The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, often called Glasto, is a five-day event featuring modern music and performances held near Pilton, Somerset, England, during most summers.

In addition to music, the festival includes dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret, and other arts. Famous pop and rock musicians perform on main stages, while thousands of other artists perform on smaller stages. Films and music recordings have taken place at the festival, and it is widely covered by television and newspapers.

The festival occurs on 1,500 acres (about 610 hectares) of farmland and is attended by around 200,000 people. This requires large amounts of security, transportation, water, and electricity. At times, more people attend due to unauthorized visitors, with a record of 300,000 people reaching the 1994 festival, headlined by the Levellers on the Pyramid Stage. Most workers at the festival are unpaid volunteers who help raise money for charities.

The festival is considered an important event in modern British culture. It was inspired by the beliefs of the 1960s counterculture movement and free festivals. Areas like Green Fields, which include sections such as Green Futures, the Stone Circle, and Healing Field, reflect these traditions. Michael Eavis started the first festival, then called the Pilton Festival, after seeing a Led Zeppelin concert in 1970 at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music.

History

The first festival at Worthy Farm was called the Pop, Blues & Folk Festival. It was held on Saturday, September 19, 1970, by Michael Eavis. About 1,500 people attended. Before this, there were other festivals in the UK, such as the National Jazz and Blues Festival and the Isle of Wight Festival. Eavis decided to host the festival after seeing a concert by Led Zeppelin at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music in 1970.

The first festival had The Kinks and Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders as main acts, but they were replaced by Tyrannosaurus Rex, later known as T. Rex. Tickets cost £1, which is about £19.77 in 2025. Other performers included Steamhammer, Quintessence, Stackridge, Al Stewart, Pink Fairies, and Keith Christmas.

In 1971, Andrew Kerr started the "Glastonbury Fair" after meeting Michael Eavis through David Trippas. Arabella Churchill, Jean Bradbery, Kikan Eriksdotter, and others helped organize the event. The festival introduced the "Pyramid Stage," a small replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza made from scaffolding and metal sheeting. It was placed over a "blind spring," a term from a belief about finding underground water.

Performers at the 1971 festival included Family, David Bowie, Mighty Baby, Traffic, Fairport Convention, Gong, Hawkwind, Pink Fairies, Skin Alley, The Worthy Farm Windfuckers, and Melanie. The event was funded by supporters and included music, dance, poetry, theater, and lights. It was filmed by Nicolas Roeg and David Puttnam. The festival was later renamed "Glastonbury Fayre," and a triple album of the same name was released.

In 1978, a small event happened when a group of vehicles from the Stonehenge festival was directed to Worthy Farm by police. The festival was revived in 1979 by Churchill, Crimble, Kerr, and Eavis as part of the Year of the Child, but it lost money.

The 1980s saw the festival become an annual event, except for some years when it was not held. In 1981, Michael Eavis took full control of the festival and worked with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). A new Pyramid Stage was built using telegraph poles and metal sheeting from the Ministry of Defence. It was used as a hay barn and cowshed in winter.

In the 1980s, the children's area of the festival, organized by Arabella Churchill and others, inspired a new charity called Children's World. In 1981, the festival made its first profit, and Eavis donated £20,000 to CND, which is about £77,102 in 2025. Later, donations went to Oxfam, Greenpeace, and WaterAid. These organizations helped the festival by providing volunteers who worked in exchange for free entry.

The festival was first shown on TV in the 1980s by ITV, which broadcast highlights after the event.

Since 1983, festivals needed permission from local authorities. This led to rules, such as a crowd limit and specific times for stages. The crowd limit started at 30,000 but grew to over 100,000. In 1984, fans invaded the stage during The Smiths' performance. Weather Report played the main stage, and Elvis Costello headlined for three hours. In 1985, the festival moved to Cockmill Farm because Worthy Farm became too small. Heavy rain made the ground muddy and covered in cow waste, but visitors still enjoyed the event.

In 1989, unofficial sound systems started playing loud electronic music around the festival. These systems, like the Hypnosis sound system, played music nonstop and matched the volume of official stages.

After the 1990 festival, there was a conflict between security guards and new age travelers, called "The Battle of Yeoman's Bridge." Eavis faced pressure from locals, and no festival was held in 1991. A 1992 Channel 4 documentary, Showdown at Glastonbury, showed these issues.

In 1992, the festival returned and was very successful. New age travelers were no longer allowed on the site for free, and a stronger fence was built. The success continued in 1993, which was hot and dry.

In 1994, the Pyramid Stage burned down a week before the festival, but a temporary stage was built in time. The festival also used a wind turbine to generate power. Levellers set a record with a crowd of 300,000 people. Channel 4 televised the festival, focusing on the main music stages. The coverage helped make Orbital's performance famous, bringing attention to dance music. Michael Eavis said this event helped dance music become mainstream.

In 1995, the security fence was broken by many people, possibly doubling the festival's size. The year was successful with performances by Oasis, Elastica, Pulp, PJ Harvey, Jeff Buckley, Jamiroquai, and The Cure. A dance tent was added to meet the growing interest in dance music. Massive Attack and Carl Cox performed on the main stages.

The festival took a break in 1996 to let the land recover.

Organisation

Since 1981, the festival has been organized by Michael Eavis, a local farmer and site owner, through his company, Glastonbury Festivals Ltd. Michael and his wife, Jean, managed the festival together until her death in 1999. After that, Michael and his daughter, Emily Eavis, co-organized the event. As of 2024, Michael is still involved in the festival, but most of the organization is now handled by Emily and her husband. In 2002, a company called Festival Republic, which includes Live Nation and MCD, took over managing the festival’s logistics and security by owning 40% of the management company. This partnership ended in 2012, and the festival is now independent. Glastonbury Festivals Ltd donates most of its profits to charities, including local groups and the restoration of the Tithe Barn in Pilton.

Some areas of the festival, such as The Left Field, are managed by independent groups like a cooperative owned by Battersea and Wandsworth TUC, Worthy FM, and Greenpeace. Most of the festival is run by volunteers, except for technical and security staff. Oxfam helps organize about 2,000 stewards. In return for their work, Oxfam receives donations, such as £200,000 in 2005. Medical care is provided by Festival Medical Services, who have done this since 1979. Bars are managed by the Workers Beer Company, sponsored by Carlsberg (previously Budweiser), which hires volunteers from charities and campaign groups. Volunteers work about 18 hours and receive free entry, food, and transport, while their charities get paid wages.

Catering and retail services are handled by small companies, such as mobile food vans. In 2010, there were over 400 food stalls. The camping store Millets and other independent shops set up temporary stores. Charities and organizations also run educational or promotional stalls, like the Hare Krishna tent, which provides free vegetarian food. Network Recycling manages waste on the site, recycling 300 tonnes and composting 110 tonnes in 2004.

The Pyramid Stage is 25 meters tall, has 292 audio speakers, 8.5 km of cables, 354 microphones, and 3,743 light bulbs. The sound system has a total power of 650,000 watts, with the main stage having 250 speakers. Aggreko provides over 27 megawatts of electricity using bio-diesel generators. There are over 4,000 toilets, including 2,000 long-drop and 1,300 compost toilets, and two reservoirs hold 2,000,000 liters of water.

The festival was held from 1970 to 1981, with breaks in between. It has been held most years since 1981, except for "fallow years" every five years to rest the land, local people, and organizers. Scheduled breaks were in 1988, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006. The 2012 Olympics changed the schedule, extending the break from 2011 to 2012. After the 2001 break, the Mean Fiddler Organisation helped organize the festival. In 2006, a film called Glastonbury, directed by Julien Temple, was released to replace the festival. The film included footage from Temple, fans, and archives, and it was released in the UK on April 14, 2006.

The year 2018 was a planned break, and 2020 and 2021 were breaks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next planned break will be in 2026.

Transport

Large planning and transportation efforts happen each year to move people to the festival using public transport. Extra trains are added to Castle Cary railway station, mostly from London Paddington. The station acts as a small central point, with shuttle buses waiting to take passengers from Castle Cary to the festival site when needed. This is a busy time on Wednesday and Thursday, with local bus and coach companies providing these buses for two days. Extra buses from Go South Coast usually run from Bristol to the festival. On Monday, passengers return in one day with more buses added to handle the increased demand. National Express offers extra coaches directly from major UK towns to the festival site, and many of these services are handled by smaller coach companies to meet the need.

Location

The festival is held in South West England at Worthy Farm, located between the small villages of Pilton and Pylle in Somerset. It is six miles east of Glastonbury and can be seen from the Glastonbury Tor, which is part of the "Vale of Avalon." The area is known for its legends and spiritual traditions and is considered a place of interest for people with spiritual beliefs. Some believe that special lines called ley lines meet at the Glastonbury Tor. The nearest town to the festival is Shepton Mallet, three miles (5 km) northeast. People in Glastonbury who follow alternative lifestyles continue to connect with the festival. The farm is located between the A361 and A37 roads.

Worthy Farm is located at grid reference ST 590 397 in a valley at the head of the Whitelake River, between two low limestone ridges that form part of the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Two small streams meet on the site to create the Whitelake River. In the past, the area has had flooding problems. After floods during the 1997 and 1998 festivals, drainage systems were improved. This helped reduce flooding during the 2005 festival, though some water still remained for a short time. A railway line once ran through the farm on an embankment but was removed in 1966 and now serves as a main path across the site. A high-voltage electricity line crosses the site from east to west. Several public paths surround the festival area.

In recent years, the festival site has been organized with a restricted backstage area. The Pyramid Stage is located on the north side of the compound, and the Other Stage is on the south. Attractions on the east side include an acoustic tent, comedy tent, and circus. To the south are green fields with displays of traditional and environmentally friendly crafts. The southeastern corner includes late-night dance stages. In King's Meadow, a hill at the far south of the site, there is a modern small stone circle. Like Stonehenge, it is aligned with the summer solstice and has been a stone circle since 1990.

Accommodation

Most people who attend the Glastonbury Festival stay in tents at the campsite. The festival has several camping areas, each with a different feel. Limekilns and Hitchin Hill Ground are quieter places to camp, while Pennard Hill Ground is more lively. Cockmill Meadow is a campsite for families, and Wicket Ground, added in 2011, is another family-only area. A campsite for people with special needs is available in Spring Ground. The cost of a standard entry ticket includes access to campsite areas, but visitors must bring their own tents. Tipis, which are cone-shaped tents, have been used at the festival for many years. A limited number of fixed tipis can be rented near the stone circle. Each tipi can hold up to six adults and includes a groundsheet to protect the floor and a raincatcher to collect rainwater. However, beds and other camping supplies are not provided. Tipi Park also offers solar showers and a log-fired yurt sauna for use.

Campervans, caravans, and trailer tents are not allowed in the main festival area. If a visitor buys a campervan ticket along with their main ticket, they can access fields outside the main festival boundary. This ticket covers the campervan or towing vehicle and the caravan. The car used to tow the caravan can be parked nearby, but sleeping is only allowed in the campervan or caravan and its attached awning, not in the car. One extra tent may be brought if space allows. Some people choose to bring or rent a motorhome, but drivers of larger vehicles may need to buy an additional campervan ticket if their vehicle does not fit in the assigned area. In 2009, rules for campervan areas changed. Commercial vehicles were no longer considered "campervans," and all campervans needed to have a sleeping area and either a bathroom or kitchen. Caravans and trailer tents were allowed back at the festival after being banned in the early 1990s due to vehicles getting stuck in the mud and being abandoned.

Festival visitors can also stay in local bed and breakfasts. There are several independent accommodation providers near the festival site, offering smaller campsites for tents, gypsy caravans, geo-domes, private cottages, and other options. Some visitors use quad-bikes or even private helicopters to travel between the festival and their accommodation.

Criticism

In 2010, journalist Brendan O'Neill wrote in The Spectator that the festival had become an "authoritarian pigpen" with watchtowers, CCTV cameras, and a strong police presence. He also said the festival had grown older and more middle-class, with attendees often being told about topics like safe sex and social causes. These changes, he believed, discouraged younger people from attending. In 2025, after the Kneecap controversy, O'Neill told The Australian that the festival had changed from its original 1970s roots as a rebellious, countercultural event. He noted that the average attendee was about 50 years old, tickets were expensive, and the festival had become very conformist and "anti-punk." In Spiked, he mocked festival attendees for being smug, wealthy, and disconnected from the world. He criticized them for supporting open borders despite high fences around the event and for opposing racism while criticizing the "world's only Jewish nation." O'Neill later wrote in The Spectator and The Australian that the festival had become a place where antisemitism was common, comparing it to "a woke Nuremberg rally" and calling attendees "privileged weed-smoking neo-hippies."

In 2024, the festival faced criticism for having too many male performers. Organizer Emily Eavis promised to create a more balanced lineup with 50% female-led groups. The festival also faced complaints about overcrowding, long lines, and safety problems at smaller stages, which were linked to poor crowd management.

In 2015, a The Guardian journalist expressed concern about environmental harm caused by festival attendees. She reported seeing large amounts of litter, unclean toilets, and public urination that polluted a nearby river. About 1,650 tonnes of waste, including tents, sleeping bags, chairs, and plastic bottles, were collected by a team of 800 workers. A 2022 study in Environmental Research found drugs like MDMA and cocaine in the Whitelake River, which runs through the festival site. This pollution harmed the European eel population. Researchers suggested improving wastewater treatment and preventing public urination to address these issues.

Cultural references

Saint Dunstan, the Patron Saint of Music, was the Abbot of Glastonbury in 943. Many artists have written songs titled "Glastonbury" or about the festival, including Nizlopi, The Waterboys, and Scouting for Girls. Cosmic Rough Riders included a song called "Glastonbury Revisited" on their album Enjoy The Melodic Sunshine (Poptones) in 2000. Amy Macdonald mentioned Glastonbury in her song "Let's Start a Band" with the line: "Give me a festival and I'll be your Glastonbury star." Robbie Williams referred to his surprise stage appearance with Oasis in 1995 in his song "The 90s," an event that led to him leaving Take That. Joe Strummer wrote the song "Coma Girl" about his experiences at Glastonbury. In a BBC interview, Bruce Springsteen said the song inspired him to attend the 2009 festival.

U2 wrote a song titled "Glastonbury" that was meant to be first performed at the festival, but Bono's injury forced them to cancel. Instead, the song was first performed in Turin during their 360° Tour. Marcus Brigstocke's comic character, Giles Wemmbley Hogg, had a special mock-documentary about attending Glastonbury as part of the Giles Wemmbley-Hogg Goes Off radio series. Deborah Crombie's novel A Finer End is set in Glastonbury and includes a fictional story about the 1914 Glastonbury Fayre and the modern festival. Glastonbury is also a setting in John Osborne's 2014 Radio 4 show The New Blur Album. Roxy Music created a song and album called Avalon, which is the ancient name for Glastonbury (Isle of Avalon).

In 2013, an advertisement for the Indonesian cigarette brand Diplomat Mild, owned by the Wismilak Group, mentioned Glastonbury with the line: "One day, I would perform at Glastonbury." Not all references to Glastonbury are positive. The punk rock band The Damned referred to "Glastonbury hippies" as one of the things needing to be smashed in their 1979 song "Smash It Up."