As the countdown to Glastonbury Festival 2025 ticks closer, excitement and preparation are in full swing for what promises to be a spectacular weekend of music, culture, and communal celebration. Set to take place from June 27th to June 29th at Worthy Farm, the festival is gearing up to welcome thousands of attendees for a lineup featuring headline acts such as The 1975, Neil Young, Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, Loyle Carner, and The Prodigy.
But amidst the anticipation, there are important considerations for festival-goers, from health warnings to weather forecasts and strict rules on what to bring. Here’s everything you need to know to make the most of your Glastonbury experience this year.
First and foremost, health officials have issued a timely warning about a measles outbreak that has been spreading across parts of the UK, particularly in the South West of England and London. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported 420 confirmed measles cases since the start of 2025, with London accounting for 39% of these. In May alone, there were 86 cases, following 109 in April, signaling a concerning upward trend.
Dr. Alasdair Wood, Health Protection consultant for UKHSA South West, emphasized the risks that festivals pose in such circumstances. “We want festivalgoers to enjoy their time at Glastonbury and other festivals this year. Being aware of the current health risks will help those attending enjoy their time, as much as possible,” he told ITV News. Dr. Wood urged those who are not fully vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) to consult their GP before attending. This call is particularly significant for people born between 1970 and 1990, who may have missed out on full immunization during childhood.
Measles is highly contagious, spreading easily through breathing, coughing, and sneezing—conditions that are all too common in crowded festival environments. Festival organizers and health authorities alike are stressing the importance of vaccination and caution, including staying home if feeling unwell or advised to isolate due to infection.
Meanwhile, weather forecasts suggest that festival-goers should prepare for a mixed bag of conditions. Self-taught weather enthusiast James Carter from Weston-super-Mare has analyzed meteorological models and predicts a volatile climate at Worthy Farm, with a blend of warm sunshine and heavy, thundery showers. Temperatures could peak around 27°C, bringing hot and humid spells, but with intermittent downpours that may be hit or miss in their intensity and duration.
“It's going to be hot, humid, but also thundery,” Carter explained. “Definitely wear sun cream. There's definitely going to be sunshine, and as is always the case with thundery downpours, you might not see any at all, so in that case it could be completely dry.” He also advised packing a raincoat, underscoring the unpredictable nature of convective showers expected to dominate rather than steady frontal rain.
The Met Office, however, cautions that it is still too early for a precise forecast. Weather expert Alex Deakin noted, “Glastonbury is two weeks away. Anyone that tells you exactly what the weather is going to be doing at Worthy Farm at this long range is, well, making it up.” He added that there is a slightly higher chance of high pressure near the UK during the festival period, which could lead to more settled and dry weather, but no guarantees exist.
Other sources like Accuweather and BBC Weather offer somewhat differing views but generally agree on a pattern of sporadic showers early in the festival, followed by drier, sunnier, and cooler conditions towards the weekend. This variability reflects Glastonbury’s famously erratic 55-year climatic history, which has seen extremes such as a record 31.2°C in 2017 and a deluge of 60.1mm rainfall in a single day back in 2007.
As with every year, the festival has a strict policy on banned and prohibited items to ensure safety and environmental responsibility. Attendees should be aware that searches will be conducted at entry points, and any illegal or offensive items will be confiscated without return. The list of forbidden items is extensive and includes illegal drugs, offensive weapons, powered vehicles without written approval, all animals except registered guide and police dogs or horses, and excessive amounts of cigarettes, alcohol, or soft drinks beyond personal use.
Glass containers and bottles are strictly prohibited to protect both people and livestock, as are unauthorized sound systems, knives, counterfeit merchandise, body piercing equipment, and various types of fireworks and flares without permission. The festival also bans plastic or polystyrene disposable plates, trays, cups, mugs, and cutlery to reduce environmental impact.
Drones, sky lanterns, kites, professional recording equipment without approval, forged tickets or wristbands, psychoactive substances as defined under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, nitrous oxide, and alkyl nitrates (poppers) are all forbidden. Additionally, attendees are urged not to bring more than they need, avoid gazebos that take up camping space, refrain from taping around tents, and to minimize packaging and avoid glitter or disposable wipes due to their environmental harm.
For those planning to watch the festival from home, technology is lending a helping hand. With dozens of stages and hundreds of performances, keeping track of who’s playing when can be daunting. An innovative approach involves using AI tools to generate personalized viewing schedules based on one’s favorite artists.
By inputting the full Glastonbury lineup into AI platforms like ChatGPT or Claude and listing preferred acts, users can receive tailored timetables that highlight not only their favorites but also suggest complementary performances they might enjoy. This method reduces the stress of juggling multiple channels and streams, ensuring viewers don’t miss out on key shows.
A sample AI-generated schedule for Glastonbury 2025 includes Friday highlights like CMAT at the Pyramid Stage, Wet Leg on The Other Stage, and a late-night set from Four Tet. Saturday’s lineup features Nilüfer Yanya, Japanese Breakfast, Father John Misty, and Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts closing the Pyramid Stage. Sunday promises performances by Nadine Shah, Bob Vylan, St. Vincent, Wolf Alice, and The Prodigy.
As Glastonbury Festival 2025 approaches, the combination of health precautions, weather preparedness, adherence to festival rules, and clever use of technology will help attendees and viewers alike enjoy one of the UK’s most iconic cultural events to the fullest.
