This weekend, around 200,000 people are expected to gather at the iconic Glastonbury Festival, one of the world’s most renowned music events. However, health experts are sounding the alarm over a potential public health threat: a measles outbreak sparked by an unvaccinated generation now reaching their twenties.
Large gatherings, whether in muddy festival fields or crowded transport, create prime conditions for virus transmission. In 2021, a single music festival was linked to over 4,000 Covid-19 cases, highlighting the dangers of mass events. Dr. Chris Smith, consultant virologist and Cambridge University lecturer, now warns that this year’s Glastonbury could become a super-spreader event—but for measles.
This risk stems from historic vaccine hesitancy. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the discredited claims of Andrew Wakefield linking the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine to autism led many parents to forgo vaccinating their children. This decision has left thousands of young adults vulnerable to measles just as they embark on their first major music festivals.
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Dr. Smith explains, “It’s a perfect storm: a mass gathering with a susceptible age group.” While measles was once considered a mild childhood illness in vaccinated populations, it remains deadly, killing approximately 150,000 people globally each year, predominantly in Asia and India. Thanks to vaccination efforts, mortality has decreased by 90%, but the disease still poses serious risks, even in developed countries like the UK.
The United States experienced a significant resurgence of measles in 2025, with over 700 reported cases—more than double the previous year—and two deaths, marking the first fatalities in a decade. In England, 420 laboratory-confirmed measles cases have been recorded this year, with London, the East of England, and the South West (near Glastonbury) reporting the highest numbers.
Measles fatalities in England and Wales have remained low since the introduction of the MMR vaccine in 1988, but prior to widespread vaccination, outbreaks were frequent and deadly, such as the 1941 incident that claimed over 1,000 lives.
While festivals also increase the risk of other illnesses like conjunctivitis and food poisoning, which can be mitigated with hygiene measures, protection against measles relies solely on vaccination—something many in their early twenties missed out on. As Glastonbury unfolds, the specter of a super-spreader measles event underscores the critical importance of vaccination in preventing severe outbreaks.