大象传媒

Glastonbury: Festival is 50 years old but this year is different

Media caption,

Meet the family celebrating their own Glastonbury at home.

There will be no tents, stalls or packed stages at Glastonbury this year.

Covid-19 means that the huge music festival has been moved to a virtual venue.

#GlastoAtHome will be a virtual festival experience with live streams, podcasts and even playlists to get people in the spirit.

The event is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and the 2020 festival is different to anything that has gone before it - but there have been LOTS of changes over the last 50 years.

Are you having your own #GlastoAtHome? Let us know in the comments!

Image source, Glastonbury Official site
Image caption,

Original Glastonbury Fayre poster!

#GlastoAtHome is certainly worlds away from the first ever Glastonbury festival back in 1970!

Back then it was called 'Glastonbury Fayre.' and it cost 拢1 per ticket which included a free glass of milk. The milk came from the cows kept at Worthy Farm in Somerset, where the festival still takes place.

About 1,500 people attended. Compare that to 2020, when 135,000 tickets were bought before it had to be cancelled.

Image source, Getty Images

From 1970 to 1980, the festival grew bigger and bigger each year, attracting artists who were huge stars at the time.

By 1981, tickets cost 拢8 and 18,000 people were there.

Did you know?
  • There are now 79 stages at Glastonbury

This was the year the event's name changed from 'Glastonbury Fayre' to 'Glastonbury Festival.'

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

The Pyramid Stage is a lot more glamorous than a cow shed these days

Did you know?
  • 1981 was the year the 'Pyramid Stage' was built and used - after the acts had gone home it was used as a cow shed!

With the 1990s came yet another new name... 'Glastonbury Festival for Contemporary Performing Arts' and by now ticket prices had risen to 拢38.

There were 70,000 festivalgoers who went to the Somerset for the 20th anniversary!

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

From 1,500 in 1970 to 300,000 in 1994 was quite some growth in under 25 years!

Record breaking crowds
  • In 1994 300,000 people were at Glastonbury, breaking its record for festival attendance!

Fast forward another 10 years to 2000 - the year of the new millennium.

Image source, Press Association
Image caption,

David Bowie on stage at Wembley Arena in 1995

Tickets were 拢87 and 100,000 people came to hear headline act David Bowie.

2000 was also a record year for the amount of people who tried to 'gatecrash' - or get into the festival without paying!

Image caption,

Stevie Wonder played the Pyramid Stage in 2010

In 2010, 40 years of Glastonbury was marked with 135,000 weekend tickets bought at 拢185 a ticket - that's 拢184 more than they were in 1970 and there was no free milk by now! Milk is still delivered to the campsites but people have to pay for it.

Headline acts included, Muse, Stevie Wonder and Gorillaz.

Need the loo?
  • At the 2010 festival there were 4,600 toilets!

2020 - Well, that brings us to now.

#GlastoAtHome will bring more people to the festival than ever before, and there is quite a lot to get involved with.

There will be virtual tours, past performances re-lived, live streams and a whole 大象传媒 web page dedicated to bringing the best 'at home' experience!

Will you be having your own #GlastoAtHome? Let us know in the comments!