Tips for watching performances

23rd June 2025

With just a couple of days until gates open for Glastonbury 2025, here are some handy tips on getting the most out of watching performances at the Festival.

Keep an eye on the app & website. This year, we’ll be posting a list each morning – here on the website and on the app – of performances which are looking likely to be particularly busy, to help inform your choices for the day, and make it easier for those who’d prefer to avoid bigger crowds.  

Have a plan B. All stages – including outdoor ones, but especially smaller tented venues – have a capacity for safety reasons and there is a chance that for some very popular performances, those will be reached. At that point, access to the field / stage might be temporarily closed, so it’s always worth having other options in mind.

Get there early. If there is a performance that you really don’t want to miss, plan to arrive well in advance (some people literally get there hours ahead of time). And definitely try to avoid arriving just before or during a popular set.

If we announce that a performance is expected to be busy, we would recommend you avoid those ones with children under the age of 13, particularly if they’re in a pushchair or cart, which can be difficult and stressful to navigate through big, bustling crowds. 

Please use the whole venue / field when arriving at a performance and move into space rather than stopping by the entrance. Please also follow the directions of our stewards and security who will be kept informed on the clearest places to send you to. 

Use particular flags, trees or poles etc, as landmarks to meet your mates, rather than the front of house sound engineer’s desk – lots of people use that and it can get crowded near them.

Please let people come past you if you have found your position. There is often lots of space available beyond your favourite spot, and others may wish to go forward.

Please be considerate of others. If you’re arranging chairs or picnic blankets to watch acts from, please position them in sensible, considerate places and avoid placing them on main walking routes. Please make sure there are clear gaps where other people can easily walk through. And please be prepared to move chairs or picnic blankets if requested by a steward – we need to keep certain areas clear for everyone’s safety.

If you are sitting waiting for a gig, please stand up if the area starts to get busy. 

At the end of a popular performance, it’s always worth stopping and having a chat for 10 minutes to avoid the mass exodus. At some point everyone has to pass through an exit, and this does take time.

Look out for our recommended alternative exit routes at the end of popular performances. Often, a longer walking route away can actually be quicker than a shorter one, as it skips the big, slow-moving crowds.

Explore outer space. Head away from the main stage arenas to discover the eclectic otherness and unexpected wonders – convivial campfires, fringe tents and bonkers bars – that truly set Glastonbury apart.