Free sun lotion and a record number of water stations are just part of the contingency plans in place at this year’s Glastonbury festival with temperatures possibly climbing to the high 20s.
After a month of inclement weather the forecast is for a dry weekend with a high of 28C predicted for Friday and 27C for Saturday.
The festival emailed ticketholders on Monday advising them to prepare for hot weather. It suggested visitors brought hats and sunscreen, reusable bottles for water, and that they did not drink too much alcohol.
In addition to the 800 water taps on site there are mobile water units and 37 WaterAid kiosks giving out water and bottles.
Leah and James, from Hereford, who were sunbathing in front of the Pyramid stage on Thursday, said it was allergies rather than sunburn that were concerning them. “Hay fever is a killer. I’ve got the take antihistamines but it doesn’t really help, the grass is killing me,” said James.
“We’ll have to buy more sunscreen,” said Leah. “I’m going to burn. But there are loads of places you can get a drink, so at least we’ll be hydrated.”
Quick GuideWho runs the Glastonbury festival?
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Who runs the Glastonbury festival?
The first "Glastonbury festival" was staged by the then 34-year-old Michael Eavis on the site of his family dairy farm in the village of Pilton in southwest England – about 6 miles from Glastonbury Tor – in 1970. The festival was held intermittently until 1979, when it became a (largely) annual event, and Eavis now organises it with his daughter Emily through the company Glastonbury Festivals Limited. (From 2002 until 2012, promoter Melvin Benn assisted the Eavises with operations and licensing.) Emily and her husband Nick Dewey book the acts for the main stages and oversee the management of the festival's many areas. Each year, the festival donates around £2 million to Oxfam, Greenpeace and WaterAid. The Guardian has been the festival's media partner since 1997.
The festival said free sun cream was available at information points and property lockups, and extra shaded areas would be opened if needed. It said the weather was always closely monitored and messages about the conditions would be shared on social media channels.
Anna, from south-east London, and Will, from Winchester, said they had learned after a few times attending Glastonbury that the key was preparing for anything. “I’ve bought a new water bottle and sun cream, but I would have done that anyway,” said Anna. “I think I’m probably drinking less alcohol and having more water. It’s common sense really.”
Will said: “The water is free and I’ve got enough sun cream, it’s more about finding the shade. There are going to be hours when it’s not going to be smart being out in the sun.”
On Wednesday the official Glastonbury Twitter account retweeted a recorded message from the South Western ambulance service urging festival-goers to “wear sensible footwear … wear sunscreen, a hat would be great and stay hydrated”.
The festival said a sophisticated medical operation was ready to deal with any sun-related issues.