To paraphrase 1998 Pyramid Stage headliner Bob Dylan, the prices, they are forever a-changing.
Back in 1970 when Worthy Farm held the first-ever Glastonbury festival, you only had to cough up a quid for the ticket. For a single pound sterling, you could set up camp, roam the beautiful Mendip fields and collect free milk from the farm’s dairy cows. When people talk about the “good old days”, this is the idyll that I picture.
Because fast forward a little over half a century and wannabe ticket-holders are now facing a ticket price closer to £400.
I’ve been lucky enough to go to Glastonbury since 2013, and while I maintain it is the greatest festival on the planet, financing it has become increasingly painful. It was tough enough in 2013 when I paid £205, but for this year’s event, one had to muster £373.50 (plus the infernal booking fees) for the privilege. That’s a jump of £168.50 in my relatively short Glasto career. The incredible thing is that 1970’s £1 is worth £19.77 in today’s money with inflation.
I don’t begrudge it though (well, not much). You only need to walk through the entry gates to see how and where all that money is spent: the 13ft 6in security fence alone is nearly five miles long, for crying out loud. Then there are armies of medical staff, security, stage designers, sound technicians, and caterers to pay for. Headline acts accept less than their usual fee for the chance to add Glasto to their CV. And don’t forget, someone has to clean the long drops; someone else has to pour cider at the bar. Only a few of these are volunteers or vendors.
The festival also donates millions to charities like Oxfam, WaterAid and Greenpeace. And there are hundreds of stages and tents speckled across the 900-acre site, which means there’s something for everyone.
As the ticket resale approaches on April 24 (for coach packages) and April 27 (for general release), I have my fingers crossed for a final go before 2026’s fallow year. But I have to face the likelihood that I’m probably not going to strike it lucky this time, no matter how hard I manifest by writing this article or praying to the Festival Gods.
And so, I have created a list of consolation prizes to consider if you don’t get a ticket on the final try.
Whether you spend that £373.50 on a new piece of furniture, escape FOMO by going on a trip over the festival dates, or splash out on chic designer garb, I’ve got the best runner-up options to buy now and make yourself feel (slightly) better.
And listen, who needs all that mud, dealing with compost loos and lower back pain anyway?
Shop now
Your 2025 Festival Fashion Guide: What to wear to Glastonbury, Primavera and more
Best experience gifts for adults: 20 unique ideas
Best vitamins for hangovers: What does the science say will help?
Best spa day gift packages to pamper your family and friends
Best cheap travel deals to book in April 2025: Flights and hotels
Escape for the weekend
Who needs Worthy Farm when you can spend the whole weekend at Berghain? Tickets to Berlin are currently £66 return with Ryanair from June 25 to June 30, so you can counter unbearable posts from your festival-attendee friends with your own smug pictures at arguably Europe’s coolest club.
Or head to the Med for reliable sunshine in Palermo for £276 return with easyJet.
Find accommodation at Airbnb or Booking.com.
The Treehouse at Liberty with Wildsmith Skin
The Radical Botany facial offers a holistic approach to skin health and wellbeing, utilising award-winning Wildsmith Skin formulas for immediate results. The treatment includes a sequence of breathwork, myofascial release and craniosacral holds to dissipate tension and restore balance.
What truly makes this a brilliant value treat is the fact that the £120 you spent on the facial will then be redeemable on Wildsmith products in-store following the treatment. If you’re in a rush, you can book a 30-minute treatment for £60 instead, which will also be redeemable in-store. Facial therapy followed by retail therapy? Sign us up.
Buy now £120.00, Wildsmith Skin
ABBA Voyage
If it’s a show you want, it’s a show you’ll get with ABBA Voyage. One of London’s most talked-about productions, it has all the hallmarks of a great festival: think epic sets, iconic disco tracks and streams of sequinned-speckled party-goers.
Set in a purpose-built cathedral to one of Sweden's greatest musical exports, ABBA Voyage is made for disco-lovers of all ages. Expect incredible lightwork and avatars that feel like hallucinations. Want to make it extra special? Add lounge access for bubbly and nibbles before the show takes off.
Bookings are available from £67 in late June.
Buy now £67.00, Fever Up
Pioneer DJ PLX-500-K
Best for: Career-hungry future DJs
Pioneer is the go-to brand for all things DJ; the brand’s mixers and speakers are de rigueur for producers and late-night venues, thanks to their practical engineering and near-indestructibility. The PLX-500-K is a budget version of the poster-child record player, and an absolute must-own for budding DJs on a relative budget – but why?
For starters, this is one of the best direct-drive turntables you will get in this price bracket. This alone is enough to justify spending a little more, given the accuracy with which records can be replayed (and the effective elimination of speed ‘warble’ as a result). The construction is also remarkably solid, with a hefty baseplate and a rugged tonearm that balances its weight well.
The PLX-500-K also features some essential tools on which DJs rely. A fader offers fine control of motor speed, enabling plus or minus 8 per cent of the set speed for beat-matching. A separate start/stop button allows direct control over the platter itself, with instantaneous response. The platter has a strobe indicator embossed around its edges, illuminated by the power switch and by an optional pop-up light on the right-hand side. As for the tonearm, there are myriad controls for affecting the likes of tracking speed and anti-skate, allowing you to dial in the right settings for both the playing of the record and its long-term health.
Finally, and of course, the PLX-500 has a USB out that enables digital recording of your vinyl records – making it all the easier to transfer your all-vinyl sets to USBs and take your performances out to CDJs. All of this is housed in a chassis built to last, making a turntable that is every bit the professional tool it was designed to be. At this price, these features are an excellent provision – but only those of a certain disposition would truly benefit from them all.
Buy now £319.00, Amazon
Mejuri Lab Grown Sapphire Tennis Bracelet
Swap a grotty festival wristband for arm candy you'll actually want to wear all year round. Tennis season is coming up fast, so make your summer look with this sparkly tennis bracelet studded with lab-grown sapphires. The sterling silver option comes well under Glasto's 2025 ticket price, but there's a gold option that's not too far off if you prefer it too.
Buy now £298.00, Mejuri
Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer
Dyson’s hair dryers are some of the best on the market, so you can say goodbye to hair-dragged-through-a-hedge-backwards locks. This one in particular comes with multiple attachments to suit all hair types and is engineered to protect your scalp from the heat while multiplying airflow threefold.
Buy now £349.99, Argos
Lay-Z-Spa Miami AirJet Inflatable Hot Tub Spa 2-4 person
You'll have the last laugh if you buy this four-person hot tub to set up in the garden while Glasto attendees slog through dust and mud.
The tub boasts a 120 AirJet massage system and can heat water up to a warm 40°C, creating a spa-like scene in your back garden. There's also Freeze Shield technology which means you can enjoy it all year round.
Set up is easy but there's a UK-based support team should you need it and you'll get a two-year warranty.
Buy now £299.00, Amazon
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Eau de Parfum, 70ml
There is a certain, um, scent, that folks returning from Glastonbury emanate: call it the consequences of barely washing for four days. Make yourself smell even sweeter with Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s cult fragrance Baccarat Rouge 540, a not-too-shabby £128.50 cheaper than 2025’s ticket price for the 70ml option.
Buy now £245.00, John Lewis
Clase Azul Reposado tequila 700ml
Long gone are the days of tequila with a worm at the bottom of the bottle or a sombrero-themed bottle top.
Modern iterations of the Mexican spirit are designed to be savoured, not chased with a wedge of lime. With tequila reigning supreme in the drinks world, now is your excuse to try something really special.
From artisan producer Clase Azul comes this white and blue ceramic decanter, its beauty rivalled only by the liquid within. Smooth and full-bodied, the spirit, made from pure Weber blue agave, slips smoothly down the throat, imparting undertones of vanilla and toffee caramel along the way.
We had no idea that tequila could be this good. A triumph.
Buy now £176.00, The Whisky Exchange
Book an alternative festival
Dreaming of dancing in a field until sunrise? The good news is that the UK’s festival circuit is as good as it’s ever been, with dozens of Glasto-esque weekenders to set up camp in.
The Isle of Wight festival takes place a couple of weekends before Glasto from June 19 - 22. Big names include Faithless, Stereophonics, Justin Timberlake and Clean Bandit (weekend tickets from £289.95).
Latitude offers a similar vibe on a smaller scale and this year’s headliners include Sting, Fatboy Slim and Snow Patrol (July 24 - 27, £308 for adult weekend tickets).
You’ll find Chappel Roan, A$AP Rocky and Jamie XX playing Rock en Seine in Paris from August 20 - 24 with multi-day passes from €229 or less for adults.
And if you’d rather stay on this side of the Channel, London plays host to some incredible day parties from Mighty Hoopla and All Points East to Field Day and Wireless. Plus you’ll stay looking festival fresh and get to sleep in your own bed every night.
Buy now, Ticketmaster
