NPR takes listeners on a tour of the world’s largest music fest: 200,000+ campers in a muddy discipline, rocking out. In recent times, Glastonbury has gone plastic-free, family-friendly and accessible for all.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Image this – lush inexperienced fields in southwest England, just a few cows, some apple bushes – a quiet countryside scene. However then image one thing else – a number of the world’s largest names and music, descending on this farm, bringing with them greater than 200,000 followers who all camp on the market for 5 days, rain or shine. The end result is likely one of the largest performing arts festivals on the earth, Glastonbury. It’s underway proper now, and NPR’s Lauren Frayer is true in the midst of it. Hey, Lauren.
LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: Hello, Scott.
DETROW: Let me get proper to it. Are you in the midst of a muddy mosh pit?
FRAYER: Scott, I took an enormous danger, and I left my rubber boots at house, and now I am watching these darkish clouds roll in ominously.
DETROW: Uh-oh.
FRAYER: I am additionally a sea of multicolored tents and levels the place Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Femi Kuti, Shania Twain – these are a number of the headliners taking part in right here this weekend. This place is famous. Here is one of many music followers I met right here, Sam Llewellyn, and he has his child son, Theo, in his backpack.
SAM LLEWELLYN: It is his first 12 months. He is 1. He was 1 within the 1 Could. I have been coming since I used to be 6 months previous. I am now 29.
FRAYER: Wait, you have been coming right here because you had been a baby?
LLEWELLYN: Yeah.
FRAYER: Your dad and mom took you right here?
LLEWELLYN: Yeah, yeah.
FRAYER: And now you are taking your little one.
LLEWELLYN: Now I am taking my little one. I am dwelling on the generations of Glastonbury.
FRAYER: This pageant has been happening since 1970. It is sort of like Woodstock. So there are these generations and generations of followers. There is a youngsters discipline with playgrounds, arts and crafts, face portray. There’re diaper-changing areas.
DETROW: I imply, 50 years is such a very long time for popular culture and music. I am fairly certain there weren’t diaper-changing areas at the start. What did it appear like at first? How has it modified over time?
FRAYER: There was nothing. This was a farm. There is a farmer named Michael Eavis. Again in 1970, the tickets price one pound – about $1.25. Now they price greater than $450. Most individuals, like me, camp in their very own little tent within the grass. However there are glamping choices now. There are luxurious yurts for 1000’s of greenback an evening. There is a pop-up resort with a swimming pool.
Michael Eavis continues to be round, by the way. He is 88. He is now Sir Michael Eavis. He is a knight now. He nonetheless runs this pageant. He was really on stage right this moment singing Frank Sinatra’s “My Manner” to huge cheers. It nonetheless retains Eavis’ ethos, although, which is resisting commercialization. You do not see numerous massive logos right here. Glastonbury has type of managed to keep away from controversies which have hit festivals like South by Southwest, for instance, the place artists have pulled out, objected to sponsorship from sure industries. The motto right here is depart no hint on the land. Each 5 years or so, they’ve a fallow 12 months. They actually skip the pageant to let the grass regrow as a result of that is really nonetheless a functioning dairy farm. They make cheddar cheese right here.
DETROW: I imply, let’s get to that. I have been to numerous music festivals, and I can see how a lot of a large number they make. How can a whole bunch of 1000’s of individuals camp for 5 days and depart no hint?
FRAYER: I imply, the organizers are simply severe about sustainability. There are composting bathrooms. There’s a military of volunteers who clear trash in alternate at no cost tickets. The pageant is plastic-free, glass-free. Here is Sarah Stevens. She’s been volunteering right here for the previous 40 years.
SARAH STEVENS: Yeah. The cows are simply lacking in the intervening time. And that is why you must respect the land much more – , no glass and no nonbiodegradable glitter. ‘Trigger what you drop, a cow may very well be consuming in, , three weeks’ time.
FRAYER: And it isn’t simply music. There’s artwork, magic, acrobats, political activism. Final 12 months, this pageant raised greater than $2 million for 3 massive charities – Greenpeace, WaterAid and Oxfam.
DETROW: That is NPR’s Lauren Frayer on the Glastonbury Music Pageant in southwest England. Lauren, get pleasure from this hardship project.
FRAYER: (Laughter) Thanks a lot.
DETROW: Thanks.
Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This textual content will not be in its last kind and could also be up to date or revised sooner or later. Accuracy and availability might differ. The authoritative report of NPR’s programming is the audio report.
