For anyone in the UK, it is hard to have missed the iconic scenes of Glastonbury festival, aired on BBC and hosted by the legendary Michael Eavis. From well-known acts such as Coldplay, Paul McCartney and Sam Fender to the secret sets of Paolo Nutini, the magic of ‘Glasto’ has millions grappling for tickets every year, with a whopping 2.4 million registering for the 50th anniversary year.
For many, the appeal of this festival lies not only in the incredible acts that play, but also the electric atmosphere, the unique activities, and places on site, as well as everything that the festival stands for. I asked two festival goers, one local and one visiting from Finland, what they looked for when attending a festival, and what made Glastonbury stand out as magical. Both punters said that they looked for easily accessible stages and memorable artists, while they also read reviews of previous years to see if a festival would be right for them. As for what made Glastonbury magical, the size of the site was key as they found that they were able to distance themselves from the reality of the outside world.
“I am able to be whoever I want to be, watch what I want to watch and wear what I want to wear… everyone is happy here” – Daisy Martin, Wells
I also questioned one of the campsite management crew who was working at this year’s festival (2022). As an alternative to attending the festival via ticket, there is often the ability to work for the festival. As someone who has also worked at the festival, this gave me the option to give something back and help others who were attending, potentially for their first time. I asked David Healey about his experience working at Glastonbury for many years, to which he replied that he enjoyed the sense of community and making people happy, as well as the bubble of non-reality.
Despite the festival tickets now selling for around £250 for the weekend, Glastonbury festival originally began in a low-key field in Somerset, with an attendance fee of £1. In 1981, after a sporadic few years’ prior, Glastonbury Festival was born following the changing of its name from Pilton Pop, Folk & Blues festival. This was also the year that the Pyramid stage made its first debut, as a permanent structure which converts to a cow and food shelter during the winter months. This was to be Glastonbury’s first bold statement as an ethical and environmentally orientated festival, of many.
As an avid attendee of Glastonbury and local resident, I can promise you that the hippy come bohemian stereotype that has shrouded the festival is not far removed from the whole experience. Not only is this makeshift city (for a weekend) the most friendly, free place, but it is also enshrined in its original 70’s activism. Whether you are visiting the Stone Circle’s rituals, or healing your aura in the Healing Fields, Glastonbury has something to offer anyone and everyone, all while instigating this sense of peace and inclusion. There is an overriding feeling of community, where you become a member of an organisation, dedicated to having a good time, all while saving and respecting the planet.
Glastonbury festival has always promoted its “profound connection” with its rural heritage, while everyone who works for the festival is passionately committed to creating a cleaner, more fair, sustainable future for all. Their ‘green’ policies which can be found on the Glastonbury website include initiatives that target energy consumption, waste and ecological factors. In order to reduce the impact that the festival has on the environment, they recommend that visitors:
- Use the toilets/ long drops/ compostable toilets provided
- Recycle and bring reusable bottles
- Take all your equipment home with you
- Share or use public transport to get to the festival
Among these requests, the festival has also been a witness of multiple environmental activists, such as Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough. Attenborough’s powerful speech made on the Pyramid stage in 2019 really struck a chord with the crowd, who cheered and listened intently following a moving montage. 2019 was also the year that the festival banned the sale of single-use plastic bottles on the site, while this year (2022) saw all packets of crisps being sold in compostable bags rather than single use sachets. This gradual move to sustainability and environmentally friendly schemes has really reinforced the festival’s mojo of “love the farm and leave no trace”.
The festival goers who were interviewed believed that the sites ‘green’ schemes and attention to the environment was appealing to them when purchasing festival tickets. Although this wouldn’t have been a “make or break” reason for their attendance, it certainly was encouraging that the festival really was considering this and that restoring the site to how it was important.
Glastonbury’s site is home to many new initiatives that are devised to help reduce the festival’s impact on the surrounding area and environment. Some of these include the instalment of solar panels, planting more than 10,000 trees in the local area and a five-year partnership with The University of the West of England that brings in innovative projects. One of the University’s most successful innovations is the ‘Pee Power toilets’ which use urine to produce electricity for phone charging, lighting, and information panels. To provide a fresh perspective on what the festival could do to remain in keeping with its policies, I asked the festival goers if they could come up with a new initiative to put forward. Their ideas included:
Improved transport links for arriving in the countryside
Improved biodegradable wet wipes as you cannot shower there easily
Improving the amount of petrol/ diesel generators they use to power lights etc
However, overall, they believed that the festival was already quite green and efficient.
If you have the opportunity to attend Glastonbury festival, this is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you should definitely attend!