‘big acts’ on the Thursday night there are two secret sets; this year being The 1975 and Metronomy. Other ‘to be announced’ slots included Kaiser Chiefs and The Kooks. As for the sets we knew would happen there’s still some surprises in the form of covers; Kasabian, Blondie and Glass Animals were just a few to throw in some interesting covers along the way.
4. After Hours
The Pyramid Stage headliner’s finished and you’re heading for bed? No chance. Glastonbury’s just as alive at night as it is in the day, and if you’ve spent all day seeing bands it’s the perfect chance to explore the rest of the festival. Every bar you walk past is buzzing and Shangri La will take you to another world altogether. If you’re more of the chilled type somewhere like The Stone Circle may tickle your fancy where you can watch the sun rise if you still have the energy.
5. The Food
When it comes to festivals the food isn’t usually the thing people rave about. You usually end up with a dent in your bank account and a sloppy burger in return, however at Glastonbury you pay for what you get. From far away cuisines like peri peri chicken to home bred pasties, the amount on offer is enough to wet your appetite.
But let's not forget, more often than not, with Glastonbury comes one bad thing... mud!
By Joshua Shreeve (@JJShreeve)
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