History 1971

The Festival moved to the time of the Summer Solstice and was known as the “Glastonbury Fair”. It had been planned by Andrew Kerr and Arabella Churchill who felt all other festivals at the time were over commercialised. It was paid for by the few who supported the ideal so the entrance was free and took a medieval tradition of music, dance, poetry, theatre, lights and spontaneous entertainment. It was in this year that the first “pyramid” stage was constructed out of scaffolding and expanded metal covered with plastic sheeting, built on a site above the Glastonbury-Stonehenge ley line. The musicians who performed recorded a now very rare album. The Festival is also captured “a la Woodstock” by a 1972 film crew that included Nick Roeg, Sandy Lieberson and Si Litvinoff. This film was called “Glastonbury Fayre”.

Acts included: Hawkwind, Traffic, Melanie, David Bowie, Fairport Convention and Quintessence.

Attendance: estimated at 12,000.

Price: free.

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Your 1971 Photos

Family 3 by Peter BallFamily 2 by Peter BallFamily 1 by Peter BallJohn Hodge? & Ruth? from Saltford by Peter Ballmassive crowds by Peter Ballview from our tent by Peter BallPhoto taken by my late father Geoffrey Bowler at Glastonbury Fayre, summer solstice 1971 by Sue BowlerPhoto by Geoffrey Bowler of Glastonbury Fayre, Summer solstice, 1971 by Sue BowlerPhoto taken by Geoffrey Bowler at Glastonbury Fayre, Summer solstice 1971 by Sue BowlerPhoto taken by Geoffrey Bowler at Glastonbury Fayre, summer solstice 1971 by Sue BowlerMain stage at night, lighting and sound systems a little simpler back then as well. by Jerry Hawkins

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