Classic Pop Icons

The Glastonbury Festival gets underway tomorrow and it has come a long way since its origins as the Pinton Pop Festival. The headliners on the Pyramid Stage for this 40th anniversary Glastonbury Festival are Gorillaz (replacing U2) on Friday night, Muse on Saturday and Stevie Wonder on Sunday.

In 1970, 1,500 people paid £1 to see a line up that included T. Rex, Al Stewart, Quintessence and Amazing Blondel. Free milk from the farm was also thrown in.

The second festival, in 1971, was called “Glastonbury Fayre” and there was no charge for entry. Costs were covered by a raffle of John Lennon etchings. Around 12,000 people were entertained by David Bowie, Joan Baez, Traffic, Fairport Convention, Hawkwind, Terry Reid, Arthur Brown, Gong and Pink Fairies. The 1971 festival was filmed by Nicolas Roeg and David Puttnam and released as a film called “Glastonbury Fayre.”

The event was named the “Glastonbury Festival” in 1981 and went from strength to strength with Michael Eavis at the helm. The site was enlarged in 1985, with the purchase of the neighbouring Cockmill Farm, and this provided space for more festival-goers. Around 40,000 attended that year and were treated to performances by the likes of Echo and the Bunnymen, Joe Cocker, Madness, The Pogues, The Style Council and The Boomtown Rats.

In 1986, the number of festival-goers rose to 60,000 and today the figure stands at around 140,000. Tickets for Glastonbury 2010 sold out in less than 24 hours when they went on sale last October.

Let’s take a look at some Festival highlights from recent years:

Paul McCartney – “Back in the USSR” (2004)

Robbie Williams – “Angels” (1998)

David Bowie – “Heroes” (2000)

The Verve – “Bitter Sweet Symphony” (2008)

The Who – “Baba O’Riley” (2007)

R.E.M. – “Losing My Religion” (1999)

Neil Diamond – “Sweet Caroline” (2008)

Bruce Springsteen – “The River” (2009)

The BBC is providing extensive television, radio and online coverage of this year’s Glastonbury Festival from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 June. There will be Glastonbury programming on BBC Two, BBC Three and BBC Four, as well as the opportunity for digital viewers to catch up via the Red Button.

Click here for the complete line-up for Glastonbury 2010.

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