When is Glastonbury Festival?
This year, the famous Glastonbury Festival starts on Wednesday 21 June and closes on Sunday 25 June 2023.
Advance train tickets to Castle Cary will be on sale from early April.
Why take the train to Glastonbury?
Getting the train to Glastonbury Festival is much easier and far simpler than driving. Everyone in your group can get straight into the festival atmosphere with fellow Glasto-goers – anything can happen from spoken word poetry and impromptu rap battles to live performances.- change your ticket – if your plans change, then just change your ticket (an admin fee may apply)
- plus get 1/3 off train fares with a Railcard
- finalise those last-minute plans with our free onboard Wi-Fi
- charge your phone as you whizz past the traffic
Where is Glastonbury Festival?
Now for the million-pound question, where is the nearest station to Glastonbury? Since there is no Glastonbury train station nor any direct trains to the festival ground itself at Worthy Farm, the closest train station to Glastonbury can be found at Castle Cary. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll be met with a free shuttle bus to the festival. You’ll get dropped off directly outside Pedestrian Gate A, so no long walks from the car parks.Queuing systems will be in place at Castle Cary and other busy stations to help make your journey as pleasant and smooth as possible.
Go green
Give yourself a pat on the back for going green. The average train journey produces a whopping 57-58% less carbon dioxide than driving, making it eco-friendly travel.
As well as cutting down on CO2, you can help the farm by:
- only using the toilets provided by the campsite
- putting any litter in the designated recycling and rubbish bins
- bringing reusable water bottles and filling up from the 120 water points
- clearing up your campsite and taking everything home
Luggage
Our luggage advice for Glastonbury is simple. Please don’t travel with any more luggage than you can carry yourself.
Trolleys, wheelie bins and four-wheeled trucks are not permitted onboard our trains or the free shuttle buses from Castle Cary station to the festival site. The same goes for musical instruments and furniture exceeding dimensions of 30 x 70 x 90 cm – so whether it’s enormous bongos, lengthy didgeridoos or your favourite armchair to lounge in at the festival, we’ve seen it attempted all before. For further details, see the National Rail Conditions of Travel (Clause 23).
What station facilities are there at Castle Cary?
There are no facilities at Castle Cary so prepare before arrival. With no left luggage facilities, if you want to store anything during the festival you’ll need to use the property lock-ups by Pedestrian Gate A. When you leave, make sure you’ve got enough time to collect any stored items. There’s also no parking at Castle Cary station during the festival, but shuttle buses will take you to Worthy Farm.
When are the shuttle buses from/to the station?
The shuttle operates from Wednesday to Monday (there is no service during the night when trains aren’t running). The festival will advertise the shuttle bus timetable closer to the festival dates, so you can make a more detailed plan to get home.
How do I plan my return journey?
If you’re travelling back on Monday, leave plenty of time to get onto the shuttle bus and load your luggage. Check what type of ticket you have before heading to the station, as some tickets can only be used on certain trains. If you have an eTicket, ensure your mobile device is charged for the return journey.