Latest news with #Pilton
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
TV host Holly Willoughby is latest celebrity to take helicopter to 'green' Glastonbury as locals complain it's 'antisocial' and 'against the spirit' of the festival
She has been dubbed the Queen of Glastonbury Festival, having partied there every summer for a decade. And in true royal fashion, Holly Willoughby touched down on the Worthy Farm site by helicopter yesterday to join more than 200,000 music fans. But residents of neighbouring Pilton in Somerset are furious at the number of choppers ferrying A-listers over their farms, as one told the Mail: 'We've never seen this many coming into the festival – it's insane. 'On Thursday there was a cluster of five, one after the other. 'It's getting ridiculous now and quite frankly the organisers need to get a handle on it – it's so anti-social and not in the spirit of Glasto.' Setting off from London's Battersea heliport yesterday, the 44-year-old flew for 50 minutes and was at the festival by 1.30pm. Helicopter firm Air Charter – which sells return tickets for £13,950 – reckons it saves its celebrity customers up to eight hours per journey compared with driving. Beaming in the festival's VIP section, the former This Morning host sported a £365 pair of tan Grenson boots from her own line and a £158 blouse from Free People over a white dress and belt, with a Stetson hat. Ms Willoughby has previously stayed at the five-star Babington House hotel while attending the event, which is a half-hour drive from the site, and gets a taxi in each day. Meanwhile, nearby luxury campsite Camp Kerala, which costs £8,000 for five days, shared a picture on social media showing a line of helicopters and Rolls-Royces awaiting VIPs. With ticket prices at a minimum of £385, the 45-year-old festival has faced growing criticism that it has abandoned its hedonistic roots, and this year was dubbed 'Butlin's for the British middle class'. The Mail approached festival bosses for a comment. Other celebs spotted at the event so far include Barbie star Margot Robbie, 34, with her producer husband Tom Ackerley, eight months after giving birth to their first child. Yesterday, moustachioed Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, 48, read out letters from around the world in the Greenpeace area in a feature called 'Letters Live'. Meanwhile, thousands of unsuspecting fans were treated to surprise performances from Lewis Capaldi and Lorde yesterday. Capaldi choked back tears as he declared 'I'm back baby' during an emotional return to Glastonbury's iconic Pyramid Stage. The Scottish singer, 28, was greeted by cheers, two years after his Tourette's condition left him unable to finish his set and led to a career hiatus. He told the crowd: 'Two years ago I wasn't sure if I'd ever do this again, but I'm back baby!' And Lorde, also 28, sent fans into a frenzy with a surprise slot on the Woodsies stage, which saw her whip off her top in temperatures of 27C (81F).
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
A ‘secret' Lorde set and a spiritual wedding: Glastonbury gets off to sunny start
As the noon sun broke through the cloud over Glastonbury festival on Friday, the excitement among the 200,000 ticket holders as the first chords of music rang across Worthy Farm was palpable. Lorde was among the first artists to open the first full day of music at the Somerset carnival in a 'secret' set on the small Woodsies tent – an understated turn for the pop superstar, who has played the Pyramid stage and Other stage. But the 'TBA' listing on the lineup was fooling no one, with thousands flooding the relatively small Woodsies area, forcing the stewards to close it off to prevent overcrowding. After watching the New Zealander play her new album Virgin in full, Catherine Shipton, 27, from Southampton was buzzing. 'We were pretty sure Lorde was the TBA on the list, and when the album dropped last night we were almost definite. But it didn't stop it being so amazing to see her. She was brilliant, the new songs were great.' Setting the tone for the day, it was the sort of magical start that has become synonymous with the Glastonbury experience: unexpected, emotional, energetic, enigmatic. Through sunny intervals and 25C temperatures, festivalgoers meandered through the fields of Pilton dressed in outfits ranging from practical Patagonia to tutus, superhero and pirate costumes. Early arrivers on Wednesday were treated to a circus performance on the Pyramid stage – a quiet affair, given that Glastonbury's licence does not allow for loud music until Thursday – in which spectators hummed and sang along to large samba drums. Supergrass opened the festivities on the Pyramid stage, the indie rockers' 1995 hit Alright – with its tribute to the rebellious spirit of youth – a fitting anthem for the occasion. Music fans were looking ahead to another 90s veteran, Alanis Morissette, making her Glastonbury debut in the 30th anniversary year of the release of the 51-year-old's record-breaking album Jagged Little Pill and another rumoured 'secret' set from Lewis Capaldi, who has only recently returned to performing after taking a two-year hiatus to focus on his mental health. Chase Bartlett, 28, from Bristol, started his day queueing for an hour with friends for warm showers near the Acoustic stage. 'Everyone's very happy, having a good time,' he said. Queueing with him, Danielle Vincent, 29, from Bristol, added: 'It's like a different planet. You can't describe what it's like here to somebody that's not been.' 'You see all sorts,' Chase said. 'I saw a man on the phone to a potato and then he gave it to another man who start playing it: it was a harmonica.' Bartlett saw that Robbie Williams had posted an image on Instagram from the festival and was convinced the former Take That member was one of the many secret gigs. 'And we're going to see Loyle Carner tonight and can't wait,' he added. Carner headlines the Other stage on Friday after an appearance from the hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes. The customary flag-waving crowd were in full force, with Palestinian flags particularly prominent in a year of increasing geopolitical unrest, although nauseating puns were abundant, along with apparent in-jokes and surreal tributes to dead pets. Kneecap's appearance on Saturday was being hotly discussed among the crowd, interest piqued by the controversy the Irish-language rappers have courted in recent months. One of the group, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, has been charged under terrorism laws and is currently on bail. Senior politicans, including Keir Starmer, have said the band's inclusion on the bill is inappropriate. Sarah Hall, 34, from Ipswich, said she had been to Glastonbury three times and always thought of it as a political festival. 'The festival supports great causes and charities, and I would expect nothing else from it this year. Things feel a bit heavy out there so I would expect Glastonbury to sort of deal with that.' But alongside the serious issues of politics, war, climate emergency and equality, there are countless moments of escapism and joy. From the circus performers to the hippies in the healing fields, Glastonbury is a place where people come together to celebrate life. The Greenpeace stage hosted a Letters Live event, in which a variety of letters spanning centuries were read by some surprise celebrities, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Bella Ramsay, Andrew Scott, Paapa Essiedu, James Norton and Simon Pegg. Highlights included a deeply poignant letter from a soldier in 1944 to his lover, a fellow soldier who had died the previous year, read by Scott, and a funny proposal letter written in 1866 by a Middlesbrough farmer to a woman he wanted to marry, in which he said he 'had my eye on you for a long time'. To big laughs from the crowd, Norton, in his rarely used Yorkshire accent, read: 'I shall marry you on May Day or if my mother dies afore, I will marry you afore.' And Glastonbury is no stranger to weddings. Charles and Charlie Shires, aged 32 and 31 respectively, from Harrogate, were married in the Healing Fields at 10am on Thursday. 'It was a spiritual ceremony,' said Charlie, wearing a white dress with mud-flecked hem and black boots that she has worn to the festival before. Officiated by a celebrant, Glenda, the couple had about 15 friends including bridesmaids attend. 'We love Glastonbury so we wanted to do something here,' said Charlie, who has been to the festival four times. Charles, who is at Glastonbury for the sixth time, said: 'We wanted to get married in a unique place.' Charlie works for HG1 Cake Couture, and brought her own wedding cake 250 miles from Harrogate to Worthy Farm – a chocolate and pistachio treat, which the couple sliced up and handed out to a crowd watching a live broadcast of the BBC podcast Sidetracked with Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw. 'We can relax now it's done,' Charles said, looking ahead to a honeymoon featuring Charlie xcx.
The Sun
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Reason why there is no Glastonbury Festival in 2026 revealed
GLASTONBURY is in full swing and festival-goers will want to make the most of this year. The iconic festival announced it will not be going ahead in 2026, and here's why. 2 Organisers revealed they will be taking a break next year as the festival takes a fallow year. This is a planned respite where the event does not take place, allowing the farmland to recover. In turn, this will allow the natural environment at Worthy Farm to regenerate. Glastonbury takes a hiatus every five years to avoid causing irreparable damage to the working pastures. "The fallow year is important because it gives the land a rest, it gives the cows a chance to be out for longer and reclaim their land," co-organiser Emily Eavis told the BBC. Fallow year Fallow years are common in agricultural practices, where farmers leave land unplanted to improve soil quality. This allows the land time to replenish its nutrients, improving it for cattle grazing. While the festival's last official fallow year took place in 2018, organisers had to cancel two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. Co-organisers explained that Glastonbury was once again "due a fallow year". "Sustainability and the need to live in harmony with the land has always been vital to Glastonbury Festival," Emily said. "And I think it's important because it just gives everybody a little time to just switch off". The fallow year also offers a break for the local community in the village of Pilton. Environmental concerns To further limit harm to the local environment, organisers have implemented a series of initiatives to reduce any waste left on-site. A "love the farm, leave no trace" pledge has been introduced, which festival-goers are asked to sign up to when purchasing a festival ticket. As well as this, single-use plastic plates, cups, mugs, and cutlery have also been banned on site. Glastonbury 2025 - confirmed acts so far TICKETS to the 2025 festival sold out in just minutes before some of the acts were even confirmed. Here is who has been confirmed so far. Confirmed headliners: The 1975 will take to the Pyramid Stage on Friday. Neil Young will headline the festival for the second time after his last set in 2009 on Saturday after RAYE makes her return. Charli xcx will headline the Other Stage on Saturday night. On Sunday, Olivia Rodrigo is due to belt out her hits for her first appearance while Rod Stewart will perform in the legends slot. More acts to appear on the Other Stage include Loyle Carner and The Prodigy. Doechii will make her Glastonbury debut on the West Holts Stage on Saturday night. Other names confirmed include Noah Kahan, Alanis Morissette, Gracie Abrams, Busta Rhymes, Lola Young, Brandi Carlile, Myles Smith, En Vogue, Amaarae, Cymande, Shaboozey, Osees and Gary Numan. Other prohibited items include glass bottles, flares, and Chinese lanterns. "We are striving to leave as little an imprint on the land here as we possibly can," said co-organiser Michael Eavis. "For me, Worthy Farm is what life here is all about." Glastonbury 2025 Festival-goers have shared the "shocking" price they've forked over for pints at Glastonbury. And a huge name has hinted at a surprise appearance on the festival's main stage. Meanwhile, Noel Gallagher has responded to Glastonbury rumours ahead of the highly-anticipated Oasis reunion. Plus, a breakdown on how much each Glastonbury act is said to be worth. 2
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Count down to Glastonbury with all the numbers you need to know
This week, thousands of music lovers from across the U.K. and beyond will flock to a farm in the southwest of England for the legendary Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts. But just how many? Find out in this guide to Glastonbury — and all of its quirks — by the numbers. 210,000: Full capacity of the festival The festival's current license allows up to 210,000 people on-site, including fans, staff and performers — but, this year, a few thousand fewer tickets have been sold, to avoid overcrowding. The closest village of Pilton has a population of around 1,000 people. During the festival, though, the area becomes the seventh-largest largest city in the U.K. (more than double that of nearby Bath, which has a population of around 94,000). 1,200,000: Pints of beer stocked across more than 100 bars Brooklyn Brewery's pilsner has been the official beer of Glastonbury since 2023, keeping festivalgoers well lubricated. This year, they are preparing more than 1.2 million pints of lager for a hot and thirsty crowd. That's equivalent to two standard-size swimming pools. And that's despite Glastonbury's B.Y.O. standing, unique at British music festivals where bringing alcohol in from the outside is usually prohibited. At Glastonbury, if you can carry it, you can drink it, and it's not uncommon to see wheelbarrows and small trailers being pulled into campsites with a weekend's worth of supplies of food and drink. 120,000: Largest-ever crowd for one set The headliners on the iconic Pyramid Stage traditionally attract the biggest crowds, and Elton John's 2023 farewell gig attracted more than 120,000 fans as he closed the festival. Paul McCartney pulled in more than 100,000 festivalgoers for his headlining Saturday night set in 2022. 4,000: Number of toilets As well as standard portable toilets, the more than 4,000 toilets include the infamous 'long drops' — lockable, open-air toilets set up on high with a huge concrete gutter around 10 feet (3 meters) below (looking down not recommended) and 'compost loos,' with a bin of sawdust located outside to scoop and scatter over your business. There are also both men's and women's urinals for a speedy pee! By contrast, there are scarce few public showers. Organizers instead recommend a 'good ol' fashioned stripwash and making do.' 3,972: Performers across 120 stages this year This year's headliners are English indie rockers The 1975 on Friday, Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young on Saturday and American pop star Olivia Rodrigo closing on Sunday. But if that's not your thing, there are 3,969 other acts to choose from. 35: Minutes it took for 2025 tickets to sell out Tickets for this year went on sale in November 2024, more than 6 months before a single performer was announced, yet the general admission tickets sold out in 35 minutes. The resale round in April saw remaining tickets sell out in just 20 minutes. 1970: Glastonbury's birth year This does not mean this week is the 55th edition though, as traditionally the festival takes a fallow year roughly every five years to allow the farmland to recover. The last official fallow year was 2018, but the festival's 50th anniversary in 2020 and the following year's edition were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. If you're considering making Glasto plans for next year, don't bother: 2026 is a fallow year. 1,000: Acres constituting the festival's site This is equivalent to 500 soccer pitches or approximately 733 standard American football fields. That makes it the world's largest greenfield music and arts event. 1,000: Cows living on the farmland The rest of the year, that is — the humans and the cows don't cohabitate during the festival. Worthy Farm, where the festival is held, is a working farm with 500 milking cows and 500 young stock. During the festival, organizer Michael Eavis sends the dairy cows for a short stay at the Glastonbury 'Moo-tel,' a large shed based away from the action, while the rest go off to graze further afield. 400: Food stalls The more than 400 stalls go well beyond the traditional festival burger, offering just about every type of global cuisine you can imagine. Plus the Brits love a 'meal deal' (a combo of a main meal and a drink or side dish) and Glastonbury is no exception with 6-pound (roughly $8) meal deals offered across the site to keep things affordable. 30: Arrests made in 2024 Twenty-one of these were for drug-related offenses, but the festival retains a low crime rate overall. 8: Kilometers around the perimeter fence A 'Super Fortress Fence' was installed in 2002. Before this, there were tens of thousands of gate-crashers every year. Some jumped the fence, while others tunneled under, 'Great Escape' style. Eavis installed the impenetrable fence after he was fined in 2000 for breaching licensing conditions. 5: Days the festival site is open for business Ticket holders can get access starting 8 a.m. Wednesday to pitch their tents and bag the best spots. While there is entertainment and music over the first few days, the main stages start up on Friday morning and run through Sunday night. All festivalgoers must leave by 5 p.m. Monday, when the site officially closes. 5: Most headlining appearances of any band Coldplay has headlined the Pyramid Stage a record five times. They first topped the bill in 2002, followed by 2005, 2011, 2016 and, most recently, 2024. Arctic Monkeys, Muse and Radiohead are among an elite group of artists who have headlined three times. 3: Banned items that may surprise you Among the list of banned items you might expect, including narcotics, weapons and fireworks, are the less assuming Chinese lanterns, body glitter and gazebos. The first two are verboten because of environmental concerns — a couple cows have died from ingesting the remnants of a Chinese lantern! — while a sudden rash of gazebos would take up too much space in the busy campsites. 0: Number of plastic bottles sold on-site Glastonbury banned single-use plastic in 2019, installing more drinking water fountains around the site and encouraging festivalgoers to bring reusable bottles — for water or some other liquid of choice, of course.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Count down to Glastonbury with all the numbers you need to know
LONDON (AP) — This week, thousands of music lovers from across the U.K. and beyond will flock to a farm in the southwest of England for the legendary Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts. But just how many? Find out in this guide to Glastonbury — and all of its quirks — by the numbers. 210,000: Full capacity of the festival The festival's current license allows up to 210,000 people on-site, including fans, staff and performers — but, this year, a few thousand fewer tickets have been sold, to avoid overcrowding. The closest village of Pilton has a population of around 1,000 people. During the festival, though, the area becomes the seventh-largest largest city in the U.K. (more than double that of nearby Bath, which has a population of around 94,000). 1,200,000: Pints of beer stocked across more than 100 bars Brooklyn Brewery's pilsner has been the official beer of Glastonbury since 2023, keeping festivalgoers well lubricated. This year, they are preparing more than 1.2 million pints of lager for a hot and thirsty crowd. That's equivalent to two standard-size swimming pools. And that's despite Glastonbury's B.Y.O. standing, unique at British music festivals where bringing alcohol in from the outside is usually prohibited. At Glastonbury, if you can carry it, you can drink it, and it's not uncommon to see wheelbarrows and small trailers being pulled into campsites with a weekend's worth of supplies of food and drink. 120,000: Largest-ever crowd for one set The headliners on the iconic Pyramid Stage traditionally attract the biggest crowds, and Elton John's 2023 farewell gig attracted more than 120,000 fans as he closed the festival. Paul McCartney pulled in more than 100,000 festivalgoers for his headlining Saturday night set in 2022. 4,000: Number of toilets As well as standard portable toilets, the more than 4,000 toilets include the infamous 'long drops' — lockable, open-air toilets set up on high with a huge concrete gutter around 10 feet (3 meters) below (looking down not recommended) and 'compost loos,' with a bin of sawdust located outside to scoop and scatter over your business. There are also both men's and women's urinals for a speedy pee! By contrast, there are scarce few public showers. Organizers instead recommend a 'good ol' fashioned stripwash and making do.' 3,972: Performers across 120 stages this year This year's headliners are English indie rockers The 1975 on Friday, Canadian-American singer-songwriter Neil Young on Saturday and American pop star Olivia Rodrigo closing on Sunday. But if that's not your thing, there are 3,969 other acts to choose from. 35: Minutes it took for 2025 tickets to sell out Tickets for this year went on sale in November 2024, more than 6 months before a single performer was announced, yet the general admission tickets sold out in 35 minutes. The resale round in April saw remaining tickets sell out in just 20 minutes. 1970: Glastonbury's birth year This does not mean this week is the 55th edition though, as traditionally the festival takes a fallow year roughly every five years to allow the farmland to recover. The last official fallow year was 2018, but the festival's 50th anniversary in 2020 and the following year's edition were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. If you're considering making Glasto plans for next year, don't bother: 2026 is a fallow year. 1,000: Acres constituting the festival's site This is equivalent to 500 soccer pitches or approximately 733 standard American football fields. That makes it the world's largest greenfield music and arts event. 1,000: Cows living on the farmland The rest of the year, that is — the humans and the cows don't cohabitate during the festival. Worthy Farm, where the festival is held, is a working farm with 500 milking cows and 500 young stock. During the festival, organizer Michael Eavis sends the dairy cows for a short stay at the Glastonbury 'Moo-tel,' a large shed based away from the action, while the rest go off to graze further afield. 400: Food stalls The more than 400 stalls go well beyond the traditional festival burger, offering just about every type of global cuisine you can imagine. Plus the Brits love a 'meal deal' (a combo of a main meal and a drink or side dish) and Glastonbury is no exception with 6-pound (roughly $8) meal deals offered across the site to keep things affordable. 30: Arrests made in 2024 Twenty-one of these were for drug-related offenses, but the festival retains a low crime rate overall. 8: Kilometers around the perimeter fence A 'Super Fortress Fence' was installed in 2002. Before this, there were tens of thousands of gate-crashers every year. Some jumped the fence, while others tunneled under, 'Great Escape' style. Eavis installed the impenetrable fence after he was fined in 2000 for breaching licensing conditions. 5: Days the festival site is open for business Ticket holders can get access starting 8 a.m. Wednesday to pitch their tents and bag the best spots. While there is entertainment and music over the first few days, the main stages start up on Friday morning and run through Sunday night. All festivalgoers must leave by 5 p.m. Monday, when the site officially closes. 5: Most headlining appearances of any band Coldplay has headlined the Pyramid Stage a record five times. They first topped the bill in 2002, followed by 2005, 2011, 2016 and, most recently, 2024. Arctic Monkeys, Muse and Radiohead are among an elite group of artists who have headlined three times. 3: Banned items that may surprise you Among the list of banned items you might expect, including narcotics, weapons and fireworks, are the less assuming Chinese lanterns, body glitter and gazebos. The first two are verboten because of environmental concerns — a couple cows have died from ingesting the remnants of a Chinese lantern! — while a sudden rash of gazebos would take up too much space in the busy campsites. 0: Number of plastic bottles sold on-site Glastonbury banned single-use plastic in 2019, installing more drinking water fountains around the site and encouraging festivalgoers to bring reusable bottles — for water or some other liquid of choice, of course.
