From Thursday 25 June, crowds of music-lovers plus some pretty big names were due to descend onto the legendary Worthy Farm in Somerset for what was to be the 50th anniversary of Glastonbury Festival. Alas, the COVID-19 pandemic had other plans and like many other summer festivals, Glasto 2020 was sadly cancelled. If you’d planned to go or have always wanted to – fear not – thanks to the BBC you can still enjoy Glasto from your own home this weekend. We’ve pulled together our top 3 ways to get those festival feels… without the risk of mud! It’s no extensive list – but a place to start. Head to the official BBC Music at Glastonbury page for further information on everything featured.
Co-organisers of the festival Michael Eavis and his daughter Emily Eavis tell the story of Glastonbury’s 50 year history decade by decade. Over five-videos, the pair take us through the fascinating narrative of events on Worthy Farm, from the 1970’s all the way to the present day – including first charging a quid per entry, brushes with the parish council and sets from Marc Bolan to Stormzy – plus the battle against the notoriously unpredictable British weather. Follow the link below to watch online.
We might not be able to make the trip to Worthy Farm this year for the festival but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring a little bit of Glastonbury’s iconic venue to your own home. If you’re planning a digital meet up with friends to watch the coverage – check out the Glastonbury backgrounds available to save and add a special something to your viewing party. From crazy crowd pics, glorious Somerset sunsets, tents and fluttering flags – simply follow the link below to find your favourite view.
- Words:
- Cat Allan
- Published on:
- Thu 25 Jun 2020
The BBC have been searching the archives and have found tonnes of unseen, rare footage from past Glastonbury festivals. These include highlights from performances of Lady Gaga in 2015, REM in 2003 and Bruce Springsteen in 2009 amongst many, many others. You can catch these from Friday 26 June over on BBC Two from 8pm each evening. Meanwhile across BBC Two, BBC Four and iPlayer there will be a chance to view full live sets from previous performers including Beyonce, Elbow, Jay Z, Toots and the Maytals, Adele, Chemical Brothers, Coldplay, Nile Rogers and Chic, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Ed Sheeran and a few surprise guests thrown in for good measure. Relive your memories from Glastonbury’s past and feel like you’re there in the crowd for these truly spectacular performances. Be sure to check TV listings for full line-ups and times.