I went to my first Glastonbury in 2003. Well, technically I went to my first in 1990, when I was three, dragged around Worthy Farm by my parents, a couple of Glasto OGs. It was in '03, however, that I went as a fully-conscious music fan, and it was an experience I'll never forget. Killer lineup (R.E.M., Radiohead and Moby headlining the Pyramid!), lovely weather and all The Vibes - a foundational few days in the journey of 16 year old me.
Since then I've been to no fewer than eleven more Glastos, and have experienced everything from maddening heatwaves (I think my skin is still peeling from 2019) to those infamous mudbaths (2004 and 2016 haunt me). Over that time, I've amassed a bulletproof battle plan of the bare essentials I need with me to make sure I'm covered for all eventualities. Heading to Glasto this year? Here are five things you'll wanna be bringing.
Good, comfortable footwear
You'd be amazed how many times I've been to Glasto with people that have decided to bust out a fresh pair of Converse, wear in brand new Docs or even pack a pair of high heels (yes, really). Whatever your plans are for this year's festival, I can promise you this: you'll be doing a lot of walking. Wanting to see bands on more than one stage? Big walk. Need to check out a specific area? Big ol' walk. Gonna do nothing but sit in your tent all weekend? Biiiiiiig walk before you can even find a spot to pitch it. If you're reading this right now and don't have any good, durable footwear, buy some right now and wear them in in the lead-up.
Bin liners
Love the festival and leave no trace has been a Glasto mantra for decades, so don't be a dickhead: bring some bin liners and make sure you're cleaning up after yourself. It's not just an easy way to help keep the festival a bit tidier: it'll stop your tent becoming an absolute mess of bottles, cans, wrappers and empty food packets. Pro tip: bin liners can also double up as something to chuck your muddy/dusty boots in to stop your belongings getting all messed up. They can triple up as a real fashion statement if you run out of clothes, too.
Wet wipes
Maybe the most sacred item of all: be it scrubbing off the mud and muck that inevitably finds its way across your body at the tiniest sniff of rain, wiping away suncream and sweat after a long day in the sun or just cleaning up after a cheeky, late night tent snack binge, wet wipes have got your back. They're also an essential shower substitute if you're someone who can't be bothered with walking across site and queuing for hours for the real thing. Oh, and if you forget to bring loo roll (don't forget loo roll!!!), they'll have your back for that too. Or should that be crack?
A decent power bank
Glastonbury has massively improved its access to charging stations, battery swaps and other power-up initiatives in recent years, but you'll still end up queueing for ages or having to go without a phone for a few hours if you don't plan accordingly. So find a decent, portable power bank or two that you can bring with you around site or use to charge up while you're asleep.
Warm clothes
As I write this, it looks like Glasto 2025 might be graced by the tail end of a heatwave. Brilliant! Swimmies and flip flops for all! Except even in Glastonbury's hottest years, you are still ultimately in the middle of the countryside, and it gets bloody nippy in the early hours. Don't make the same mistake I did in 2022 and accidentally leave your big, comfy, warm jumper at home (but if you do, I'd recommend going to the on-site Oxfam store where I managed to pick up a nice, fleecy hoodie after spending a night freezing my baps off).
Glastonbury Festival 2025 takes place next week, June 25-29, at Worthy Farm in Pilton.
* If you missed out on a ticket, you can still catch live sets and more across the five main stages through the BBC's iPlayer. Here's how you can watch Glastonbury 2025 from anywhere. Our hub page has line-ups, stage times, weather forecasts, app details and a section on using a VPN.
