Glastonbury Festival To Host Livestream From Worthy Farm After Festival Gets Cancelled

The organizers of Glastonbury have announced plans for “amazing” live broadcasts from Worthy Farm, following the cancellation of the festival for the second year in a row.

Coldplay, Damon Albarn, Jorja Smith, Kano, Haim and Wolf Alice will play at the five-hour event on May 22.

Special Guest Appearance

Organizer Emily Eavis also promised a “very special guest appearance and collaboration” at the event.

The artists will be placed on an area of 900 hectares, including the Pyramid camp and a stone circle.

“It will be like a festival but without people,” Eavis told BBC Radio 2.

Described as an “epic journey around the site”, the show will be directed by Paul Dugdale, who previously shot Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift’s world tours for Netflix.

Festival At Home

Other artists on the list include Michael Kiwanuka and Idles, and the music will be linked to “a story told, written and presented by some of the most special guests”.

“What we want is for people to watch this at home … and have a moment and get into the spirit of the festival,” Eavis said.

Gig tickets are already on sale, with cash available supporting three of Glastonbury’s most influential causes – Oxfam, Greenpeace and WaterAid. The sale will also “help ensure the return of the Festival in 2022”, organizers said.

A commemorative poster will also be sold to support a group of actors who have been struggling to raise funds during the pandemic.

Glastonbury was the first cancellation of a major festival in 2021, with many others – including downloads and the BST festival – following suit.

Other Festivals

The Isle of Wight Festival, TRNSMT and All Points East have moved their events to the end of the summer, and festivals already in August and September, including Reading and Leeds, have spoken well of their working skills as usual.

The organizers of Glastonbury have also applied for a two-night concert permit in September, which will be at a much lower level than the big festival, which attracts 200,000 people to Somerset every year.

Eavis said she had “no idea” whether the September event would actually take place, but said she “wanted to get the application in to be in with a chance”.

Speaking to Dermot O’Leary on Radio 2, she added that the big festival is ready to return in 2022.

“Pretty much, we’re good for next year which is a very, very fortunate position to be in,” she said. “We’ve got a combination of bands that were due to play last year… and then we’ve also got some new people who are touring.
“So we’ve got a different line-up but there are some things you’ll recognise as well.”