For the first time since 2019, Glastonbury’s tent city sprawls across the fields of Worthy Farm and the relief is visible everywhere. Two years late, the 50th anniversary celebration is here. It may have been people arriving earlier than usual due to excitement, or the rail strikes, or just memory loss after the long absence, but on Thursday the repeated topic of conversation was how much busier the site seemed than in years past.
Those who had erected tents on Wednesday or earlier on Thursday returned later in the day to find that their imagined seating area had sprouted six more dwellings. Logjammed crowds formed at major crossroads. The Shiva Eye clothing stall, home of highly patterned clothing and Indian throws, was one of many that opened a day earlier than usual because there was so much custom available. With 138,000 tickets sold and 67,000 staff on site, the largest capacity ever for the event, it’s no wonder it felt hectic.
