Glastonbury Festival 2024: 8 tips from health experts on how to stay well at a music festival

• Glastonbury Festival is kicking off with thousands travelling to Worthy Farm in Pilton.
• Tens of thousands of festival goers will be in attendance - but what happens if you get sick or need medical help?
• We’ve outlined everything you need to know about accessing medical care at Glastonbury Festival.
• Also, our experts have shared 6 top tips on what you can do to stay well.

Festival season is finally here, with tens of thousands of music fans descending on Glastonbury Festival. Things have been warming up in the UK, with hot temperatures expected over the weekend and a “mostly warm, dry and settled” weather forecast on the horizon.

This year will see headline performances from Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA, while Canadian country star Shania Twain will play the coveted legends slot to packed crowds at Worthy Farm, Pilton.

However, it’s not all fun and games, there are lots of hazards to watch out for including heatstroke, tinnitus and food poisoning. Our experts have put together eight top tips on staying safe this Glastonbury.

Are there doctors at Glastonbury?

Yes, there are doctors at Glastonbury and medical facilities at locations across the festival site including the main medical hub at Big Ground campsite with smaller medical units at Park Home and Cabaret, as well as a first aid centre at Worthy View.

The medical facilities are ran by the charity Festival Medical Services (FMS), which was founded in 1979 and has been serving the music festival’s medical needs ever since. The healthcare team is ran by Dr Chris Howes and is staffed by volunteers.

It provides a variety of services for patients with facilities including doctors who are specialised in emergency medicine, nurses, paramedics, first aid responders, imaging services (x-ray and ultrasound), mental health and wellbeing services and physiotherapy.

Here are the medical facilities available according to Glastonbury Festival:

Big Ground Medical Centre

• Emergency Department
• X-ray facility
• Doctor & Nurse Consultations
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Emergency Dental Services
• Psychiatric and Substance Misuse Service
• Dispensing Pharmacy

Park Home Medical Centre

• Minor Injuries Unit

Cabaret Walk-In Centres

• Doctor & Nurse Consultations
• Treatment of minor illnesses and injuries

Is there a pharmacy at Glastonbury?

There are two pharmacies at Glastonbury located in the Big Ground Medical Centre and opposite William’s Green on the walk through towards West Holt.

If you are attending Glastonbury with prescription medication, it’s important to follow their prescribed medicines policy which you can read on GlastonburyFestival.com. If you take medications that need to be refrigerated this can be facilitated by FMS.

How can you stay well at Glastonbury?

There’s nothing worse than feeling ill when you’re not in your own bed, but being under the weather at Glastonbury not only means you’re sick without your home comforts, but you could also miss out on seeing some of your favourite bands.

Here are eight top tips from health experts on how to stay healthy at Glastonbury and what you can do to prevent yourself from getting sick

Dehydration

One of the main things to avoid is getting dehydrated, combining alcohol and sunshine can lead to dehydration, with doctors urging festival goers to make sure they drink plenty of water.

Nick Higginson, CEO of Phoenix Health & Safety explains: “Being outdoors in the heat can be physically demanding, especially if you’re on your feet, dancing. If you combine this with drinking alcohol, it can easily lead to exhaustion.”

To prevent yourself from getting dehydrated, Higginson recommends a large reusable water bottle which you can refill using the hundreds of free water points available around the site.

Athlete’s foot

Glastonbury is infamous for its rain and mud and whilst the UK has seen warm temperatures this week, festival sites are breeding grounds for bacteria - especially if all you have is soggy shoes and wet feet.

Dr Adam Staten, clinical director at One Day Tests and NHS GP, advises festival goers to keep their feet as clean and dry as possible. Dr Staten explains: “Athlete’s foot is caused by a fungal infection which thrives in moist conditions. You can avoid athlete’s foot by keeping your feet clean and dry, and allowing air to get to them when possible.”

Food poisoning

There will be plenty of food to choose from at Glastonbury, but it’s important to be wary of how long it’s been left out in the sun, the last thing you want is to miss your favourite band because you ate some dodgy curry.

Dr Staten explains: “Food poisoning is caused by eating food that is contaminated with viruses or bacteria. Any cooked food you eat should be piping hot when served and you should avoid eating food that has been left to stand out.”

Cheryl Lythgoe, nurse and matron at Benenden Health adds: “Bacteria grows quicker when the weather is warm, so if the sun is out, take extra care around riskier foods such as seafood and chicken. Vomiting and/or diarrhoea can lead to dangerous dehydration surprisingly quickly, so stay alert to this possibility.”

Tinnitus

Thousands of fans are excited to see amazing performances from the likes of Dua Lipa and Shania Twain, however, the thumping bass during these sets could lead to tinnitus.

The NHS defines tinnitus as hearing sounds that come from inside your body, rather than an outside source. Hannah Samuels, an audiologist at Boots Hearingcare, explains: “Prolonged exposure to loud music can permanently damage the delicate structures of the inner ear, and cause hearing loss and tinnitus.”

She recommends using hearing protection ear plugs of muffs, “as these lower the level of sound, but still enable you to hear everything and it can often sound better, too”.

Insect bites

Itchy insects bites are not something campers want to be dealing with next week. Dr Staten explains: “Insects tend to aim for parts of the body where blood vessels are closest to the surface, so they often bite around the wrist and ankles.”

He adds: “Keeping these areas covered is a good way to avoid bites, but might not be practical on a hot day, in which case, your best option is to regularly apply insect repellent, or wear a sunscreen that contains repellent.”

Sprained ankles

Sandals might be tempting, but it’s important to protect your ankles. Higginson explains: “While it’s fun to put on colourful outfits, wearing unsupportive shoes like sandals can easily lead to sprained ankles, which could result in the rest of your weekend being a lot less enjoyable.”

He adds: “Make sure you’re wearing comfortable clothing that allows for easy movement, along with closed-toe shoes with good traction and support, that can help prevent slips, trips and falls on uneven ground.”

Sunburn

Summer sun has reached the Glastonbury Festival, with temperatures in Pilton rising to 25C. It can be tempting to get a tab, but health professionals have reminded festival-goers to protect their skin from UV rays.

The NHS recommends using sun cream with at least SPF 30, and 4 or 5 star ultraviolet A (UVA) protection. Lythgoe advises: “If you do get sunburnt, head for shade, cool the skin with tepid water, take pain killers and apply calamine lotion or after-sun cream.”

Heatstroke

It’s important to stay alert and hydrated in case sunburn turns into heat exhaustion, or the much more serious heatstroke. Signs of heat exhaustion include: dizziness, headaches, feeling sick and excessive sweating, according to the NHS. However, if symptoms do not subside after 30 minutes, it could be heatstroke.

Dr Ross Perry, GP and medical director of Cosmedics skin clinics explains: “If you are experiencing heat exhaustion for an extended period of time, it can lead to heatstroke, which can be extremely dangerous. If you think you might have heat exhaustion or heatstroke, you need to speak to a GP immediately.”

Anyone needing medical help while at Glastonbury Festival should head to one of the medical tents available across the site. You can find out more about what health facilities are available and how to access first aid and medical care at GlastonburyFestivals.com.