My parents finally allowed me to go for the first time in 2001. Unfortunately, that was also the year the festival was cancelled as the local council refused to grant the organisers permission due to the excessive amount of festival-goers who had jumped the fence the previous year. However, the festival was back in force in 2002 on the weekend of 28th June, and I made sure I was there.

Nestled into beautiful Somerset countryside, Glastonbury is known for being the spiritual home for hippies, pagans and alternative beliefs. The site itself is huge, and is a breathtaking sight. A sea of tents stretches across the valley, with the instantly recognisable Pyramid Stage amongst them. The difference this time, though, was th4e shiny metal fence around the perimeter of the festival site, rumoured to have cost millions of pounds. It was this, Glastonbury veterans feared, would make the precious even commercial and elitist, and would lose its attractive ‘free-festival’ charm which makes it so different from others. Its sponsorship by large corporate firm, Mean fiddler, and its extortionate ticket price, backed up these claims. But despite the strong security, Glastonbury Festival remained the unusual celebration of culture it has always been – it even had its advantages, as the crime rate, for example, was down by 50%.

On paper, the line-up for the festival looked very promising. However, due to the many other amusements around the site and the unexpected heat provoking laziness in me, I did not see every band I wished to. The musical highlights of my weekend, though, were The Waterboys and, surprisingly, Stereophonics. With their fast and furious blend of folk and rock, The Waterboys had the crowd in the acoustic tent dancing madly. Stereophonics pulled a massive audience with their set on the main stage, the Pyramid Stage. I strongly recommend anyone to go to Glastonbury Festival, even if the music does not appeal at all – there’s so much else to do and see. There’s hundreds of stalls, selling anything from tofu burgers to rainbow striped trousers. You can go to the outdoor cinema, to watch recent films, such as Lord of the Rings. Some stalls, particularly in the Circus and Theatre fields, encourage participation and organise workshops. In the healing fields, you can relax with the massages and meditation sessions on offer. It’s a unique opportunity to turn your hand to things you may never have even heard of!

But of course, you don’t have to do anything at all. My overall highlight was watching the sun come up whilst sat with friends in sleeping bags at the stone circle in the Sacred Space. Unfortunately, this sunrise meant it was Monday, July 1st, and we were due to leave a few hours later, but it really brought a good ending to the most fantastic weekend. I am definitely going next year and urge anyone to go, particularly if you are hippy inclined, as there are many kindred spirits. People of all ages and nationalities attend, and you never know, you may meet another Hippyland user – this year, for instance, the UK Forum had a gathering.

In short, Glastonbury Festival gave me the chance to meet new people, listen to great music, eat delicious food and even get a suntan. Brilliant.