Are you getting excited for Glastonbury festival? We sure are! The music, the atmosphere, the memories – it’s all just too good to resist. But before you start packing your bags and planning your outfits, you might be wondering: can I bring a gazebo to Glastonbury festival?
Well, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of packing your gazebo for Glastonbury. We’ll also provide some tips and alternative solutions to make sure you have the best festival experience possible.
Gazebos seem simple enough and are pretty useful to some, but, there are very mixed feelings about them from festival goers and the festivals organisers.
Mixed Feelings About Gazebos
You see, gazebos can be a great addition to any festival experience, providing a little extra shade and shelter during those hot summer days. While also sheltering shivering festival goers from rain and wind when it’s one of those ‘muddy’ years.
Understandably people want to be able to gather together to enjoy the surroundings and experiences of the camp ground. But do you spend that much time at your tent to require one?
Camping space at Glastonbury is limited, and Gazebos take up lots of precious space, so ask yourself – do you really need a gazebo?
How much time will you be spending under your gazebo when there’s a huge festival going on around you?
What is Glastonbury Festival’s Rule Regarding Gazebos?
Glastonbury Festival in the run up to the 2022 festival released a post on it’s news page and over social media, asking people to please not bring gazebos.
They also mention this in other places like their section about what not to bring on their website.
Please don’t bring gazebos to #Glastonbury2022. They take up valuable space & often get left. People may be politely asked to take them down to free up space. Also please don’t put tape around your camps, it makes it harder for others to get through and creates unnecessary waste. pic.twitter.com/meSzIZhcau
— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) June 16, 2022
What Is The Problem With Gazebos?
As much as you may love the idea of a gazebo at your camp, they inevitably take up valuable tent space and often get left behind.
Camping space is already limited and popular campsites fill up really quickly. Gazebos just take up unnecessary space and can be seen as quite selfish.
Gazebos will take up a lot of space if you consider the footprint of the gazebo itself when it’s up, including space around the gazebo to move and lastly the tents associated with it.
That’s a lot of space for just your group.
Gazebos are also notoriously bad at staying upright in anything more than a gentle breeze. It’s not uncommon to see flying gazebos are Glastonbury and other British festivals.
A major downside to taking a gazebo, is that you can attract the attention of the camp ground stewards who may ask you to take them down and allow others to camp in the spaces.
Or you could draw the anger of those struggling to find camp space, and return to your tents to find the gazebo moved or with new tents under and around it!
You will also find that any open area in the camp ground will become a path or route, so although you will have space, you will be sharing it with passers by. All times of night.
Try to be respectful if you are camping in a popular field.
After The Festival
Gazebos are commonly abandoned and left behind after a festival. They’re cheap, but cumbersome to carry so it’s common for them to be dumped at left in the fields.
Glastonbury Festival has led the way with making the festival experience as eco friendly as possible where they can.
They have led initiatives to reduce the amount of waste stalls and festival goers.
LOVE THE FARM, LEAVE NO TRACE.
Every festival goer should be taking everything home they brought with them that isn’t bin bagged away.
Gazebos are not indestructible, too much wind, too much rain, too many trips and falls in to and over them!
Gazebos will take off if not secured properly, and the gazebos you’ll find in Lidl throughout the summer are not the best quality, and certainly not designed to withstand days of bad weather.
If your gazebo was to fall on someone or hit the power lines, it would be a disaster.
This damage – however hilarious it was when it happened – will reduce your willingness to take it home. Gazebos are one of the big problems at the end of the festival. You can see their torn fabric and broken poles sticking up out of the field, like old bones.
Even if your gazebo survives, they can be difficult to repack especially if it’s the first time you’ve had to do it or the original box or bag is lost. So they get left behind.
What Else Can I take To Glastonbury Instead of a Gazebo?
Have a look at the list we’ve put together to help with some ideas on have to still have shelter but avoid taking a gazebo!
- You always have your tent! If you chose the right tent it can provide all the shelter you need, and it’s a great way to have your own personal space at the festival. If you are in a group you can all share a larger tent or have one person bring a larger tent with a porch. We know this is a bit of a grey area as you’re technically still “taking up” more space.
- If you’re looking for something lightweight and easy to carry, you can bring a camping tarp. Tarps are a great option for providing shelter and are easier to set up and take down. You can secure a tarp to your tents and take spare poles with you to give some height.
- Another option is to bring a pop-up beach canopy. A useful smaller alternative to a gazebo and can provide shade and shelter without taking up too much space.
- Take a small parasol! They’re lightweight, easy to carry, and can provide a good amount of shade. And do not take up much space! Even some camping chairs will have designated places for a parasol to attach.
And while we’re on the topic of camping, let’s talk about tent enclosures.
We know you want to keep your personal space private and secure, but please don’t put tape around your tents.
Not only does it make it harder for others to get to their tents, but it can also cause a hazard in the night. Tape also results in un necessary waste.
So, let’s all pitch our tents and make some new friends instead!
Final Thoughts
Don’t worry, we’re not trying to rain on your parade gazebo.
In this blog post, we have considered the pleas and requests made by Glastonbury Festival in the past for people to leave the gazebo at home, but have to note that they haven’t outright banned them “yet”
Please consider what we have said and maybe opt for one of our other options that are easier to put up and take down.
So, let’s make a pact to leave the gazebos at home and make room for everyone to enjoy the festival together.
