Glastonbury Festival 2015: A Guide

Glastonbury is undoubtedly British festival royalty. This year marks the festival’s 45th anniversary and since its beginning on the day after Jimi Hendrix died in 1970, the organisers are marking the day with the best annual line-ups and all-round festival fun.

Here is our basic guide to Glastonbury 2015:

1. What to take

Whether you choose to camp or not, there are a few things that are essential packing for any Glastonbury traveller.

The British weather is not the best in the world, so wellies or boots are all-important, as things can get rather muddy (that includes the Portakabins). A raincoat is also key (umbrellas are a no-go) as well as warm clothing, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat.

Other good things to pack include cutlery, plenty of hand sanitizer, tissues and a torch with working batteries.

Make sure you embrace true festival style and invest in simple clothing that won’t easily get ruined. If you want to add festival vibe without overspending, accessories are the key: flower garlands, necklaces and feathers come in handy and you can reuse them for other events after (if they don’t get lost).

2. Survival skills

Although Glastonbury festival is great fun, it can also be fairly extreme and it’s important to stay safe.

Make sure you stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and eat as well as you can, opting for energizing meals with a carbohydrate base such as rice or potatoes, and eating as many fruits and vegetables as you can.

Remember that Glastonbury is actually as much about wellbeing as it is about music. So make sure you take some time out and visit The Green Fields, and enjoy some peace in the King’s Meadow.

The festival is also about supporting worthy causes, so if you can, do donate. WaterAid will have ten kiosks dotted across the Glastonbury site and Greenpeace provides free hot showers, tasty food and chill-out zones in their field.

3. What to see

This year’s line-up is epic.

Musical highlights include The Foo Fighters, Patti Smith, Kanye West, FKA Twigs, Caribou, Lionel Richie and Florence and the Machine. And theatre and circus lovers must not miss Le Soiree, which recently won the 2015 Best Entertainment award at the Oliviers.

Other great acts include Dr John Cooper Clarke, Britain’s best loved performance poet, and the Michael Clark Company’s critically acclaimed choreographic piece ‘come, been and gone’, which is mostly performed to the songs of David Bowie.

But it’s not just about who’s on stage. The Unfairground is a cool space filled with weird sculptures and side show circus acts by legendary party and art collective Mutoid Waste Company.

While Shangri-La is an ephemeral city created especially for Glastonbury by over 1500 artists and performers.

4. Where to stay

Camping is obviously an option at Glastonbury, but if you would rather make the most out of the festival and stay in peak condition, then resting at our Glastonbury Travelodge is another smart choice.