What is Glastonbury?
Glastonbury Festival is one of the world's largest music and performing arts festivals, held at Worthy Farm in Somerset, England, usually in late June. It draws more than 200,000 people.
Farmer Michael Eavis started the festival in 1970, the day after Jimi Hendrix died. About 1,500 people attended, paying one pound each, which included free milk from the farm. Today, the festival is run by Eavis and his daughter Emily and covers about 900 acres with dozens of stages.
The most famous stage is the Pyramid Stage, where headliners have included David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, Adele, Elton John and Coldplay, who have headlined five times. Besides music, the festival features comedy, theater, circus, art and activism. Tickets sell out within minutes.
Fallow years
Glastonbury usually takes a fallow year about every five or six years to let the land recover and give the local community a rest. The festival took a break in 2026 and is expected to return in 2027. Much of its profit goes to charities like Oxfam, Greenpeace and WaterAid.
Did You Know?
Glastonbury is famous for its mud. In rainy years, fields turn into thick sludge, and rubber boots are essential.