The leading location of music, mud and the only wellingtons you’ll ever willingly wear in your life, Glastonbury takes place in England’s most exclusive…distant field. Yes, despite its famed title, the UK’s best music festival doesn’t actually happen in the town that is its namesake, it takes place a country mile away (or 7 standard miles).

　　When is Glastonbury 2023?

This year, Glastonbury festival is from Wednesday 21st June to Monday 26th June 2023. Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses, Elton John, Lizzo and Lewis Capaldi are only some of the artists that will headline Glastonbury's main stages.

　　Well, where is Glastonbury then?

Glastonbury is held in Pilton, a village just east of Glastonbury town in Somerset. During the event, a city-sized population of people travel to this quiet place to transform it into one of the biggest festivals in the world. Are you one of the lucky ones that managed to get tickets this year? If you want to know the best ways to travel to Glastonbury festival, allow us to enlighten you.

　　Train to Glastonbury

Although the train to Glastonbury isn’t direct (or even possible considering Glastonbury Station is no longer active) it’s still the transport of choice for many a festival-goer as it's still an easy way to travel there. You'll have to swap a carriage for a coach to complete your journey, and travelling almost exclusively with fellow music lovers is sure to make it a real party train.

Make sure to book tickets for the train to Castle Cary. The little station that could, this quaint country transport hub becomes your gateway to musical magic once a year. The station is serviced by trains running from London Paddington station to Penzance, stopping off at Bristol, Weymouth and Plymouth, so whether you start your musical pilgrimage from the coast or one of several major airports, you can get to Castle Cary easily.

From here, you can do one of several things - a) embrace the countryside way of life and cycle to the festival site (it’s neatly along the National Cycle Route), b) take the frequent Glastonbury shuttle bus (every 15 minutes for the first few days and last day of the festival), or c) hitch a ride with any incoming partiers who are driving to Glastonbury (the festival actively tries to promote carsharing for a greener way to arrive).

The shuttle bus will only admit you onboard if you show your ticket, so make sure it’s on you and not waiting with your mate at the festival gate. Driving invites the generally unpleasant task of parking and then walking from whatever distant spot your vehicle was relegated to, so is not really advised. As for bikes, Glastonbury is green and groovy so you’ll find plenty of space to lock up your wheels, although motorbikes won’t be allowed past the carpark.

　　Coach to Glastonbury

When it comes to how to get to Glastonbury, even we, the great train-lovers, are happy to champion the humble coach just a little. Coaches to Glastonbury are the most direct means of reaching the festival site and will deliver you right to the gates.

National Express coaches have an extensive network and frequent services that will connect you to the musical field from over 75 locations across the country. So, whether your starting point is Cambridge or Cardiff, you can trust the festival’s official travel partner.

　　Driving to Glastonbury

As mentioned, parking at Glastonbury can be a veritable nightmare (and that’s before we mention getting un-parked to make your way home at the end of the festival which can take up to 9 hours). Parking is also spread across an expansive area – if you don’t approach the field in the same direction as your parking area of choice, you’re unlikely to ever get there, and even once you’ve parked (at £45 a pop), you can look forward to a 30-minute walk to the nearest stage. One exception to this is the Worthy View campsite, Glastonbury’s premium camping area which boasts its own exclusive car park that’s also mercifully close to its neat rows of pre-erected tents.

If you do go ahead and take to the wheel, you should feed the Glastonbury address into your sat nav, although most systems will only take you so far, and to enter the festival grounds proper you’ll have to keep an eye out for official signage:

Worthy Farm

Worthy Lane

Pilton

Shepton Mallet

Somerset

BA4 4BY

　　Get ready for Glastonbury

We hope we’ve made getting to Glastonbury easier for you, so all you have to worry about now is learning how to pitch a tent (or finding a mate to do it for you).

Trainline does not have any affiliation with Glastonbury Festival, for more information on Glastonbury Festival please visit their website.