We are so saddened to hear the news about the passing of Keith Flint. He’s played here so many times over the years with the Prodigy and was booked to play this year. What an incredible frontman, he gave us all so much life and energy. Here’s a clip from ‘97 when they became the first dance band to headline Glastonbury – a huge moment for us which we will never forget.
Emily
For the first time, single-use plastic drinks bottles will not be available to purchase at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. They will also no longer be supplied or available in any of the Festival’s backstage, production, catering and dressing room areas.
Our partners Greenpeace estimate that, globally, up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans each year. Greenpeace advise that by far the best way to avoid plastic pollution is to reduce plastic usage. With more than one million plastic bottles sold at Glastonbury 2017, we feel that stopping their sale is the only way forward.
For those wishing to drink water – which we certainly do recommend! – we are, once again, encouraging all Festival-goers to use a reusable water bottle and refill it at any of the hundreds of free water taps around the Glastonbury site. We have a mains water supply from Bristol Water, with water of the same quality as your taps at home.
We are also tripling the number of WaterAid kiosks where you will be able to refill your bottle. Free drinking water will be available from all bars across the site. Meanwhile, canned soft drinks and canned Life Water will be available to purchase from all traders who previously sold soft drinks in plastic bottles. In 2017, almost 45 tonnes of aluminium cans were recycled after being processed by the Festival’s on-site recycling centre, so we expect this figure to rise significantly in 2019. We also expect a significant reduction in the 40 tonnes of plastic bottles which were recycled at the last Festival.
Although those coming to Glastonbury 2019 will not be prevented from bringing plastic bottles on to the site, we strongly encourage everyone to join the effort by bringing as little single-use plastic as possible.
Says Emily Eavis: “It’s paramount for our planet that we all reduce our plastic consumption, and I’m thrilled that, together, we’ll be able to prevent over a million single-use plastic bottles from being used at this year’s Festival. I really hope that everyone – from ticket-holder to headliner – will leave Worthy Farm this year knowing that even small, everyday changes can make a real difference. It’s now or never.”
UPDATE: Entries are now closed. Many thanks to the thousands of you who put your act forward. Let the listening begin!
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We’re very pleased to announce our EMERGING TALENT COMPETITION 2019, which is supported by PRS for Music and PRS Foundation. The competition gives new UK and Ireland-based acts of any musical genre the chance to compete for a slot on one of the main stages at this year’s Festival.
The winners of the free-to-enter competition will also be awarded a £5,000 Talent Development prize from PRS Foundation to help take their songwriting and performing to the next level. Two runners-up will also each be awarded a £2,500 PRS Foundation Talent Development prize.
Acts from any musical genre could enter the 2019 competition FOR ONE WEEK ONLY from 9am Monday 28th January until 5pm Monday 4th February 2019.
To enter, acts needed to supply a link to one original song on SoundCloud (NB: the link must be accessible for judges to listen), plus a link to a video of themselves performing live, even if it was only recorded in a bedroom.
Once the entries are in, a panel of 30 of the UK’s best music writers will help compile a longlist of 90 acts. The longlist will then be narrowed down to a shortlist of eight artists by judges including Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis, before the live finals in Pilton in April decide the winning act. For the past four competitions, all eight of the finalists were offered slots at that year’s Festival.
Recent Emerging Talent Competition finalists include Nigerian-born rapper Flohio, who features on the BBC’s Sound of 2019 list; R&B singer Izzy Bizu (a 2016 BRITs Critics’ Choice nominee and winner of the 2016 BBC Music Introducing Award); and singer-songwriter Declan McKenna, who won ETC 2015 and subsequently signed with Columbia and released a successful debut album. The 2017 ETC winner was soulful singer Josh Barry, who has since toured with Rag’n’Bone Man and Gorgon City and is due to release his debut album this year. Meanwhile, 2016 winners She Drew The Gun have received considerable acclaim for their politically-inspired psych-pop, with their latest album Revolution Of The Mind named among BBC 6 Music’s Top 10 albums of 2018.
Says Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis:
“After our year off, we can’t wait to hear the latest crop of undiscovered music that’s out there. New music is hugely important to what this Festival is about, and the Emerging Talent Competition has helped us to unearth so many incredible artists from across the genres. Bring on the entries!”
Amy Field, Events Manager, PRS for Music comments:
“Performing at Glastonbury Festival is a dream for many new artists, so I’m delighted for PRS for Music to be partnering with Glastonbury Festival once again on the Emerging Talent Competition, an amazing initiative that can make just that happen. I can’t wait to hear the music that comes out of this year’s edition.”
Vanessa Reed, CEO of PRS Foundation says:
“The Emerging Talent Competition is an incredibly exciting opportunity for talented up and coming artists to receive vital support to develop their careers and perform at the legendary Glastonbury Festival. It has been fantastic to the see the progress of all the winners and runners-up through the years – whether signing major recording deals, touring nationally and international or securing syncs on major national TV advertising campaigns. Can’t wait to see which talented artists apply this year.”
We’re pleased to confirm that this year’s Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza will take place on Saturday 3 August, 2019, when the event will return to the Abbey’s spectacular surroundings for the 23rd time.
Although the bill is yet to be announced, ticket prices have been held for the seventh year running, with the popular Extravaganza gift vouchers on sale now. Click here for more info and to buy.
Advance prices are adults £35 and £20 for a child aged six to 16. Accompanied children aged five and under do not require a ticket. Booking and postage fees apply. Terms and conditions apply.
Vouchers can also be bought from the Abbey shop – to be redeemed for adult or child tickets.
Photos: Andrew Allcock
Emily Eavis just announced on Lauren Laverne’s new BBC 6 Music breakfast show that the incredible Janelle Monáe will headline one of the nights on the West Holts stage at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.
We’re pleased to report that following the last Festival in 2017, Glastonbury Festival was able to distribute more than £3 million to good causes for the first time, in 2017/18. This included £2.35m to our three main supported organisations, Oxfam, Greenpeace and WaterAid. In addition over £750,000 was distributed between hundreds of worthy causes, both local and national, including schools, sports groups, CND groups, carnival clubs etc.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who contributed by coming to the 2017 Festival and to all the incredible volunteers whose support and time makes these donations possible.
Michael and Emily
We’re delighted to announce that Kylie is finally bringing her show to Glastonbury. She’ll play the legendary Sunday afternoon slot on the Pyramid Stage at next year’s Festival. And as Emily Eavis just wrote on Twitter, “We cannot wait”.
Kylie will play the Sunday teatime slot which has previously been graced by artists including Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, ELO, Barry Gibb, Shirley Bassey and Paul Simon.
Writing on Twitter, Kylie said: “I’m so thrilled to announce that I’ll be playing the ‘Legend slot’ on Sunday 30th June at Glastonbury 2019. It will be 14 years since I was originally meant to appear there and so much has happened up to now. I can’t wait to see you all there to share this special show.”
This will be Australian’s first set at Glastonbury. Kylie was due to perform here in 2005, but was forced to pull out for health reasons. However, she does have some experience of the Pyramid Stage having made a memorable guest appearance with Scissor Sisters in 2010.
We’re delighted to announce that Stormzy is confirmed as the first headliner for Glastonbury 2019. The multi award-winning British MC will headline the Pyramid Stage on Friday, June 28th.
The announcement was made via posters in the windows of Oxfam’s shops in Glastonbury town centre and in Streatham, close to where Stormzy grew up.
“Very happy to confirm Stormzy as our first headliner for next year,” says Emily Eavis. “He’s one of the most exciting British artists to come along in years and after seeing him play here in 2017 we knew next time he had to come back and headline the Pyramid. See you there Friday night!”
This will be Stormzy’s third Glastonbury appearance, following rapturously-received performances in the Sonic tent (2016) and on the Other Stage in 2017.
A few remaining T-shirts and hoodies from this year’s Pilton Party, which was headlined by Liam Gallagher, have been added to our online store. All proceeds to Pilton pre-school. Click here to visit the store now.
UPDATE: Applications have now closed.
Applications to trade at Glastonbury Festival 2019 are now open for crew caterers, food and non-food traders, charity & campaigning stalls.
You have until 5pm on Wednesday, 14th November to apply.