NPR takes listeners on a tour of the world’s greatest music fest: 200,000+ campers in a muddy discipline, rocking out. In recent times, Glastonbury has gone plastic-free, family-friendly and accessible for all.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST: Image this – lush inexperienced fields in southwest England, a number of cows, some apple bushes – a quiet countryside scene. However then image one thing else – among the world’s greatest names and music, descending on this farm, bringing with them greater than 200,000 followers who all camp on the market for 5 days, rain or shine. The consequence is without doubt one of the greatest performing arts festivals on the planet, Glastonbury. It’s underway proper now, and NPR’s Lauren Frayer is correct in the course of it. Hey, Lauren.LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: Hello, Scott.DETROW: Let me get proper to it. Are you in the course of a muddy mosh pit?FRAYER: Scott, I took an enormous threat, and I left my rubber boots at residence, and now I am watching these darkish clouds roll in ominously.DETROW: Uh-oh.FRAYER: I am additionally a sea of multicolored tents and levels the place Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Femi Kuti, Shania Twain – these are among the headliners taking part in right here this weekend. This place is famous. This is one of many music followers I met right here, Sam Llewellyn, and he has his child son, Theo, in his backpack.SAM LLEWELLYN: It is his first yr. He is 1. He was 1 within the 1 Might. I have been coming since I used to be 6 months previous. I am now 29.FRAYER: Wait, you’ve got been coming right here because you had been a toddler?LLEWELLYN: Yeah.FRAYER: Your dad and mom took you right here?LLEWELLYN: Yeah, yeah.FRAYER: And now you take your youngster.LLEWELLYN: Now I am taking my youngster. I am residing on the generations of Glastonbury.FRAYER: This competition has been occurring since 1970. It is type of like Woodstock. So there are these generations and generations of followers. There is a youngsters discipline with playgrounds, arts and crafts, face portray. There’re diaper-changing areas.DETROW: I imply, 50 years is such a very long time for popular culture and music. I am fairly positive there weren’t diaper-changing areas at first. What did it seem like at first? How has it modified over time?FRAYER: There was nothing. This was a farm. There is a farmer named Michael Eavis. Again in 1970, the tickets value one pound – about $1.25. Now they value greater than $450. Most individuals, like me, camp in their very own little tent within the grass. However there are glamping choices now. There are luxurious yurts for 1000’s of greenback an evening. There is a pop-up lodge with a swimming pool.Michael Eavis remains to be round, by the way. He is 88. He is now Sir Michael Eavis. He is a knight now. He nonetheless runs this competition. He was really on stage at this time singing Frank Sinatra’s “My Method” to huge cheers. It nonetheless retains Eavis’ ethos, although, which is resisting commercialization. You do not see plenty of huge logos right here. Glastonbury has kind of managed to keep away from controversies which have hit festivals like South by Southwest, for instance, the place artists have pulled out, objected to sponsorship from sure industries. The motto right here is go away no hint on the land. Each 5 years or so, they’ve a fallow yr. They actually skip the competition to let the grass regrow as a result of that is really nonetheless a functioning dairy farm. They make cheddar cheese right here.DETROW: I imply, let’s get to that. I have been to plenty of music festivals, and I can see how a lot of a large number they make. How can a whole bunch of 1000’s of individuals camp for 5 days and go away no hint?FRAYER: I imply, the organizers are simply critical about sustainability. There are composting bogs. There’s a military of volunteers who clear trash in trade free of charge tickets. The competition is plastic-free, glass-free. This is Sarah Stevens. She’s been volunteering right here for the previous 40 years.SARAH STEVENS: Yeah. The cows are simply lacking in the mean time. And that is why you must respect the land much more – you recognize, no glass and no nonbiodegradable glitter. ‘Trigger what you drop, a cow could possibly be consuming in, you recognize, three weeks’ time.FRAYER: And it is not simply music. There’s artwork, magic, acrobats, political activism. Final yr, this competition raised greater than $2 million for 3 huge charities – Greenpeace, WaterAid and Oxfam.DETROW: That is NPR’s Lauren Frayer on the Glastonbury Music Competition in southwest England. Lauren, get pleasure from this hardship project.FRAYER: (Laughter) Thanks a lot.DETROW: Thanks.
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