Clive Wetton, Technology Solutions Director, TRO, gives his take on watching Glastonbury 2025 in front of a screen instead of IRL.
This weekend, I watched a lot of Glastonbury — and I mean a lot. Around 24 hours of it, in fact. Thanks to the BBC’s brilliant coverage on iPlayer, I caught over 20 acts live, dipped into countless others on catch-up, and enjoyed the kind of seamless viewing experience only technology can provide.
I flicked between stages with the swipe of a remote, saw the start of Neil Young before jumping into the full Charli XCX set, and never once got turned away from a packed tent. I avoided queues, dehydration, and questionable smells (apart from the dogs). I even caught the performance of the weekend from JADE — a set that likely would’ve been watched from outside the tent had I actually been there.
But honestly? I still wish I’d been there in person.
Because when it comes to Glastonbury — and honestly, most things in life — Doing Beats Viewing.
Here’s why:
You just can’t replicate the feeling of being in the crowd, arm in arm with strangers who instantly feel like old friends. That collective joy, the spontaneous singalongs, the electric anticipation as the stage lights dim — no screen can capture it.
There’s a special bond formed over shared experiences: the people you queue with, dance with, laugh with, or huddle under ponchos with during a downpour. It’s an unspoken understanding that we’re all in this together. Watching at home is solitary, even if you’re texting others who are doing the same.
iPlayer coverage is impressive, but it misses the nooks and crannies of Glastonbury — the lesser-known stages, surprise sets, spontaneous performances and strange, beautiful moments you stumble across between major acts. On site, some of the best memories happen far from the spotlight.
On screen, you can see the Pyramid Stage, sure. But you don’t feel the festival. The sheer vastness of the site, the colour, the noise, the weird and wonderful art installations, the late-night magic of Arcadia or Shangri-La — it’s a whole world you inhabit for five days. That doesn’t translate to pixels.
There’s a difference between watching a moment and living it. I saw Charli XCX’s set from my sofa. But people felt it from the field. They’ll remember the heat of the crowd, the sparkle of the lights, the shout of every lyric. Those are the memories that last a lifetime — the kind you can’t download.
Of course, iPlayer is a gift — especially for those of us who didn’t get tickets this year. I’m grateful for the access, and I’ll keep catching up on sets I missed for weeks to come.
But if you gave me the choice between the comfort of my living room and a way-too-warm tent, dodgy phone signal and all the other nasties associated with festival going? I’d pick Worthy Farm every time.
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