Worthy Farm (Glastonbury Festival)

Worthy Farm is a 210,000-capacity temporary festival site in the Vale of Avalon, Somerset, England. It is the home of the Glastonbury Festival, the world's largest greenfield music and performing arts festival. Michael Eavis hosted the first festival here on September 19, 1970, attended by 1,500 people who paid one pound each. The festival is now organized by Emily Eavis and her husband, with Michael Eavis still involved. The site is best suited for festival-scale programming and is not a bookable venue for individual artists.

History

Michael Eavis decided to host the first festival after seeing Led Zeppelin headline the 1970 Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music at the nearby Bath and West Showground. The original headline act was supposed to be The Kinks, but they were replaced by Tyrannosaurus Rex (later T. Rex). Tickets cost one pound.

The 1971 "Glastonbury Fair" featured the first Pyramid Stage, a one-tenth replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza built from scaffolding and metal sheeting. Performers included David Bowie, Traffic, and Hawkwind. The festival has been held most years since 1981, with scheduled "fallow years" every five years to let the land recover.

The festival has grown from 1,500 attendees in 1970 to approximately 210,000 in recent years. The 2024 festival was headlined by Dua Lipa, SZA, and Coldplay (who broke the record for most headline appearances with five). The 2025 festival saw Neil Young as the first confirmed headliner, with tickets selling out in 35 minutes at a price of 373.50 pounds plus a 5-pound booking fee.

Fallow Year 2026

During the 2025 festival, the Eavis family announced that there would be no Glastonbury Festival in 2026. This is a scheduled fallow year to allow the natural environment to recover. It is the first fallow year since the COVID-19 cancellations of 2020 and 2021. The festival will return in 2027, running from Wednesday June 23 to Sunday June 27 on Worthy Farm.

Previous fallow years were 1988, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2018, and the COVID-19 years of 2020 and 2021. The festival has been independent since 2012, after its relationship with Festival Republic ended. Glastonbury Festivals Ltd donates most of its profits to charities.

How the Venue Operates

Worthy Farm is situated between the villages of Pilton and Pylle, six miles east of Glastonbury. The site sits in a valley at the head of the Whitelake River, between two low limestone ridges on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. The farm is accessed via the A361 and A37 roads.

The festival transforms the working dairy farm into a temporary city. Infrastructure includes over 4,000 toilets, 2,000 long-drop and 1,300 compost. Aggreko provides over 27 megawatts of electricity via bio-diesel generators. The Pyramid Stage is 25 meters tall with 292 audio speakers and 8.5 kilometers of cabling. The sound systems have a total power of 650,000 watts. Over 400 food stalls operate on site.

Transport to the festival is a major logistical operation. Additional trains run to Castle Cary station from London Paddington, with shuttle buses transferring passengers to the site. National Express provides extra coaches from major UK towns. On the Monday after the festival, all passengers are transferred back in a single day.

The festival is mainly run by volunteers. Approximately 2,000 stewards are organized by Oxfam. Medical facilities are provided by Festival Medical Services. The bars are organized by the Workers Beer Company, which recruits volunteer teams from small charities.

Notable Performances

Glastonbury has hosted some of the most famous live performances in music history. U2 filmed "Under a Blood Red Sky" at Red Rocks, but their Glastonbury 2011 performance was their first at the festival. Billie Eilish became the youngest headline act in 2022. Paul McCartney headlined the same year. Elton John headlined the Pyramid Stage in 2023 in what he billed as his last UK performance. The 2024 lineup included Dua Lipa, SZA, and Coldplay.

Other notable performers across the years include David Bowie, Radiohead, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Adele, Stormzy, The Rolling Stones, Arctic Monkeys, Kendrick Lamar, and Foo Fighters (who appeared as surprise guests "The Churn Ups" in 2023).

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Glastonbury is not a venue you book in the traditional sense. The festival's lineup is curated by the Eavis family and their programming team. However, Glastonbury has a long tradition of supporting emerging and independent artists through its smaller stages, including the Left Field (managed by a cooperative), the BBC Introducing stage, and various areas run by independent organizations.

Independent artists can apply through the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, which gives unsigned acts the chance to perform at the festival. The competition typically opens in January or February each year (except fallow years). Winning or being shortlisted provides significant exposure.

For artists planning to perform at Glastonbury 2027, now is the time to build your profile. The festival books across all genres and stages, from the Pyramid Stage to intimate acoustic tents. Read our music festival strategy guide for practical advice on getting booked at major festivals.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

• 2026 is a fallow year. No festival will take place. The next Glastonbury is June 23 to 27, 2027.
• The site is a working dairy farm. Weather conditions can turn the site into a mud bath. Flooding has occurred in 1997, 1998, and 2005. Drainage has improved but cannot eliminate the risk.
• Tickets are extremely difficult to obtain. The 2025 tickets sold out in 35 minutes. Tickets require registration in advance, and demand far exceeds supply.
• The festival is enormous. Walking from one end of the site to the other takes 45 minutes. Attendees should plan their schedule carefully.
• The 2025 festival saw controversy with the appearance of Irish band Kneecap and English rap duo Bob Vylan, leading to police investigations (eventually dropped without charges). The festival's booking choices can generate significant media attention, both positive and negative.
• For artists, the payment for performing at Glastonbury is relatively low compared to other major festivals. The festival's charitable model means performance fees are modest. The value is in exposure and prestige.

Related Resources

• Music Festival Strategy: Get Booked and Make It Count
• Tour Revenue Calculator - Estimate earnings from live performances
• How to Book Your First Tour: Step-by-Step Guide
• Complete Guide to Making Money as a Musician in 2026
• Glastonbury Festival Official Website