The 2017 Glastonbury Festival, held at Worthy Farm in Somerset, England, drew to a close Sunday evening with the Telegraph stating that "Ed Sheeran mania" was taking over. "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" was said to be Sheeran's closing number. Sunday's talent-laden lineup capped almost a week of reveling for thousands of campers. Many have begun making plans for next year, but have been faced with a grim truth.
Festival goers and watchers are asking, "Why is Glastonbury not on next year?" and "Why is Glastonbury moving?"
The simple answer is that 2018 is a scheduled "fallow year" for Glastonbury. The last was in 2012. The land at Worthy Farm, a working dairy farm, is said to need a full two years to recover, from time to time, to keep the property usable. With the festival each year, NME reports that "a drastic renovation" is required to get the farm ready for the 100,000+ people who attend.
Sheeran waves Pride Flag
Fans were described as being "delighted" with Sheeran bringing a Pride Flag onto the stage, on a weekend where Pride Parades were planned through the world.
In Toronto, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marched in the Toronto Pride Parade. London, England was home to its annual parade on June 24.
Founder of the Glastonbury Festival, Michael Eavis, is said to be "already regretting" the decision to hold the traditional fallow year in 2018. Perhaps mysteriously, all Eavis has said about the matter is "there’s one band I want to re-form -- if they re-form, I’ll change my mind," and, "It’s not One Direction." Michael Eavis is said to be planning another festival, Variety Bazaar, put together by the production group behind Glastonbury, set to begin in 2021.
Rockstar welcome for Jeremy Corbyn
The Manchester Evening News reports that choosing 2012 as a fallow year ended up being a "smart decision" for organizers, because on the date the festival would have been held the farm "endured periods of extremely heavy rain," but noted "that’s nothing Glasto goers can’t deal with." Notwithstanding Michael Eavis' cryptic promise, it looks as though the next Glastonbury Festival will be held in 2019.
Highlights from 2017 included the reception given to Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, said to be of the sort reserved for "rock stars," and Noel Gallagher of Oasis leading fans in a chorus of "Don't Look Back in Anger." Unlike rain that has been witnessed at many Glastonburies, 2017 was said to have enjoyed "strangely good weather." Jeremy Corbyn was said to have taken a "swipe" at U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that politics "would not be put back in a box," referring to the "number of young people who got involved for the very first time because they were fed up with being told they don’t matter and that their generation was going to pay more to get less in education, housing, health, pensions and everything else," as reported by the Echo.