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- Posted: 13/03/2025
Glastonbury Festival 2025: The ultimate guide for first-timers and families
Jenna Carr
The Travel Mum
Glastonbury Festival for First Timers!
Thinking of attending Glastonbury Festival this year? You’re in for an unforgettable experience! If you missed out on tickets in November, don’t give up just yet. The re-sale opens in April and we’re here to help you have your best Glasto yet!
The 2025 Glastonbury Festival is on from 25th-29th June and you don’t need us to tell you it’s one of the most iconic music festivals in the world. Since it started in 1970, it has grown into a cultural phenomenon, attracting over 200,000 attendees each year. It’s set in the picturesque fields of Worthy Farm, Somerset, and you will see some of the most successful artists from around the world play in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
This guide is perfect for first-timers and families looking to experience the magic of Glastonbury, covering everything from how to get tickets, planning your travel, the different stages, deciding where to camp and everything in between!
Ticket information
Tickets for Glastonbury Festival 2025 initially went on sale in November 2024, with a re-sale for returned / unpaid tickets happening in early April 2025. During this round you can only purchase four tickets (instead of six) but everything else remains the same. Glastonbury re-sale tickets are sold exclusively here. The re-sale is super competitive, so be prepared with a strong internet connection.
We have been quite lucky with tickets and visited the festival a fair few times. Bizarrely, it is always my mum using the oldest phone that gets through! Other tactics for getting tickets include grouping together with lots of friends and family. Everyone be ready with all the registration numbers. If one person gets through, they can get tickets for everyone.
Tickets cost £373.50 plus a £5 booking fee, which includes access to all stages, performances, and areas.
Kids under 12 enter for free and don’t need a ticket, making it an excellent festival for families.
Getting to Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury can be reached by train, coach, bike or car.
If you’re travelling by car, you’re encouraged to reduce your carbon footprint and the traffic around the site by car sharing. Parking costs around £50.
There is no train station in Glastonbury – the closest station is Castle Cary and there is a free shuttle bus for ticket holders running to the festival site.
You can also buy tickets with coach transport, and National Express and other services offer festival-specific routes.
Where to Stay – Camping vs. Alternatives
Lots of people don’t realise that Glastonbury Festival is set up to cater to all age groups and you definitely don’t have to sleep next to a tent full of drunk people! There are quieter camping fields designated for the ‘festival families’ such as Cockmill, Wicket Ground, Lower Mead or Hawkwell and there is a ‘Kidzfield’ full of everything a toddler / child could wish for. I wrote about heading to Glastonbury with kids here.
But if you want to be in a more lively spot with a younger crowd, campsites like Pennard Hill, Park Home Ground, and Oxylers, are near the Pyramid Stage.
It’s a good idea to decide in advance where you want to camp by using the map and finding the closest gate to enter. Pretty much all of the campsites have food and drink options nearby, toilets, a water point, a valuable store, and 24/7 stewards.
Alternative accommodation
If camping isn’t your thing, consider luxury glamping nearby, camper van spots, or nearby hotels and Airbnb options.
What to Pack
You might be inclined to pack lots of ‘just-in-case’ items. But as long as you pack the essentials and prepare for all weathers, you’ll have a blast!
Camping essentials:
- A good quality tent and sleeping bag. Top tip: upsize your tent. Typical tent-to-people ratios go out of the window at festivals since you also need to account for all the belongings!
- Trolley for lugging your items to and from your tent
- Tent flag / bunting
- Towel – micro-fibre towels are thin, lightweight and dry quickly
- Pillow
- Sleeping / yoga mat (or a blow up mattress)
Festival essentials
- Wellies and a poncho (British weather is unpredictable!)
- Suncream and sunglasses
- Waterproof gear and warm clothing
- Reusable water bottle
- Biodegradable wipes
- A lightweight backpack
- Power bank for phone charging
- Festival outfits – don’t forget the sparkle!
- Picnic rug or ground sheet
- Torch or head torch
What NOT to Bring:
- Glass items (strictly prohibited)
- Too many heavy items – pack light!
- Disposable plastic – aim for sustainability
Food and Drink at Glastonbury
As well as being a music festival, Glastonbury is a food-lovers paradise! There are hundreds of food stalls with a variety of delicious cuisines to sample. Whether you fancy eating Thai, Italian, Indian, Caribbean, Greek, burgers or a good old fashioned bacon sandwich, there are loads of things to choose from. There are also a large number of vegetarian and vegan stalls. Have a good wander around – you’ll be amazed at what you can find. You should budget about £10-£15 per meal.
Many stalls will offer a £5 meal option to help people stick to a tighter budget.
If you’re on a budget, you can bring your own food and alcohol. Non-perishable snacks like energy bars, nuts, and dried fruits are a good shout, but no glass bottles are allowed. We always take a little stove and some pot noodles for a quick and cheap lunch.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated! There’s free water refill stations across the site.
The Stages
Glastonbury has many stages, including:
- Pyramid Stage – The biggest names headline here. It’s the main stage and is instantly recognisable
- Other Stage – The second main stage that showcases top-tier acts
- West Holts – A mix of jazz, hip-hop, and world music
- Smaller stages include: The Park, Avalon, Arcadia, John Peel Stage, Marquee Stage and Acoustic Stage
The line up was recently announced and you can find it here.
Pro tips:
- Arrive early for headliners to get a good spot.
- Explore smaller stages for hidden gems.
- Explore things outside of the music such as crafts, circus, holistic therapies, cinema and visit the Glastonbury pier for seaside fun!
- If you are visiting with a baby, have a read of our blog post Glastonbury with a baby!
Beyond the Music – What else is on offer?
The Glasto experience extends far beyond the stages. From theatre performances, art installations and a wellness area, the festival is more than just music. So, when you’re at Glastonbury, be sure to venture off the beaten path and immerse yourself in all the festival has to offer – you’ll make unforgettable memories.
Surviving the Festival – Tips and Tricks
If you’re a first-timer, you’re probably wondering how the hell you’re going to survive the chaos! Here’s some tips:
Staying clean:
- Bring biodegradable wipes
- Use the festival’s shower facilities early in the morning before it gets too busy. There is a big block on the Greenpeace field.
- Composting toilets and long-drop toilets are standard. Take your own loo roll and soap.
- Always carry hand sanitiser.
Staying safe:
- Use a bum bag or money belt for valuables
- Avoid leaving valuables in your tent.
- Mark your tent distinctively to easily find it, especially at night. Use flags, colourful tape, or unique markers
- Arrange meeting points with friends in case you get lost. Phone signal is usually really poor.
- It goes without saying to be aware of your surroundings: Keep an eye on your belongings as the crowds can be hotspots for pickpocketing
- Pack basic medical supplies like plasters, paracetamol, diarrhoea relief just in case!
Leaving Glastonbury – What to expect
When it’s time to leave Glastonbury Festival, it’ll be busy and there will be significant traffic congestion, potentially taking several hours depending on the time of day. Most people leave on Monday morning after the festival, so be prepared for delays and consider leaving earlier in the morning, later in the afternoon or even leaving Sunday night to avoid the peak rush.
Make sure you pack up your tent and take everything with you. The site has lots of recycling points dotted around.
Post-festival, don’t forget to hydrate and get plenty of rest. Embrace the post-festival blues by planning for next year!
In Summary
Whether it’s your first time, you’re a seasoned festival-goer or have kids in tow, Glastonbury Festival is an unforgettable experience. Are you heading there this year? Considering trying for tickets in the resale?! Let us know what you’re most excited about!
Written by: Jenna Carr
The Travel Mum
Our little family is passionate about helping you save money. We are real people who understand the need to make your budget go further. With The Travel Mum we have created a vibrant community of over 650k budget savvy travellers who want to travel more while spending less. No problem is too big or small, together we will do everything in our power to make sure you are making the absolute most of your well earned budget!
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All jokes aside, we’ve had a lot of stick over the years for taking our son to festivals, I can see you keyboard warriors getting ready.. yet it’s always from people who haven’t taken their kids to a festival 😆
The family festival community is amazing, everyone is so much fun, so open minded and kind and just the best people. There’s arts, crafts, music from around the world, circus, games, food. They make friends, watch theatre and get to experience that “festival vibe” that you honestly don’t get anywhere else in the world. (And kids under 12 don’t need a ticket 👀)
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Which is your favourite festival?!
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I’ll be posting more about our trip in the coming days.
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