Festivals and gardening might not appear to go hand in hand, but Glastonbury is no ordinary music festival. There is plenty to interest the green-fingered, from gardens to visit to talks and debates.
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It goes without saying that no trip to Glasto is complete without seeing a headliner at the Pyramid Stage, sampling some of the amazing food stalls and stumbling across obscure bands that will become life-long favourites. But here, we’ve rounded up ten other things to do this year that we think make Glastonbury special, and that might appeal to the outdoorsy types like us.
Ten things to do at Glastonbury 2024 as a gardener
Visit The Peace Garden
An unexpected oasis in the Kings Meadow, The Peace Garden is a space to wind down and gather your thoughts. A tribute to mother earth, in The Peace Garden you’ll find beautiful planting and seating areas. Wander under willow archways and lounge between planting beds as a chance to relax and unwind from the hive of activity around the rest of the festival site. You can even take up residence in the ‘seat of contemplation’ which has chamomile arm rests.
Learn more about The Peace Garden.
Visit the Permaculture Garden
By The Green Futures area, you’ll find Glastonbury’s Permaculture Garden. The shady labyrinth of paths leads to a wooden roundhouse and a clay oven. Set up in the nineties, it has a café that sells food made with produce grown in the on-site allotment and educates visitors about the concept of permaculture.
Take part in a plant-focused workshop
In the Greencrafts Village, you can sign up to a £5 flower and moss kokedama workshop or make a seed and mud-ball for free. There will also be free sessions working with fresh flowers with Orchis Floral Design as well as fresh flower headpiece workshops for £5. You could also try your hand at natural plant-dyeing or botanical soap-making.
More info about the Greencrafts Village.
Learn outdoor skills
If crafts aren’t your thing, then you could have a go at some outdoor skills instead. There are plenty of wood carving opportunities in the Greencrafts Village, including a chance to use a pole-lathe, focusing on turning, splitting and shaving. You could also have a go at knot-skills or willow-weaving and learn how to use a hand axe.
Dance the night away under the Rave Tree
In the Greenpeace Field, you’ll find the 22-metre-high Rave Tree. Covered in recycled plastic sculpted into leaves and illuminated with LED lights, the tree is an impressive sight and plays hosts to various acts over the course of the weekend. In previous years, the tree has used lights to demonstrate the relationship between plants and fungi and amplified the importance of soil health. It’s certainly a good spot for nature-lovers to spend their nights at the festival.
Visit the new Tree Stage
Launched in 2023, Woodsies is one of the newest areas of the Glastonbury site and calls itself a ‘hub for live music, heart-warming fires and enchanting treetop adventures.’ This year a new stage has been added to the area. The Tree Stage is an immersive outdoor venue set beneath an oak décor canopy. As well as hosting live music, you’ll be able to catch a presentation by Merlin Sheldrake, author of Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures, about the microscopic lives of fungi. If you stay at Woodsies into the evening, be sure to check out the aerial walkway through the treetops in The Woods, which also offer a shady area to relax in the day.
Learn more about Woodsies and see the full line up.
Watch the sunset
If the weather is kind, nothing beats a Glastonbury sunset. Whether you’re watching an evening act on the Pyramid Stage or you take a moment to hike up to the top of the site and watch the sun go down with the sprawling festival below, it’s a moment not to be missed. Head to the hill above The Park for a great view and take the opportunity to climb to the top of the Ribbon Tower while you’re there.
Attend talks, debates and film screenings
All around Glastonbury there are talks and debates going on. On Wednesday 25 June at 2:15pm, join Wildlife Kate at the Laboratory Stage for a talk on bringing wildlife into your garden. She’ll also be on a panel discussion at the same stage titled Nature on Screen on Thursday alongside Jonny Keeling from the BBC Natural History Unit and film producer Kat Monsoor. At the Speakers Forum, you’ll find a plethora of talks about climate change and climate justice. On Wednesday, Aisha Kerallah will be hosting the talk Gaza: Flowers Don’t Grow Where Bombs Drop.
Visit the oldest oak
It’s easy to forget when you’re at Glastonbury that the festival isn’t always there. The land around the site has its own history separate from the festival, and nothing represents that better than the site’s oldest oak – a 500-year-old tree in the back corner of the Green Kids field. Pay a visit to the tree to see its scale and make the most of the opportunity to relax in the shade of its branches.
Explore the Croissant Neuf Field
Also in the Green Fields, The Croissant Neuf field focuses on the ethos of sustainable lives and futures. Amongst eco displays and interactive stalls, you’ll find planting courtesy of Hillview Nursery including date palms that engulf the seating areas and pond. This is also where you’ll find Seed Sistas, teachers and entertainers focused on educating people on the magic of hedgerow medicine. Regulars to Glastonbury might also recognise the sculptures and table and chairs made from giant redwood by James Golding, who will also be returning to the festival this year with his creations.
This is just a snapshot of all the amazing things that will be on at Glastonbury this year – if you go to any of our suggested spots let us know by using #gardenersatglasto on socials.
Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts runs from 26 – 30 June 2024, for more information on the festival head to glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
