Glastonbury Festival stands as the world’s premier music festival, renowned for its rich and evolving history. What began in 1970 as a modest event with a £1 entrance fee—including free milk—has blossomed into a global phenomenon attracting hundreds of thousands of music lovers annually.
Today, tickets often exceed £350, and demand far outstrips supply, making entry a coveted prize for many who sometimes spend decades trying to secure a spot on the iconic Worthy Farm.
Beyond the sprawling 900-acre festival grounds, the event offers an extraordinary variety of attractions, unforgettable experiences, and a vibrant community spirit that festival-goers cherish.
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Central to Glastonbury’s legendary status is its lineup, especially the prestigious headline slots on the Pyramid Stage. These coveted spots have been home to some of the biggest names in music—spanning genres from rock and pop to rap and indie—creating moments etched in music history.
This year’s headliners include The 1975 (Friday), Neil Young (Saturday), and Olivia Rodrigo (Sunday), continuing a tradition of diverse and groundbreaking acts.
Tracing back through the decades, the festival’s headliners paint a vivid picture of changing musical tastes and cultural milestones:
- The inaugural festival was set to feature The Kinks, who pulled out, leaving T-Rex to take center stage. Attendance was around 1,500.
- The second year saw a jump to 12,000 attendees with David Bowie stepping in after Pink Floyd’s cancellation.
- The early ’80s featured artists like Van Morrison, Curtis Mayfield, U2 (who notably pulled out), and UB40 amid growing crowd sizes and ticket prices.
- The mid-’80s to early ’90s introduced multiple appearances by artists such as Elvis Costello, The Cure, Happy Mondays, and the debut of The Smiths, while tickets continued to rise from £5 to £16.
- The ’90s marked a turning point with headliners like Oasis, Pulp, Radiohead, and Bjork, reflecting the Britpop and alternative rock explosion.
- Iconic sets like Radiohead’s 1997 performance became legendary, while the festival surpassed 100,000 attendees.
- The early 2000s featured breakthroughs by Muse and Coldplay, both of whom grew into Glastonbury staples, and saw legendary appearances from Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and David Bowie.
- Recent years have celebrated a broadening of genres and artists, including Jay-Z’s groundbreaking hip-hop headline in 2008, the arrival of grime star Stormzy as the first in his genre to headline, and Billie Eilish becoming the youngest headliner ever.
- The 2020 festival, canceled due to the pandemic, was set to be a milestone 50th celebration with Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, and Paul McCartney poised to headline.
- In 2022 and 2023, the festival showcased a mix of emerging stars and legends, such as Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses, Sir Elton John, Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and SZA, highlighting Glastonbury’s continuous evolution.
From its humble beginnings to a sprawling cultural institution, Glastonbury’s headliners reflect the changing face of popular music and remain central to the festival’s enduring allure and unmatched legacy.