How to keep yourself safe online at Glastonbury

Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival 2023 held at Worthy Farm
(Image credit: Anna Barclay/Getty Images)

There's always a bit of a comedown when Glastonbury is over, but what won't help ease that is finding out you've been the target of a hacker or fraudster online. 

If you want to make sure that you can unwind and make the most of a special weekend on Worthy Farm, follow our advice for a safe festival and a worry-free dance along to Dua Lipa, Coldplay, SZA and a whole heap more. 

Our number one tip would be to invest in one of the best VPNs for protection, but there are a few other things to do too. 

P.S. When it comes to more traditional crimes and staying safe, Glastonbury's own site has some handy tips for first-timers. 

NordVPN is our number one choice of VPN

NordVPN is our number one choice of VPN
You've heard of it before, but in our testing we found that NordVPN offers the best all-round VPN experience. It's fast, secure, and great for streaming, and has apps for tons of devices. Prices start at $3.39 per month, and you can use the 30-day money-back guarantee to get a free month of cover.

Watch out for Wi-FI

The most obvious way that someone is going to hack you at an event with large crowds of people is through a public Wi-Fi connection. Hackers can easily set up a fraudulent network called "Glastonbury free Wi-Fi" or something similar as phishing scheme for unsuspecting users. This could leave them free to access your personal information and spy on you while using email, online banking or worse. 

Glastonbury Festival 2019

(Image credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

If you can get a signal and can use your mobile data instead, that's one level of protection, but our suggested defence would be to use a VPN. With a VPN your IP address is hidden and your data is encrypted. As long as it stays on, you've got a strong defence against shady customers. Our top choice is NordVPN.

Secure payments 

Apple Pay Bitcoin

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Of course, it's not just about the music at Glasto. There's a heap of activities and a festival of food to enjoy. If you're paying via contactless somewhere you're suspicious about, make sure to check your transaction history afterwards. As for QR code payment systems, watch out for dodgy links – use a tool like NordVPN or IPVanish's free link checker first. 

Cash isn't king these days and you'll likely be using either Apple or Google Pay to treat your stomach and buy souvenirs. This is normally done via a smartwatch or phone, but what if you lose them? Stop any opportunists from splashing your cash by restricting payment services behind FaceID or a passcode. 

Don't get disconnected

Of course, if you plan on using your phone at Glastonbury, you should think about power consumption. If you get separated from your group, make sure you have a battery to find them, there will be quite a lot of people about! You could always use Airtags and apps like What3Words for those who are prone to wandering off. 

Chargers aren't plentiful in the middle of a field so bring a spare battery and use power-saving settings when you can. Having said all this, don't waste a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on your phone!

Andy is a freelance writer with a passion for streaming and VPNs. Based in the U.K., he originally cut his teeth at Tom's Guide as a Trainee Writer before moving to cover all things tech and streaming at T3. Outside of work, his passions are movies, football (soccer) and Formula 1. He is also something of an amateur screenwriter having studied creative writing at university.

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