Glastonbury Festival: Mud, Music and Mayhem

Famed for its muddy fields and revellers wearing wellies, Glastonbury Festival in Somerset is a rite of passage for many who live for live music. The first edition of the festival was held on 19 September 1970 and attended by 1,500 people, who paid just £1 to enter the festival grounds. Since then, Glastonbury has become the biggest outdoor music and performing arts festival in the world. It has a capacity of 210,000 people, who pay anything from £370 (€448) per person to attend. 

KING ARTHUR

The music festival takes place on the site of a working farm called Worthy Farm. It is programmed every year for four years, with the fifth year a ‘fallow year’ to allow the land to recover. It is located near Pilton, in an area known for its natural beauty. It is also a place of historical and mythological interest, as the legendary King Arthur is said to have been buried in Glastonbury Abbey. If that’s the case, then the blaring music and the stomping of all those partygoers may have him rolling over in his grave! 

YOUTH CULTURE

This year, Glastonbury is being held between 25 and 29 June. World-renowned musicians perform, but it is also a springboard for emerging talent. Alongside the music, which is, of course, the main attraction, there are other forms of artistic expression. This is in keeping with the intentions of the co-founder of the event, dairy farmerMichael Eavis, who wrote the following when he registered the company: “The Glastonbury Festival aims to encourage and stimulate youth culture from around the world in all its forms, including pop music, dance music, jazz, folk music, fringe theatre, drama, mime, circus, cinema, poetry and all the creative forms of art and design, including painting, sculpture and textile art.”

ENTERTAINING & INSPIRING

Throughout its history, Glastonbury has featured many performances that have gone down in music history. Among them is the 2007 concert by singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. Some artists have stunned audiences with awe-inspiring spectacles and celebrity appearances. In 2019, biologist and broadcaster David Attenborough made a surprise appearance on stage, delighting audiences. Attenborough showed his support for the festival’s decision to go plastic-free. The popularity of the event has grown over the years and is appreciated by the public both in the UK and abroad. In 2024, Michael Eavis received a knighthood in recognition of his services to music and charity.