Typical five-day festival canceled for second year
Organizers of the UK’s Glastonbury Festival have been approved to host a single day event this fall. The one day, one-off concert is called Equinox, and will be in place of the brand’s annual Pilton Party “thank you” fundraiser this September. However, before the event can happen, more than 50 conditions have to be met, according to the Somerset County Gazette.
The shows will only be held on the Pyramid Stage with a capacity of 49,999 that includes staff, performers and crew. The event cannot be held in years when the original Glastonbury is held and cannot happen within 30 days of Pilton Party. No camping will be allowed.
In January, organizers announced that Glastonbury was canceled for the second consecutive year due to the pandemic. Organizers decided to apply for license to Mendip District Council to host two days of events in 2021. However, only the single day license was granted due to COVID concerns and local residents.
“Whenever a license application is considered, Mendip rightly assesses the impact of an event on local people and seeks to find a decent balance,” Councillor Sam Phripp, who is chair of licensing at the council, says.
“With regard to Glastonbury Festival Events Limited holding a concert in September, we’ve heard concerns from residents, and those concerns are reflected in more than 50 conditions that have been added to this license. We believe they’re sensible measures, and match the perceived risk of the event.
With a view to COVID-19, of course, any event would have to be COVID-safe, and Mendip will work with other organizations and the organizers to make sure that’s the case.”
No performers have been announced as of press time. Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and Diana Ross were all confirmed for the 2020 edition which was set to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The 2022 festival takes place June 22nd-26th, but it’s unclear who the headliners will be at this time.
This weekend, Glastonbury will host an exclusive global livestream from Worthy Farm for the first time in their history, enabling music fans throughout the world to join together and share the experience of the festival and its idyllic natural surroundings. The ground-breaking, five-hour extravaganza will feature performances by Coldplay, Damon Albarn, HAIM, IDLES, Jorja Smith, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka, Wolf Alice, plus DJ Honey Dijon.
