This process was implemented largely to prevent ticket touting and for that it should be commended. The astronomical prices demanded for festival tickets on eBay is reason enough for any fair-minded organiser to investigate ways to prevent unscrupulous individuals profiting from a event which is heavily charity focussed. With this kept in mind it is understandable that Glastonbury organisers felt the need to do something but the clunky pre-registration process and the demand for a passport photograph is enough to put many potential festival fans off. The Orwellian undertone caused by the festival collecting such personal information from its attendees is only heightened by the presence of police surveillance cameras, dampening the free and easy atmosphere.

Perhaps the biggest threat to Glastonbury is the rapid rise of the small UK festival, often called a "boutique festival". The small UK festival used to be the reserve of the painfully cool, a small gathering of like-minded people enjoying niche bands that were of no threat to giants like Glastonbury. In the past few years these small festivals have grown in number, stepped into the media spotlight and gathered an impressive band of devotees which in turn allowed organisers to spend more money and increase the standard of the facilities and the acts.