Frequently Asked Questions

I am coming to Glastonbury by train. Why does the rail company recommend Castle Cary while you suggest Bristol?
Castle Cary is the nearest station to Glastonbury but it is in the middle of the countryside, has fewer choices of trains and the connecting bus service is poor. If you can afford a taxi (approximately £25), or somehow get a lift by car, then Castle Cary is the best option from London or Devon. However, Bristol has frequent trains connecting with London, Wales, the Midlands and the North. There’s a bus service (376) which runs to Glastonbury every hour. If you are travelling on a budget or flexible timings, Bristol may be your best option. More about transport options here.
Can we bring children to the Symposium?
We suggest that children under, say, 14 are unlikely to find the Symposium to their taste. Occasionally there are young teenagers who are fascinated by the subjects and can appreciate the occasional lecture. Where babes in arms are concerned, parents usually take it in turns to mind the baby – we can arrange for the pushchair to be in the hall but we do ask that, if the baby cries, you take him or her out at once so as not to disturb the hall.

If you have friends in or near Glastonbury with whom you can leave the kids, of course, this might be best on the whole!

Can I bring my child on the coach tour?
Generally speaking, we advise that you don’t bring your child with you on the tour if they are under 14, unless they are distinctly interested, willing and happy to be surrounded by grown-ups. If you want to meditate at a sacred site and your child is bored and fed up, you will not enjoy yourself and probably neither will the other participants!

However, we don’t make a hard and fast rule because the Symposium attracts all kinds of special people and occasionally some of them are young ones. If you are in any doubt, please feel free to discuss the matter with us. Contact us here.

Do you offer concessions/facilities for disabled people?
Unfortunately we are unable to offer price concessions for disabled people. We can, however, be flexible if the participant needs to be accompanied by a helper. If this is your situation, please contact us to discuss the matter and we will see what we can do to help.

We can happily accommodate wheelchairs in the Town Hall, with entry gained from the side of the hall rather than the main entrance (where there are steps). Toilet facilities for the disabled are available on the same level as the main hall, in the corridor just outside the auditorium rear doors. Please inform us in advance if you need to bring a wheelchair and we will be able to leave a space in the main seating on request.

Can we film at the Symposium?
We do not allow filming of the presentations to take place without very special permission. Professionally-filmed videos of most of our speakers are made available on DVD shortly after the event and will eventually appear online, so there is little need for further recording.

We also ask that attendees do not take still photographs during a presentation, as this is very distracting to the audience and may also contravene copyrighted images on the main screen. Photography in-between lectures and in the stalls room, cafe and corridors is fine, but please bear in mind the privacy of other attendees.

If you are a TV crew or production company wishing to film elements of the Symposium for documentaries or other professional purposes, please contact us directly and we will consider your requests, but we always insist that any filming we agree to must be discreet and should not in any way inconvenience or impede our attendees, front of house staff or technical crew.

If I book in advance but then find I get ill, can I have a refund?
We are happy to make refunds up to ten days before the Symposium, although we reserve the right to take a £10 administration fee in that event. After that, it is negotiable. All refunds will be made in GBP pounds sterling, whatever currency they were paid in. Once the Symposium has started, which we consider to be the day of our coach tour (the Thursday), unfortunately we are no longer able to make refunds.
Will I need a car to get around Glastonbury?
Glastonbury is a small town and, if you’re staying here, the furthest distance you are likely to have to walk will be about 30 minutes, so once you have arrived it is unlikely you will want to use a car. Most B&Bs are very close – say, 5 to 10 minutes’ walk. However, if you have trouble walking then you may of course need a car. If so, this is no problem as there is a paying car park (listed as ‘St Dunstan’s car park’ on Google maps) in Magdalene Street, directly next door to our venue, the Town Hall. Find out more about the town on our About Glastonbury page.
Is food available?
We have our own cafe at the Symposium itself, serving tasty snacks and light meals for most of the daytime. Meanwhile, Glastonbury has plenty of cafes, restaurants and pubs serving food, all within a short amble from the Symposium, so you will never be too far from food and drink!
Where can I find accommodation?
Please go to our Accommodation page for links to Glastonbury Tourist Information and other useful information. There are many B&Bs and camping sites in and around Glastonbury, although we recommend booking well in advance of your stay, as rooms are usually at a premium in the summer.

Please note that we never book accommodation for attendees, although we may give friendly advice where appropriate.

Do you have a mailing list?
Yes, just click here and you’ll be taken to our Mail Chimp service, where you can subscribe or manage your subscription, all for free. Your address will be used for nothing other than occasional Symposium information, and it will not be shared with anyone else. Your details are safe with us. For any other related enquiries, please contact us.
What are your future Symposium dates?

Our planned dates for future full live events are:

28-30 July 2023 (coach tour 27 July)

26-28 July 2024 (coach tour 25 July)

25-27 July 2025 (coach tour 24 July)

24-26 July 2026 (coach tour 23 July)

 

Get in touch

If you would like to contact the Glastonbury Symposium, please email us using the contact form below or by emailing us directly on hq@glastonburysymposium.co.uk, or by telephoning us on the number in the panel at the foot of the page.

Email: hq@glastonburysymposium.co.uk
Phone: + 44 (0) 1278 722000
Address: Glastonbury Symposium, Ivy Cottage, Stawell,
Somerset, TA7 9AA, UK

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