The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is not only considered the largest music festival that takes place in a green field, but also seen as the perfect example when it comes to festivals. It is one of the biggest festivals in Britain and was started by Michael Eavis in September 19, 1970, and has given some of the best performances to people since then in the last 47 years. This is because the Glastonbury music festival is known to host the major names in the music industry along with future artists. In addition to being the venue for musical performances, the festival also hosts other acts including comedy, circus and dance among many others.
The Glastonbury Festival is considered one of the largest shows in the world and takes place in the 1200 acre field called Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, England. It is a five-day festival held every year on the last week of June and the last festival was held on June 21, 2017-June 25, 2017. During the 2017 edition, the Worthy Farm was enriched by the performances by Foo-Fighters, Radiohead, the incredibly talented Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry and the legendary Kris Kristoffersen.
Festival history
The Glastonbury Festival was originally called the Pilton Festival and dates back to 1970. The festival according to the story was very much influenced by the hippie culture of that time and also by the free festivals held at that time. This is what prompted Michael Eavis to organize the first Glastonbury Festival but under the name of Pilton Festival. Frequented by 1,500 people, the main acts of that concert were The Kinks and Wayne Fontana. This is considered the first Glastonbury Festival (September 19, 1970) and a ticket was worth £ 1.
The next festival dubbed the Glastonbury Free Festival was held from June 22, 1971-June 24, 1971. The concert was free because all the expenses were paid by the organizers and sponsors and a “massive” crowd of 12,000 people attended the event to be entertained by the latest David Bowie and Mighty Baby. Here the Pyramid Stage (identical to the Pyramid of Giza) was introduced for the first time. There was an unplanned 1978 event that was not a success (500 participants), but in 1979 the event came back bigger and better with ticket prices up to £ 5.
The 1970 event was randomly organized, but since 1981 the festival has been held every year with greater success than the other. The festival boasts one of the most famous stages (The Pyramid Stage) which was maintained by the organizers from the original 1971 pyramidal stage to the pyramidal stages of 2000, the largest of the 30 meters. The festival appreciates nature and the environment. ‘is a Kidz camp where children can also play and relax. There is also a myth and legend about Glastonbury that probably made the best selling event of the place where Christianity was born and it is also the same place where King Arthur was buried!
Proceedings and ticket prices
The festival is a definition of how Eavis has transformed the silent fields to host the biggest shows in the world in the last 47. The setting is breathtaking and the people participating are what is said to make the festival exceptional. The acts were also the best year after year from 1971 to 2015 in which Kanye West performed. Other major works include Coldplay, Paul McCartney, Adele, Beyonce and U2 among many others. This has made the show successful over the years which can be witnessed by ticket prices and the presence of 1981. From a participation of 1,500 to 1970, the event arrived to accommodate 135,000 people in 2016 and ticket prices have passed from £ 1 to £ 238 in 2017. This number has risen steadily since 1970! Gate jumpers are also on the rise.
Charitable activities
The festival has been involved in charitable movements since 1981 in collaboration with the Nuclear Disarmament Campaign. The money in collaboration with charity groups goes to those who need it and also to the conservation of the environment supported by the festival, where they guarantee that the field is left clean.
