Glastonbury Festival has intentionally sold a few thousand fewer tickets this year to mitigate overcrowding, according to organizer Emily Eavis.
While the Somerset event, taking place later this month, is sold out, it will operate below its 210,000 person capacity.
“It will be interesting to see how this affects the on-site dynamics,” Eavis told the BBC’s Sidetracked podcast, expressing hope that the reduction will alleviate congestion during peak times.
Improvements include expanded space at the Other Stage, Glastonbury’s second-largest venue, anticipating large crowds for Charli XCX’s headline Saturday night performance. The Shangri-La nightlife area also benefits from a land acquisition, increasing its capacity.
Eavis polled 250 Glastonbury staff about overcrowding concerns from last year; surprisingly, none voiced such concerns despite public discussion on the matter.
Attendees will be encouraged to utilize diverse routes and explore the entire festival grounds to promote better flow. Eavis noted post-pandemic shifts in crowd movement patterns, stating, “People tend to move more in a herd. So, this year, we’ll communicate the existence of multiple routes to every location.”
Leveraging data from the festival app’s schedule planner, organizers can anticipate high-traffic areas based on popular artists, a tool that proved effective last year.
This year’s festival runs from June 25th to June 30th, headlined by Olivia Rodrigo, The 1975, and Neil Young. The current license permits up to 210,000 people, including attendees, staff, and performers.
In a broader interview with Annie Macmanus and Nick Grimshaw, Eavis revealed a £5.9m charitable donation last year, their largest to date. While typically operating without profit, recent years necessitated profit generation to offset £10m in Covid-related losses.
She also mentioned an additional £1m in potential weather-related expenses, primarily for woodchip to prevent mud-related slips.
While artist fees are “a lot less” than commercial gig rates, they have increased recently. “We are paying people far more than ever before, but it’s still less than Hyde Park,” she stated.
She emphasized the festival’s non-commercial nature, saying, “The whole thing is based on goodwill. I’d rather die than sell out to commercial brands.”
Founder Michael Eavis has transitioned day-to-day operations to his daughter, officially transferring financial shares in October 2024. He remains actively involved, and Emily intends to make this year’s event a special 90th birthday celebration for him.
Regarding the mystery band “Patchwork” slated for the Pyramid Stage, Eavis remained tight-lipped, although social media speculation points to Pulp, a claim denied by the band’s spokesperson.