Headlines

First revellers arrive at UK's Glastonbury Festival

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on June 25, 2025

2 min read

· Last updated: January 23, 2026

Add as preferred source on Google
First revellers arrive at UK's Glastonbury Festival
Global Banking & Finance Awards 2026 — Call for Entries

GLASTONBURY, England (Reuters) -Glastonbury, the world's largest greenfield music festival, opened its gates on Wednesday to around 200,000 ticket holders who will see performers ranging from Olivia

Glastonbury Festival Welcomes First Attendees at Worthy Farm

GLASTONBURY, England (Reuters) -Glastonbury, the world's largest greenfield music festival, opened its gates on Wednesday to around 200,000 ticket holders who will see performers ranging from Olivia Rodrigo to Rod Stewart and Charli xcx.

Festival organiser Emily Eavis said it was "lovely" to welcome the first revellers into Worthy Farm in southwest England with her dad, Michael, who founded the event in 1970.

The 2025 edition sold out in 35 minutes, before any headliners were announced. The festival will take one of its periodical "fallow" years in 2026 to reduce the environmental impact on the dairy farm.

"It is always a huge celebration when we go out for the fallow year," Emily Eavis told Reuters. "You can really feel it in the areas and all of the festival-goers wanting to eke out every last second of it."

Pop rock band The 1975 will headline the main Pyramid Stage on Friday, while Neil Young tops the bill on Saturday.

Rod Stewart, 80, will take the coveted legends slot on Sunday afternoon and 22-year-old U.S. singer Olivia Rodrigo closes the show on the biggest stage later that evening.

Irish rap group Kneecap will also be performing, days after one of its members was charged with a terrorism offence for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the Sun newspaper it was "not appropriate" for the group to appear.

Liam O'Hanna, whose stage name is Mo Chara, is alleged to have waved the flag during a gig in London in November 2024.

The group is due to perform on the West Holts stage on Saturday afternoon.

(Reporting by Sophie Royle and Kristian Brunse, writing by Paul Sandle; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)

Key Takeaways

  • Glastonbury Festival 2025 opens to 200,000 attendees.
  • Headliners include Olivia Rodrigo, Rod Stewart, and The 1975.
  • The festival will take a fallow year in 2026.
  • Controversy surrounds Irish rap group Kneecap's performance.
  • Festival founded by Michael Eavis in 1970.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Glastonbury Festival open its gates?
The Glastonbury Festival opened its gates on Wednesday.
Who are some of the headliners at this year's festival?
Headliners include The 1975, Neil Young, Rod Stewart, and Olivia Rodrigo.
What is the purpose of the festival's fallow years?
The festival will take fallow years to reduce the environmental impact on the dairy farm.
What controversy is associated with the group Kneecap?
Kneecap faced controversy after one of its members was charged with a terrorism offence for displaying a flag supporting Hezbollah.
How quickly did the 2025 edition of the festival sell out?
The 2025 edition sold out in just 35 minutes before any headliners were announced.

Tags

Related Articles

More from Headlines

Explore more articles in the Headlines category