There was a time – not so long ago, in fact - when any self-respecting music fan could name every one of the handful of major UK festivals. In 2010, festivals are ten-a-penny. You could attend an identikit festival almost every weekend in the summer if you really wanted to. The festival market is completely saturated, and the majority share the same line-ups, the same sponsors and the same claustrophobic sense that this many people should not be stuffed into this small park. The legendary Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (aka Glasto), however, remains a thrillingly unique experience. A world in itself; a huge tented city, defined by distinct regions that welcome regular gig-goers, families, kids... all kinds of people, of all ages, backgrounds, nationalities, lifestyles, faiths, creeds, concepts of fashion (or lack of it) and musical taste. Everyone is welcomed and a heart-warming sense of unity pervades the entire event like no other.
The festival – the world’s largest of its kind - takes place during the last weekend in June at Worthy Farm, lying between the small villages of Pilton and Pylle - six miles east of the town of Glastonbury - and is overlooked by the Glastonbury Tor in the mystical ‘Vale of Avalon’, an area steeped in symbolism, mythology and religious traditions dating back many hundreds of years. The site is unlike any other festival site in the world – a sprawling 900 acre beast, comprising a dazzlingly eclectic array of acts that will seriously spoil you for choice.
As well as being able to witness performers from the worlds of indie, folk, jazz, hip-hop, dance, pop, reggae, comedy, poetry and theatre, you can even get away from it all by heading up to the Field of Avalon, the Tipi Field, and the Green Fields. At the top of the site is the Sacred Space – the already-legendary stone circle.
Founded by Michael Eavis in 1970, the first festival took place the day after Jimi Hendrix’s tragic death in September of that year. Glastonbury became an annual fixture in the 80s and today boasts a capacity of a staggering 177,000. The line-ups from down the years reads like who’s who of rock & pop culture legends – from McCartney to Minogue, R.E.M. to Radiohead and Bowie to Brian Wilson.
This year’s festival continues that tradition and will be headlined by Irish giants U2, symphonic neo-prog rockers Muse, and - how about this - all-time great and bona-fide genius Stevie Wonder. Another of Glastonbury's numerous unique selling points is the amazing fact that tickets always sell-out without a single act being announced. Naturally, tickets for the 2010 renewal have already sold out. News of further confirmed acts - of which there will be hundreds - will be steadily revealed in the run up to the festival.
To keep abreast with the latest line-up additions, keep your eye on THIS PAGE
Free shuttle coaches run from the nearest train station - Castle Cary Railway Station - to Pilton and back throughout the Festival, from Wednesday to Monday, stopping overnight when trains are not running. Passengers should always be aware that they will not be allowed to use these services unless they are in possession of a Festival ticket.
Sean Cummins
February 2010
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