In the same year, the first Pyramid Stage, a replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, was designed and built by Bill Harkin and crew out of scaffolding, expanded metal and plastic sheeting. The location of this now iconic stage was determined by the Glastonbury Abbey and Stonehenge ley line, an invisible line that runs through the Vale of Avalon and is commonly believed by esoteric traditions to demarcate 'earth energies'.
The founders acknowledged Glastonbury's 3, year history and its importance as a destination for pilgrims for centuries, captured by William Blake in his poem Jerusalem , later used as the words for Hubert Parry's hymn. Bowie and Quintessence performed on the first Pyramid Stage in The film is a great record of the Festival and reveals how it attracted hippies who identified with the counterculture movements that emerged in the late sixties.
Sadly it does not include Bowie's memorable performance. For the following years there were a few impromptu gatherings in the Worthy Farm fields with performances by Ginger Baker and Jimmy Page, but it was not until when the Glastonbury Fayre team decided to stage a three-day festival around the Year of the Child, led by Arabella Churchill and establishing her Children's World Charity.
The Festival began to gather real momentum in the s under Michael Eavis's guidance, establishing itself as a powerful voice for social and political change and for raising money for good causes.
In , proceeds went to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, a partnership that continued up until the end of the Cold War. The Festival attracted activists who were campaigning against Margaret Thatcher's government and seeking a fairer society. This year also saw the second incarnation of the Pyramid Stage and the first festival licence issued by the Mendip District Council, who sought to regulate issues such as crowd numbers, water supply and hygiene.
In the s Michael and Jean Eavis continued to battle with the local council to ensure the Festival could go ahead, successfully defending five prosecutions in They also overturned the council's decision to refuse a licence in May , just before the Festival was about to open.
As the Festival grew in size and reputation, it began to attract some of the biggest names in music at the time with performances by Van Morrison, the Boomtown Rats and The Cure. The Mutoid Waste Company, pioneers of art, performance and parties, also found their home at the Festival.
However, despite its ongoing success, obtaining a festival licence each year continued to be a struggle for the organisers. From the mid to late s, the physical site of the Festival continued to expand as travellers began to make the annual pilgrimage to the Festival. The year marked the Festival's 20th anniversary and adoption of its current title, Glastonbury Festival for the Contemporary Performing Arts.
Michael Eavis had decided that describing it as a 'theatre festival' to the local council would help him obtain the licence. It also reflected the breadth of performance from theatre and circus to rock and pop.
The Festival took another leap in its development in the early s as it attracted the new wave of Britpop bands and became an important destination for the emerging dance and rave culture. In Oasis, Pulp, Blur and Radiohead all made their festival debuts as Glastonbury embraced the rising stars of the burgeoning British music industry.
In the same year a new Pyramid Stage was hastily erected after the original stage was lost in an accidental fire just days before the Festival was due to start. At the time of their Glastonbury slot, they were working on the first, self-titled album under the abbreviated name T.
The official Glastonbury site notes that Keith Christmas, Stackridge and soon to be famous singer-songwriter Al Stewart also performed. It was Woodstock with scrumpy. I only saw two policemen all day, and they were sitting down. Actuallly 1, actually turned up. Many people come here and have a great time without once seeing a band on the main stages, just soaking up the atmosphere, chatting, and exploring the alternative elements of this mini-city.
Glastonbury town and the surrounding region is the undisputed centre of spiritual England and is considered one of the oldest religious sites in the country. The town has plenty of new age shops to explore and find something that calls to you.
Glastonbury Tor is a small foot hill, at the summit of which stands the remains of the Medieval Church of St Michael. Glastonbury Tor is open to visitors throughout the year, and it takes just 25 minutes to climb to the summit. You can survey the countryside for mile around and inspect the intricate carvings of St Michael at the base of the tower. White Spring is a natural water source, which flows into a cavern at the foot of Glastonbury Tor.
The first evidence of a church on the site of Glastonbury Abbey dates back to the seventh century, when King Ine ordered that a monastery be built here. The original church was destroyed in a fire in , and the Abbey was rebuilt in the reign of King Henry II. In , after several monks claimed to have had visions that King Arthur was buried in the grounds of the Abbey, excavations uncovered their alleged tombs.
The regal pair were re-interred before the high altar in , but with the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII in , all traces of the tomb disappeared and the Abbey itself fell to ruin. Glastonbury Festival Official Website For ticket info, history of the festival, and information on all aspects of the festival experience.
Lost Vagueness Insane burlesque events and an annual summer festival organized by Glastonbury eccentrics: expect group weddings, a legendary casino, and ultimate s glamour. Lost Vaguness is no more!
But instead there are a series of mind blowing areas to discover such as The Rabbit Hole and Shangri-La to name but a few….
View the series. Getting a ticket for Glastonbury Festival A ticket to the festival is like gold dust; the ,plus tickets usually sell out within a few hours. History of Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury is one of the original music festivals. Getting to the festival site The festival site is three miles from the nearest town of Shepton Mallet, and six miles from the next major town of Glastonbury.
Where to stay Accommodation is strictly a camping affair. The main areas are: Main Stages There are six main stages hosting mainly established artists — the largest of which is the Pyramid Stage, followed by the Other Stage, with the Dance Village, Jazz World, Acoustic Tent, New Band Stage re-christened the John Peel Stage in after the death of the great alternative music DJ in , and Fields of Avalon offering more low-key specialist alternatives.
Circus and Theatre A wild space packed full of fire jugglers, big top acrobats, comedians, cabaret singers, and poets, with everything from family-friendly theatre in the day through to adults-only acts like the Jim Rose Circus late at night. Green Fields This large area is set aside for alternative medicine, healing, environmentally-friendly technology, crafts, and social debates.
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