Is Glastonbury Festival Always Muddy?

People often associate Glastonbury festival with copious amounts of mud. But, Is Glastonbury Festival always muddy? Let’s find out!

I’ve now been lucky enough to attend Glastonbury over 12 times between 2002 and 2022, so here’s my experience!

The History of Weather at Glastonbury

When it comes to Glastonbury, you can’t talk about the festival without mentioning the weather. It’s been a part of the Glastonbury story since the very first festival in 1970.

The festival has evolved over the years, with new stages, performers, and attractions being added.

But one thing that hasn’t changed is the unpredictable weather. Glastonbury is known for its mix of sunshine and rain, and festival-goers have to be prepared for both.

Sometimes you’ll get lucky and have nothing but blue skies, but other times you’ll be trudging through mud and rain.

It’s not just the attendees that have to deal with the weather though, the festival organisers do too.

They have to make sure the stages, tents, and other structures can withstand the elements. And let’s not forget about the performers, who have to perform in all types of weather. But despite the bad weather, the show always goes on.

Memorable Mud

Some of the most memorable Glastonbury festivals have been affected by bad weather.

In 1997, the festival was hit by excessively heavy rain, turning the site into a mud bath. But even with the mud, the festival-goers carried on, creating the now famous “Glastonbury mud” look.

Then in 2005, there was a major floor around Pennard Hill.

But no matter what the weather throws at us, the festival-goers and organisers always adapt.

Is Glastonbury Always Muddy?

So, is Glastonbury always muddy? No, it’s not. But it’s always an adventure, and that’s what makes it so exciting.

2016 was extremely muddy, the ground was completely waterlogged and it was really tough getting around.

But, in 2017, it was completely dry without a drop of mud in site.

The same went for 2019, which was a complete heatwave with wall-to-wall sunshine and temperatures over 30 degrees every day.

In 2022 (after the 2-year break due to the lockdowns), we had mostly dry weather with a few showers, but the ground stayed hard and dry.

British Festival Weather is a Mixed Bag

Believe it or not, hot weather at a British music festival isn’t a comfortable affair. It’s hot, there’s no shade, no breeze and you’re in a field with thousands of sweaty bodies and tents (which are hotter than holy hell inside).

You may be thinking that a wet and muddy festival sounds horrible, but it’s really not so bad.

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There are some disadvantages, it’s difficult to walk around in the claggy mud and there’s no where to sit down to chill out and people watch.

But on the plus side, it keeps the fair-weather crowd away so areas can feel a little less crowded.