Glastonbury drums up unmissable line-ups, acts and events year after year. You will probably see more bands going to Glastonbury Festival than any other weekend event, with lots of smaller stages dotted around that you might not read about in the press. But it’s not just about the music.

 

There’s also theatre, cinema, cabaret, food, comedy and plenty of kids' stuff to enjoy. The festival offers more fringe theatre shows than any other weekend show in the UK and if you think the food is going to be a measly toss-up between soggy hot dog and dodgy bean burger, think again.

The delicious fodder to be found on-site is wonderfully varied - drawing on international, largely organic and fairtrade fare (the site only sells fairtrade coffee and hot chocolate).

Local produce is in abundance - the scrumptious local cider and 'freshly squeezed' milk from the farm included. All tastes are catered for, indeed you could sample cuisine from a different country for every meal during the whole four days and you could probably manage to be a macrobiotic vegan while you're at it! 

The site has distinct socio-geographic regions with something for everyone - definitely one of the world’s most vibrant and eclectic patchworks of first-class entertainment and enlightenment, with no creative stone left unturned.

The more commercial aspects of the festival are around the Pyramid, Other and Dance stages. Think of the West End on a Saturday night but your name is on every guest list, the experience is 100% beautified, and the setting is a muddy field not a steamy nightclub.

More relaxed vibes can be found in the Acoustic and Jazzworld areas, and the Kidz, Theatre and Circus fields are great for families, as is the Green Kids area. Glastonbury is certainly great for kids, with plenty of (free) things for them to do (plus kids 12 and under get in free); seems ‘free’ is the buzzword when you’re a kid!

Looking for an alternative approach? Don’t miss the Field of Avalon, Tipi Field or the Green Fields. And Lost Vagueness has taken the medal for hedonistic madness for the last few years running. At the top of the site is the Sacred Space with a modern reconstruction of a stone circle.

“It’s a wonderful place, a great feeling. There’s something about it that makes it peculiarly British. There’s something different about it; it’s not sanitised. It’s the perfect festival, a thrill to play, and there’s always a good crowd.”  (Tom Rowlands, The Chemical Brothers). Courtesy of: Glastonbury – An oral history of the music, mud & magic by Crispin Aubrey & John Shearlaw.

And then, of course, there are the festival-goers; in all their splendid diversity. One common characteristic that unites people going to Glastonbury Festival is a dogged determination to enjoy an experience like no other. Thousands of people of all ages, backgrounds, nationalities, lifestyles, faiths and tastes flock to this annual feast of fun and frivolities, and yet the vibe remains predominantly mellow and friendly – testament of our willingness as a nation to just get along (and have a damn good party).

Glastonbury has managed to grow into a gargantuan giant of a festival without losing touch with its founding principles: good music, good fun, good people and a bounteous smattering of respect and spirituality. Let the party begin…