For many, Glastonbury is the event of the year- music, fun, and a lifetime of memories all in one weekend. As the Glastonbury period is upon us, festivalgoers are in mourning of what could’ve been. Due to Covid-19, festivals across the world have been cancelled or postponed, and each new end brings people contemplating what this year could have been like.
In lieu is this, the organisers have put together a campaign on Twitter- people are pitching their own tents in their backyard, pouring drinks, and even setting up their own pyramid stages. The hashtag is full of people trying their best to celebrate Glastonbury and the amazing weather we had last week!
Sadly, the cancellation also means that Glastonbury was unable to celebrate their 50th birthday. Organisers have promised us that 2021 will bring two line-ups in one, in order to ensure that the 50th celebration can still go ahead.
Fortunately, the organisers haven’t completely left their fans starved of content. Since Thursday, Glastonbury have been streaming past sets on BBC iPlayer. From Coldplay to Lewis Capaldi, people are reliving the best moments of the past 50 years. BBC have even made a separate webpage featuring these videos, and people are loving them. While it can’t compare to what it’s like to be there in the flesh, the fans are embracing this chance to still celebrate and have fun. These shows are still available online, giving fans a month to relive these memories.
However, the cancellation hasn’t stopped the organisers from the philanthropic work they do every year. Anyone who goes to the festival knows that there’s a heavy influence of charity during the event. Charities like Shelter play a large part of the weekend. In lieu of that, Glastonbury is selling limited edition prints of Bruce Springsteen’s legendary 2009 performance at the Pyramid stage. Each print will be hand-signed by Jill Furmanovsky- a highly respected and beloved photographer in the music and art industry, who has photographed the likes of Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, and more. Announcing the sale on Twitter, they mention that all profits will go to Oxfam, Greenpeace, and WaterAid. The prints are available online.
While we know that the festivals are cancelled for the safety of the people, it’s hard to not feel sad about what will be missed. But, seeing people on social media make the best with what they have is inspiring. And we can’t wait to see what Glastonbury has in store for us next year!
Words by Abigail Forrest
Graphics by Georgia Walters
