The Glastonbury Getaway

After eventually finishing my 11th and final exam on an overcast Thursday afternoon, already mentally drained following a grueling examination period, I embarked upon what I thought would be a 4 day jaunt to a peaceful and spiritually rich environment. But my first Glastonbury would be spent defying the elements, traipsing through the mud and barely sleeping a wink. Although on the surface this appears to be an inconceivable nightmare, it in fact turned out being one of the most exhilarating trips of my short lifetime thus far, leaving an indelible mark on my memory.

First and foremost, I don’t think it’s possible to do justice describing the scale of the site using just words, it’s hard to believe it’s just a… music festival and is truly one of those ‘must see to understand’ things. With hundreds of stages, thousands of stalls and A LOT of people in all locations at all times, Glastonbury almost resembles a mini city; better than Birmingham too…

The peregrination from the park stage to the John Peel stage was a daunting prospect in the sludge below and if i had a pound for every victim who fell or got stuck in the mud, I’d have had next year's ticket paid for already! A deluge of rain in the early hours of Saturday on top of the flash flood in the week prior meant treacherous conditions along with aching legs every morning, wading through the ankle deep muck made walking on a pavement feel like a distant dream. Whilst viewers at home may have felt smug presuming those ‘suffering’ would be left dejected and dispirited, it was in fact an exuberant carnival atmosphere, albeit a very muddy carnival…

Whilst there are the struggles any festival-goer will have suffered such as carrying toilet roll around 24/7, ‘just in case’, there are beauties only those who’ve been to Glastonbury will be able to understand. From underground wonderlands and socialist politics, to tribal fantasies and radical art, the individuality of the festival separates it not only from other festivals around the world but from every day life too.

At no other place would it be normal for a 70 year old to be in a deep tech club with glitter strewn across his or her face, this complete equality is refreshing in the judgmental society we live in today. It’s hard to imagine there’s anything outside of the sacred walls, that the world carries on, people carry on with their ‘normal lives’ whilst inside the magical bubble of Glastonbury.

#Glastonbury #Culture #Music #Travel #MatthewFarrell #InsertTagline