So, you’re probably here right now because you forgot all about Glastonbury tickets going on sale last week and are now feeling extremely sorry for yourself. Or maybe you’re among the hundreds of thousands who went to eye-watering lengths to get their mitts on a ticket, but missed out when they sold out in under an hour.
But fear not – if you’re still desperate to get through the gates at Worthy Farm, and you don’t want to risk the emotional roller coaster of a resale (the first one is scheduled for March 23 2023, fyi), there are several other ways you could (legally) get into Glasto next year, without even having to stump up the hefty ticket price. Here are your options.
Pick up some shifts
Every year, more than 2,000 people volunteer at the festival. WaterAid, Oxfam and Shelter are among the charities that partner with the festival every year. Each organisation needs volunteers. Typically, you’re expected to commit to working three to four eight-hour shifts over the five days. This could include anything from working at a bar and cleaning the loos to litter picking, checking tickets or being a steward. The rest of the time is yours to enjoy the festival.
And there are apparently a lot of other benefits (other than getting free entry to the biggest music festival in the UK). If you volunteer with Oxfam, for example, you get access to a communal marquee for volunteers, free boiling water, tea and coffee supplies, free phone-charging, access to crew loos and hot showers, plus a meal token per shift. Sounds pretty good, right?
Be a first-aider
Okay, so for this one, you need first-aid training (this really isn’t a ‘fake it till you make it’ role). If you have medical, paramedic or first-aid qualifications, you can apply to join Dr Chris Howes’s team of volunteers by applying here. Much of the medical care at the festival comes courtesy of student medics volunteering for free. So if you’re a student medic, sign up!
Glastonbury Festival takes place from June 21 to 25 2023, and volunteering is usually pretty sought after, so sign up and register your interest now.
You can find out more about working at Glastonbury here.
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