Thousands of fans missed out on Glastonbury 2027 tickets, but one festival-goer has shared a secret trick to get in for free: working at the event. Amy Overd, a freelance writer, secured a paid role with CTM, Glastonbury's traffic management company, after failing to buy tickets in the general sale. She worked five days at the 2024 festival and came out financially better off than she started.
How the trick works
Overd explained that after missing out on tickets, her university friends suggested applying to work at the festival. They had done it the year before. Slots with CTM opened up a couple of months later, and the group signed on to work five days at Glasto 2024. A £400 deposit was required to hold the place, which was returned after completing the work.
Other ways to get into Glastonbury for free include stewarding, litter-picking, volunteering with WaterAid, or working at food trucks and shops on site.
The reality of working the festival
Overd described the intense working conditions. Her first shift started at 4:30am on Wednesday, the day everyone arrives. She was directing 10,000 impatient cars to park in a straight line on just four hours of sleep. The shift lasted 16 hours, with a lunch break at about 3pm, sunburn, and an empty water bottle. Subsequent shifts were 13 hours, but by then most cars were parked, so she could sit on a camping chair and listen to the music from the nearest stage.
She had the full day off on Saturday, which she spent exploring the site. She discovered Scissors, a lesbian club disguised as a hairdresser's, and enjoyed a set from Michael Kiwanuka. She also watched Coldplay's rainbow lights from the Pyramid Stage.
Financial and personal impact
Despite the tough shifts, Overd says working at Glasto is the way to go. After travel costs, food spend, and equipment, she was at least £500 better off after her £750 paycheque arrived the next month, plus the return of her £400 deposit. She admits she only saw about half the site in her time off, and the mile-long walks were tiring, but she left with dreams of quitting her job and living off-grid in true hippy style. Her advice: "However you can get there, get there."
