Trading at Glastonbury



The application process for the 2024 Festival was open between 4th October and 8th November 2023 however has now closed to allow the selection process to take place. Those who submitted an application will be advised of the outcome on/by 1st March 2024 via their dashboard.

Thousands of food traders, charities, campaigning organisations and sellers of the bizarre and unique apply to trade at Glastonbury Festival each year. Pitches are not allocated on a first come first served basis. We assess each application on its own merit so we ask for as much information as possible including photographs of your stall and products. There will be more than 200,000 people on site at the busiest, with the public arriving from Wednesday morning onwards and most staying until Monday morning.

TRADERS FAQS

* Please read thoroughly even if you have traded at the Festival before *

What does Glastonbury Festival look for from applicants?

The presentation and appearance of your stall is important as is the goods you are proposing to sell. The online application process requires you to upload photos of your stall and products. If you do not have photos of your stall, we would need to see a sketch or artists impression of how your stall would look if it were at Glastonbury Festival 2024. Applications with no photos/sketches are incomplete and will not go through to the selection process. We look for creative and aesthetically pleasing stalls which fit in with the ethics of the Festival and are keen for the Festival Markets to be full of good quality food/products, at a fair price.

Due to the size of Glastonbury, festival trading experience is essential. Feedback from other traders tells us this is invaluable especially when planning stock levels and staffing.

When completing your application, please ensure stall and pitch sizes are accurate. We need to know precisely what space you require – do not guess. We use the information you give us to plan our market areas and are unable to make changes once space has been allocated. We request four measurements from you – stall width and depth and pitch width and depth. Stall sizes must include your trading structure and any additional kitchen/preparation area you may have. The pitch sizes need to include your stall as well as an exact width for guy ropes/tow hooks and in terms of depth, space for any essential onsite vehicles, trailers, caravans, campervans and space for your staff to camp. Please remember space is at a premium and onsite vehicles and caravans will be limited. Entry to your stall will be via a gate leading into the back of the market area rather than through the front of your stall therefore please ensure the pitch size you give is exact. We will be asking successful applicants to draw their pitch layout which must include the stall itself, all allocated onsite vehicles and the area required for camping.

Is there anything I am not allowed to sell?

In your application we would ask that you give details of everything you wish to sell onsite. Successful applicants will be advised in their Offer to Trade of any products listed on their application which cannot be sold. We are very careful to minimise product clashes across site and selling products without prior authorisation from the Main Markets Office will be considered a breach of the Terms and Conditions. Contraband items are detailed in our Terms and Conditions which form part of the application process.

After successfully halting the sale of single use plastic bottles on site in 2019, any drinks sold must be in cans or paper cups only.

All serveware must be compostable meaning they must be made from paper, wood, cardboard or leaves. Cups must be made of paper or card, straws must be made from paper. Items which ‘look’ plastic, say they are biodegradable or recyclable, made of cornstarch or PLA (polylactic acid) are unacceptable. The rules around composting are very strict and using non-compliant disposables may mean you are not invited back to trade in the future. Disposables labelled as compostable may not meet our requirements; if you are unsure, please contact the Main Markets Office. 

Traders who use charcoal to cook with must ensure it comes from a sustainable source which means all charcoal packaging must show that it is a British Product or, if imported, that the charcoal is certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). In addition charcoal packaging must be fully compostable – plastic sacks/bags are not permitted. Traders will be inspected on site and charcoal packaging will be checked. Any traders found not be adhering to these rules run the risk of not being offered a pitch in the future.

The Festival has appointed a number of Approved Wholesalers who have been given authority to deliver to bars, food traders including crew caterers and non-food traders, the names of these wholesalers are accessible to all applicants on the Information pages accessed via your dashboard. We expect all Traders, Bars and Crew Caterers to order from our Approved Wholesalers and recommend ordering early to secure your product lines. Bespoke items such as marquees can be booked in as a delivery in due course but please note that deliveries by, for example, other Food Services Companies will not be permitted. More details will be advised to successful applicants but please bear this in mind if you are looking to secure your product ranges with potential supplies before you know the outcome of your application.  

There are concessions in place for a number of products including soft drinks. Successful applicants will be advised of the brands they are allowed to sell, these brands will be available from our approved wholesalers.

Traders are not permitted to sell alcohol including for example brandy coffee or Grand Marnier crepes.

How much does a pitch cost?

Each pitch is priced individually therefore it is difficult to provide a reliable estimation of the price of a pitch until we have completed our selection process. Prices are based on a number of factors including (but not exclusively) the location, the trading space, the prices and types of products being sold and the number of staff passes allocated.

We only have a limited amount of space and tickets available for market traders therefore if you are successful, you may be allocated a different amount of space, tickets or vehicle passes than requested in your application.

In addition to the pitch fee, you will need to pay for your standpipe/direct connection (food traders), any other water connections and power, all of which will be payable in the first week of April. All prices are subject to VAT.

What should I bear in mind before applying?

Use of the Glastonbury Festival logo, name (including just the name Glastonbury/Glasto) and/or images (for example the Pyramid etc) on any goods or promotional material is strictly prohibited. This applies to social media, websites and press coverage.

Ground conditions can become very wet; you must ensure you are prepared. A raised floor can be particularly important for food traders to protect against flooding. Your stall must be sturdy enough to sustain strong wind and heavy rain throughout the Festival. You and your staff need to be prepared for all weather conditions.

Fish, charcoal and wood must be from a certified sustainable source.

The Festival welcomes and encourages applications from non-food traders who wish to sell clothing from sustainable and ethical brands. When reviewing applications from Traders selling clothing,  we look for good quality second hand/pre-loved items and where possible, certification to demonstrate where new clothing is sourced from. When you apply, be sure to let us know as much about your products as you can.

Sub-contracting, sub-letting or the sharing of a stall or any part of a stall is strictly forbidden. We expect the Trader applying to be the Trader running and managing the stall on site.

No Generators are allowed on-site.

Traders successful in their application must only sell approved goods at prices specified in their application and agreed with the Main Markets Office in their Offer to Trade. The Festival reserves the right to restrict your product list. Traders found to be selling products on site which are not on their application form risk not being invited to trade in future.

Traders wishing to sell goods or services to festival goers in advance of the Festival (ie. Pre-orders) must have prior permission from the Main Markets Office

Hundreds of Deaf and disabled customers, artists and crew are on site every year. Click here to download a PDF of Access Guidelines for Traders. 

What if I don’t need a pitch, can I just walk about and sell my goods?

No. All approved traders must have a static pitch from which to trade. Mobile/roaming traders and fly-pitchers are strictly prohibited. Anyone found to be selling products without the authorisation of the Main Markets Office will have their items confiscated and may be evicted from site.

How do I apply for a stall on behalf of a charity/campaigning organisation?

The Festival hosts many charities and campaigning organisations on site, raising awareness of their cause.

Fundraising for your organisation on site is prohibited without prior permission from the Markets Office.

This includes:

  • Collection boxes for cash donations
  • Card donation machines
  • Taking bank details to sign people up to memberships

Donations or payments that are permitted:

  • Suggested donations in exchange for workshops or activities
  • Payment or minimum donations in exchange for products and merchandise

The collection of personal data on site by charitable or campaigning organisations is also prohibited without prior permission. Please consider this when planning your activities.

The Green Futures Field is home to a number of campaign and charity stalls. Please note that there is no electricity in this field and generators are not allowed on site. If you need power to run your stall please consider other options, for example solar. Vehicles are not permitted to park in this field unless they are an integral part of the stall (for example you trade from a bus or a fire engine). If your application is successful, you will be allocated a short stay vehicle pass to allow you to drop equipment and stock to your stall. Your vehicle will then need to be parked in the Festival car park. Stalls in this area have a reduced pitch fee.

To apply, please complete the relevant traders application form, giving as much information about what you do and what you would bring to the Festival. Please include photos and sketches to help with our assessment. Please consider the Festival environment as much as possible and how your stall would fit with this – we encourage the use of sustainable, recycled and reusable materials.

If you are a charity, campaigning organisation, CIO, CIC or other non-profit company, you will be required to provide your registration number on your application form.

Are there minimum trading days/hours?

All successful traders will be advised in their Offer to Trade of the earliest time they may arrive on site. Dates for 2024 will be either Sunday 23rd or Monday 24th June. Once set up traders can begin trading as soon as they have been given the go ahead by their Market Manager. Traders are expected to be open for a minimum 12 hours each day between Wednesday 26th and Sunday 30th June, it is up to each trader whether they wish to open longer. Some traders will choose to open on Monday 1st July. Traders cannot leave site before 6pm on Monday 1st July 2024.

What documentation do I need?

Whether you come to site as a food trader, crew caterer, bar, non-food trader, charity or campaigner, you are operating as a legitimate business and as such have to comply with current legislation. Regardless of whether or not you are selling a product or service to the public, you will need documentation in place, some of which will be requested in advance of the Festival. To include, but not exclusively:-

  • Public and Employers Liability Insurance Certificates
    Food traders are required to carry a minimum £5m cover
    Non-food traders are required to carry a minimum £1m cover
  • Health & Safety Documentation (Policies, Risk Assessments including Food Safety Management Systems (as appropriate) and Fire Risk Assessment, Training Records etc.)
  • PAT Test Certification
  • Gas Safety Certificates (where applicable – carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer qualified to work on the equipment you are bringing to site)
  • Written Scheme of Examination for all pressurized Systems (including coffee machines)
  • Food Safety Management System (SFBB, NCASS, COOKSAFE or similar)
  • Food Hygiene Training Certificate (food handlers only)
  • Written allergen information on all unpackaged food together with fully completed Allergen Matrix documentation.
  • Labelling for any Pre-Packed Food For Direct Sales.

 

Food traders, crew caterers and bars MUST be registered with a Local Authority.

All food traders, bars and crew caterers will be visited onsite by Food Safety Officers. Before you begin to trade you MUST clearly display a BLUE EHO CARD which will have been sent to you with your Welcome Pack. Once trading, our Food Safety Officers will visit every trader and award either a Red, Amber or Green Card based on their compliance with food safety legislation. Traders awarded a Green Card, are considered safe to continue trading. Traders receiving Amber cards will have some areas requiring attention and improvement but will be allowed to continue to trade. Any trader considered unsafe will receive a Red Card and will not be allowed to trade until a further inspection has taken place.

One of my staff has a public ticket, is this ok?

Entry for public ticket holders is from Wednesday 26thJune, your staff member will not be able to enter site beforehand. Access to the back of the market areas is restricted therefore if your application is successful you would need to request permission by email in advance of the Festival. Please be aware staff camping areas are limited.

When will I find out if I have been successful in my application?

The result of your application will be on your dashboard on/by 1st March 2024.

If I am successful, what happens next?

Successful applicants will receive an Offer to Trade giving them lots of information including full details of the pitch location and size we are offering, how many tickets and vehicle passes have been allocated and the price. If you wish to accept our offer, you will need to agree to the Traders Terms and Conditions and order power and direct water connections (if required).

I am a food trader, how do I get more stock during the Festival?

We work hard to minimise vehicle movement therefore rather than having masses of delivery vehicles driving around the site, we have a variety of approved wholesalers who are able to supply a wide range of products including chilled and frozen foods, disposables, gas, fruit and vegetables, meat, milk, bread, charcoal, refrigeration and ethical produce. These wholesalers deliver to stalls both before and during the Festival, in addition there is an onsite wholesale market which traders can visit on foot to collect supplies. Further information will be available as part of the application process. Please note we have a strict policy regarding on-site deliveries and we strongly recommend you check the details of our on-site wholesalers before you enter any agreements with a foodservice wholesaler as they may not be allowed on site.

Data Protection

Your application data will only be used within the Festival office for the purpose of assessing suitability for trading at Glastonbury Festival and will be held by us for a maximum of 7 years. Contact details of successful food traders, crew caterers and bars will be passed onto our approved wholesalers to allow the sharing of price lists and other relevant information. Your details will not be shared or sold to any other third parties. If you wish for us to delete your data after the 2024 Festival, please email markets@glastonburyfestivals.co.uk. The Glastonbury Festival Privacy Policy can be found here.

I have a bar, how can I apply?

Most bars onsite return year on year therefore it is very unlikely there will be any opportunities for 2024. If you wish for us to keep your details on file, please email information to markets@glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

I am a healer, how do I apply?

Please use the contact form on the website under the heading ‘other enquiries’

How do I apply to trade?

Application forms will be available between 4th October and 8th November 2023. In order to access the forms, traders must be registered on our application system. Applicants who have registered/applied since October 2018 can use the same log in details as before.

Other applicants must please first register using the link provided, inputting an email address and choosing a password. You will then be emailed a link to confirm your registration. When you log in to the application system, you will see on your ‘dashboard’ tabs to access the application forms. Please note, you can only register whilst the application process is open.

If you are applying to sell consumables (food and/or non-alcoholic drinks) to the Festival goers, please complete a Food Traders application. If you are a crew caterer, please complete the Crew Caterer application form. If you are applying for more than one stall please complete one application form per stall. Applicants wishing to apply for multiple options, for example, one crew food and one public serving stall, will need to complete the different forms.

Your application will be automatically saved as you progress through the pages. If you need to go back a page, please click the relevant sub-heading at the top (underneath Create Application). Clicking on the ‘home’ button will ensure details are saved up to the last completed page. You can return to the part completed application form at any time before 5pm on 8th November which is the closing date for applications; please ensure you submit by this time and date.

By logging onto your ‘dashboard’, you will be able to find out the status of your application and on/by 1st March the system will be updated to let you know if your application was successful. At this point (if successful) your offer document will be visible on the dashboard and further documentation such as an invoice will be added at a later date.

Please keep your login details safe as you will need them if you wish to apply in the future.

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