Glastonbury festival History

There have been 36 years of fun...(Festival breaks in 1988, 1991,1996, 2001, 2006)

In 1970 Michael Eavis - inspired by the Bath Blues Festival - organized his Pilton Pop Festival in Sept. Marc Bolan and T. Rex headlined - arriving in a velvet covered limo. Entry for the lucky 1,500 was £1 and included free milk!

1971 The now legendary Glastonbury Fayre was timed for the Summer Solstice in June, and featured the first Pyramid Stage built near a ley line - making the most of the natural energies in the magical vale of Avalon. David Bowie (on stage at 5a.m!), Pink Fairies, Hawkwind, Fairport Convention, Arthur Brown, Quintessence, Melanie, Joan Baez. No alcohol sales and veggie food only, midnight curfew for amplified music.
1972 album released of the festival music and film 'Glastonbury Fayre' - free entry to even luckier 12,000.

1972 A small free festival with Hawkwind performing.

1978 An unplanned free festival following the Stonehenge Free - about 500 attend.

1979 Extended to 3 day event and theatre performers joined the musical acts. Peter Gabriel, Steve Hillage, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Genesis, Leyton Buzzards, Nona Hendryx and Tom Robinson - entry was £5 and 12,000 attended. Profits to UN Year of the Child, despite large financial loss.

1981 Glastonbury Festival is now a CND fund raiser - new permanent Pyramid Stage which doubles as a cow shed and Theatre tent - New Order, Aswad, Roy Harper, Supercharge, Hawkwind, Judy Tzuke, Thompson Twins, John Cooper Clarke - £8 entrance for the 18,000,
£20,000 raised for CND

1982 - Jackson Browne, Richie Havens, Van Morrison, Aswad, Roy Harper, Judy Tzuke, Alexei Sayle in Theatre - £8 entrance for 25,000.Muddy.

1983 Due to local Government Act Glastonbury Festival requires a public entertainment licence. Radio Avalon hits the airwaves - Marillion, UB40, Curtis Mayfield, Fun Boy Three, The Beat, The Chieftains, Melanie, Alexei Sayle - £12 for 30,000. Profits to CND and local charities.

1984 Now an annual event - first Green Field introduced - The Waterboys, Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, Fairport Convention, Howard Jones, Joan Baez, Billy Bragg, The Smiths, Paddy Ashdown and Bruce Kent are speakers - entry £13 and 35,000 attended. £60,000 to CND.

1985 Festival site has grown 100 acres - Joe Cocker, Aswad, Roger Chapman, Boomtown Rats, James, The Pogues, Ian Dury, The Style Council, Echo and the Bunnymen - £16 for 40,000. £100,000 raised for charity. Muddy.

1986 Classical tent added - The Cure, Madness, Simply Red, The Pogues, Level 42, The Psychedelic Furs, The Go-Betweens, The Housemartins, The Waterboys, Billy Bragg - £17 entrance for 60,000.
£130,000 raised for CND and local charities.

1987 Womad stage added - Julian Cope,
Ben E. King, Van Morrisson, Billy Bragg, The Communards, Elvis Costello, Gaye Bykers on Acid, New Order - £21 entrance for 60,000. £130,000 raised for CND and local charities. Rain.

1989 - Police on site due to growing crime, Circus Tent added, Rave arrives - Hothouse Flowers, The Pixies, Suzanne Vega, The Waterboys, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Youssou N'Dour, The Proclaimers, The Wonder Stuff - £28 tickets for 65,000

1990 Now officially The Glastonbury Festival for Contemporary Performing Arts - The Green Fields are extended to 60 acres. Circus, comedy, theatre and cabaret areas. Travellers and security clash causing £50,000 worth of damage -The Cure, Paul Oakenfold, Happy Mondays, Lush, Sinead 0'Connor, James, Ry Cooder, Aswad, De La Soul - 70,000 bought £38 tickets.
£100,000 raised for CND and local charities.

1992 Jazz world stage added - The Levellers, Tom Jones, Primal Scream, The Shamen, Blur, Lou Reed, Shakespear's Sister, PJ Harvey, The Shamen, Youssou N'Dour, James, Billy Bragg - £49 for 70,000. £250,000 profits now go to Greenpeace, Oxfam and local charities.

1993 - Robert Plant, Lenny Kravitz, The Orb, Alison Moyet, Hothouse Flowers, Lenny Kravitz, The Kinks, Van Morrison, Stereo MCs, Verve, Jamiroquai, Suede, Lindisfarne, Rolf Harris, Velvet Underground, The Lemonheads - £58 tickets for 80,000.
£250,000 to charities.

1994 The year the Pyramid burnt down, first live festival tv broadcast - Manic Street Preachers, The Levellers, Beastie Boys, Paul Weller, The Pretenders, Johnny Cash, The Lemonheads, The Boo Radleys, Echobelly, Nick Cave, Oasis, Chumbawamba, Pulp, Radiohead, Blur, Saint Etienne, Orbital, Bjork, Elvis Costello - entry £59 for 80,000.
£300,000 raised for Greenpeace, Oxfam and local charities.

1995 Dance Tent added, fences pulled down - Pulp, Oasis, Elastica, PJ Harvey, The Cure, The Stone Roses, Orbital, Prodigy, Jamiroquai, Simple Minds, Massive Attack, Sleeper, Portishead, Supergrass, Shed 7, The Verve, Elastica, Ash, Dodgy, Goldie, Tricky - entry £65 for over 80,000.
£400,000 raised for charities.

1997 muddy! Festival site now covers 800 acres, has own daily newspaper and is broadcast live on BBC2 - Radiohead, Supergrass, Sting, Fatboy Slim, Kula Shaker, Smashing Pumpkins, Echo and the Bunnymen, Dodgy, The Levellers, Beck, Ray Davies, Massive Attack, Ocean Colour Scene, Radiohead, Placebo, Ash, Catatonia, Sheryl Crow, The Chemical Brothers, Travis, Super Furry Animals, Prodigy - entrance £75 for 90,000

1998 muddy!
- Portishead, Lightning Seeds, Tricky, Robbie Williams, Primal Scream, Nick Cave, Pulp, Tori Amos, Babybird, Underworld, Blur, Divine Comedy, Faithless, Moby, Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, Idlewild, Squeeze, Bob Dylan, The Doves - £80 tickets for 100,000.
£500,000 to Greenpeace, Oxfam, Water Aid and local causes.

1999 - Al Green, Hole, REM, Blondie, Bush, Marianne Faithfull, Gomez, Orbital, The Doves, Kula Shaker, Travis, The Cardigans, Ash, Super Furry Animals, Manic Street Preachers, Texas, Underworld, Beautiful South, Feeder, The Chemical Brothers, Paul Oakenfold, Joe Strummer - entrance £82 for 100,000

Glastonbury festival in the millenium

2000 - new Pyramid Stage - David Bowie, Basement Jaxx, Moby, The Chemical Brothers, Coldplay, Elastica, Macy Gray, Travis, Pet Shop Boys, Ocean Colour Scene, The Waterboys, Reef, Doves, Embrace, Asian Dub Foundation, David Gray, Toploader, Semisonic, Moby, Muse, Dandy Warhols, St. Etienne, Groove Armada, Badly Drawn Boy, Nitin Sawhney, Flaming Lips - £87 for 100,000

2002 £1m super-fence erected - Rod Stewart, Doves, Coldplay, Faithless, Ash, Nelly Furtado, Dandy Warhols, The Waterboys, The Charlatans, Fatboy Slim, Stereophonics, The White Stripes, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Bees, Starsailor, Ian Brown, Badly Drawn Boy, Roger Waters, No Doubt, Rolf Harris, New Model Army, Lost Prophets - tickets £97 for 100,000.

2003 Suede, David Gray, REM, Supergrass, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, Waterboys, Radiohead, Feeder, Manic Street Preachers, Moby, Electric 6, Idlewild, Primal Scream, The Coral, Super Furry Animals, Doves, Lemon Jelly, The Libertines,The Waterboys,Goldfrapp, Fatboy Slim, Seb Fontaine - tickets £105 for 112,500

2004 Oasis, Kings of Leon, PJ Harvey, Groove Armada, Elbow, Nelly Furtado, Chemical Brothers,Goldfrapp,
Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol, Kasabian, the Killers, Paul McCartney, Keane, Black Eyed Peas, Starsailor, Lost Prophets, Scissor Sisters, Basement Jaxx, The Subways, Muse, Morrissey,Supergrass, Orbital, James Brown, Joss Stone, Black Rebel Mc, Divine Comedy, Zutons, Dave Clarke, Kosheen, Fergie, Mylo - tickets £125 for 112,000
Glastonbury 2004 reviews

Glastonbury Festival History

Recommended Glastonbury Festival history books