Why I largely avoided alcohol at Glastonbury - and I wasn't the only one

From TRNSMT to Reading and Leeds there are plenty more to look forward to, but what if you're not drinking?

I've just attended my second Glastonbury and I'm also on a mission to drink less alcohol and, when I do, drink smarter.

At the start of 2024, spurred on by a friend, I downloaded the NHS Drink Free Days app, which helps you set goals for the number of days you want to drink per week, and awards stars for the days you don't drink.

It charts how many calories you're not consuming and how much you're saving. For me this decision was age, health and how often I end up drinking through work. All have made me want to make smarter choices, so going to the biggest music festival in the UK and not drinking to excess was going to be a real change in behaviour.

Luckily I seem to not be alone. A recent song study, conducted by sparkling water brand DASH Water, analysed lyrics for the top ten songs of each year since 2012 to find the number of references to drinking and being ‘drunk’. The results revealed that drunk references declined by 40 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year.

Overall, ‘drunk’ references have declined 79 per cent since 2017, showing a significant cultural shift in attitudes to alcohol. The shift goes hand in hand with a rising trend around mindful drinking, which encourages people to take a more conscious and intentional approach to alcohol consumption. Recent data from Drink Aware shows that Gen Zs drink less alcohol than any other age group.

Without me really realising it before heading to Glastonbury, my friends also weren't drinking too much. The rise of hard seltzer – a low abv, low calorie sparkling water with alcohol – and their availability in most bars (plus the ability to bring in your own alcohol) is a game changer at the festival. And they were pretty much all my female friends drank for the weekend.

The days I did drink, it was local cider from the Somerset Cider Brandy Company. And the days I didn't drink, non-alcoholic beers and mocktails were readily available. Plus there were stalls selling fruit smoothies, fresh juice and homemade lemonade. The cider bus also had a cracking non-alcoholic option. The variety of drinks available is almost as great as the food options, which are vast and varied.

It might be slow moving, but there is trend of acceptance over people not drinking and, instead of the usual cajoling, a willingness to understand and not push drinking.

I may not have slept much, and I've walked the equivalent of two marathons, but this mindful drinking journey has taught me that you can still have a blast without feeling the consequences the next day.