2019 Move

[HalfAnIdiot]

I've picked up from someone I trust that the festival is planning to move to a new site for 2019 somewhere in Gloustershire.

No idea if this is a permanent move or a one-off to develop an alternative location (as per the failed Longleat move).

Anyone else heard anything?

I'm curious as to which sites could accommodate the event.

 

[5co77ie]

would that be Earl Bathurst?

 

[Pinhead]

They might be able to squeeze the festival in between Royal polo matches....

Edited October 28, 2016 by Pinhead

[CaledonianGonzo]

They've previously said that 2019 will be on Worthy Farm.

[dentalplan]

Gloucestonbury

[CaledonianGonzo]

The Fred West Holts stage 

[Hugh Jass]

1 minute ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

The Fred West Holts stage

Fred & Roses surely?

[Kizzie]

25 minutes ago, 5co77ie said:

would that be Earl Bathurst?

 

Hey, I know Lady Bathurst, I'll ask her.

[slash's hat]

22 minutes ago, Pinhead said:

They might be able to squeeze the festival in between Royal polo matches....

Everyone will have to stomp the divots upon leaving the festival.

[eFestivals]

33 minutes ago, 5co77ie said:

would that be Earl Bathurst?

 

Me, i prefer Earl Gatehead

Yeah yeah.

 

[eFestivals]

21 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

They've previously said that 2019 will be on Worthy Farm.

But then retracted it.

a very short time before that was published and then retracted, Emily had told us "at worthy farm or elsewhere".

But I think that's more because they can't promise worthy farm right now, because they don't have agreements with all of the landowners whose land they need to run it.

From what Michael recently said at a talk (I forget which) he said he's busy making new agreements now, so it's pretty clear that worthy farm is currently first preference.

[grumpyhack]

If it's not at Worthy Farm it won't be Glastonbury for me.  It will just be another undoubtedly well-organised festival but I can't see how you can possibly transfer all the magic that has been built up over the years to another location.

It is often said that Glastonbury isn't just about the music and it really isn't for me any more.  It's that sense of place and a feeling of returning 'home' that I can't imagine being captured anywhere else.

[smudger]

4 minutes ago, grumpyhack said:

If it's not at Worthy Farm it won't be Glastonbury for me.  It will just be another undoubtedly well-organised festival but I can't see how you can possibly transfer all the magic that has been built up over the years to another location.

It is often said that Glastonbury isn't just about the music and it really isn't for me any more.  It's that sense of place and a feeling of returning 'home' that I can't imagine being captured anywhere else.

Absolutely. Other than the town I was born in and still live in, going to Glastonbury feels like coming home. Nowhere else could have that feeling for me. If next year is the last one there, i hope they don't say anything before its over. I'd hate to pack up monday morning knowing that its not two years before I'm back, but its never.

The ultimate come down....

[parsonjack]

45 minutes ago, grumpyhack said:

If it's not at Worthy Farm it won't be Glastonbury for me.  It will just be another undoubtedly well-organised festival but I can't see how you can possibly transfer all the magic that has been built up over the years to another location.

It is often said that Glastonbury isn't just about the music and it really isn't for me any more.  It's that sense of place and a feeling of returning 'home' that I can't imagine being captured anywhere else.

This completely for me too.  It simply won't be the same anywhere else.  I think the Eavii should think long and hard about trying to make that magic elsewhere.....

[Pinhead]

I hope Michael realises the difference between Glastonbury at Worthy and 'Glastonbury' on some country estate elsewhere. I believe he does, however the latter may likely serve as an experiment for an alternative festival (as yet unnamed) in 2018 and a backup for Glastonbury should a situation arise that makes using Worthy (and the surrounding land) untenable one year.

[dentalplan]

Don't really get the opposition about uprooting elsewhere. Ideally, yeah, it'd be lovely if it could stay where it is but if that's via a major price increase that skews the demographic or incorporation of sponsorship to cover the rising costs then it surely wouldn't be the same anyway?

I haven't been going even half as long as any of you guys but it just seems to me that the magic is in what the organisers provide, and the people and the arts. I don't really get why, without sampling it, you'd wanna write off what the same people behind it could do elsewhere because it's not the same location. The farm is the canvas, not the painting.

Edited October 28, 2016 by dentalplan
apologies in advance for that last line

[Rumblestripe]

2 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

The farm is the canvas, not the painting.

Oooh, I'm nicking that!

I suspect that the alternative location is as much to secure the future for the festival as anything else. If you are restricted to a single location you can (and seemingly will) be held to ransom unless you hold all the cards and even then you are at the mercy of things like the local council.

[Neville Street]

Any link to next year being the last Cornbury Festival? Where's Great Tew? Is that Lord Bathurst?

[Pinhead]

17 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

Don't really get the opposition about uprooting elsewhere. Ideally, yeah, it'd be lovely if it could stay where it is but if that's via a major price increase that skews the demographic or incorporation of sponsorship to cover the rising costs then it surely wouldn't be the same anyway?

I haven't been going even half as long as any of you guys but it just seems to me that the magic is in what the organisers provide, and the people and the arts. I don't really get why, without sampling it, you'd wanna write off what the same people behind it could do elsewhere because it's not the same location. The farm is the canvas, not the painting.

Yep - you haven't been going there long enough. I doubt if they would bow to increased sponsorship either. The site is the festival and vice versa. I reckon they know this which is why the talk has been about an 'alternative' festival...

[Keithy]

2 hours ago, eFestivals said:

But then retracted it.

a very short time before that was published and then retracted, Emily had told us "at worthy farm or elsewhere".

But I think that's more because they can't promise worthy farm right now, because they don't have agreements with all of the landowners whose land they need to run it.

From what Michael recently said at a talk (I forget which) he said he's busy making new agreements now, so it's pretty clear that worthy farm is currently first preference.

Was that the talk about a 10yr agreement? (I may have imagined it!) . Sounded like he was tying the other farns into a long term deal.

[Chawk]

How reduced would the capacity be if it was held purely on affordable (or Worthy Farm owned) land?

[incident]

31 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

I haven't been going even half as long as any of you guys but it just seems to me that the magic is in what the organisers provide, and the people and the arts. I don't really get why, without sampling it, you'd wanna write off what the same people behind it could do elsewhere because it's not the same location. The farm is the canvas, not the painting.

Why do you assume that an event elsewhere would have the same provision, the same people, the same arts?

There's a whole amazing variety of circumstances and events that have brought everyone involved in Glastonbury into the fold, and it's pretty much a miracle that it's held together as long and as successfully as it has. There's a danger - a very real likelihood actually - that a significant upheaval would result in an extremely large number of the groups involved in making the Festival what it is either wouldn't be in a position to move with it or would look at it as time to stop and do something else.

I know after this year many of the people who make the areas I love most were saying that it'd been one of the toughest years ever and wondering if it was all still worth it - I expect that most will ultimately decide to come back if they've not already, but a change in location is likely to turn the decision the other way. This already happens to an extent - there's various venues / organisations that stopped coming to the festival over the years because they were asked to move two fields over - two counties over won't be any more popular.

Meanwhile the Festival is a lot more embedded in the local community than you realise. There's the obvious ones like food stalls and a few smaller venues run by local rugby clubs or the street sub aqua club or local schools amongst others. But in addition to that a significant propportion of the on-site stewarding (ie at venues and campsites) is provided by groups local to the Festival - PTAs, Youth Groups, etc. Dropping in to help out from home is a lot more difficult when home is over an hour away instead of 15 minutes.

If or when Emily, Michael, and Nick choose to run another Festival elsewhere, then there's a very high chance I'll be there for the first one. I've got a lot of trust in them, and will give them the opportunity to show that my trust is deserved. But it inevitably won't, and can't be Glastonbury Festival as we know it. Emily has actually said something similar so I really doubt they'd even try to make that claim - it'd be "Stroud Festival brought to you by Glastonbury" or whatever.

[incident]

2 minutes ago, Chawk said:

How reduced would the capacity be if it was held purely on affordable (or Worthy Farm owned) land?

That's actually really difficult to answer for a few reasons - partly because we don't know what land is affordable and what isn't, but also because downsizing would inevitably mean fewer and smaller entertainment spaces.

Here's a not great example - Reading and Leeds Festivals combined have approximately the same capacity as Glastonbury. But they use a fraction of the amount of land partly due to day tickets but mostly because there's (relatively speaking) nowhere near as much going on and it's all jammed into a relatively small arena.

My guess? If they had to retreat just to land controlled by the Eavis family for everything (including car parks etc), and reduced the entertainment areas proportionally rather than condensed them, then I think it's reasonable to assume the capacity would be approximately cut in half.

[Untz]

A lot of the festival is tied up with the land. Glade in the glade, the hefty Pyramid Stage, the Stone Circle, the railway line, the tunnel under the railway line, Silver Hayes being a shit thoroughfare...

A lot could be transplanted and I'm sure it would be a great festival... but it wouldn't be Glastonbury. The layout of the land helps make the festival. 

[rubenz]

11 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

Don't really get the opposition about uprooting elsewhere. Ideally, yeah, it'd be lovely if it could stay where it is but if that's via a major price increase that skews the demographic or incorporation of sponsorship to cover the rising costs then it surely wouldn't be the same anyway?

I haven't been going even half as long as any of you guys but it just seems to me that the magic is in what the organisers provide, and the people and the arts. I don't really get why, without sampling it, you'd wanna write off what the same people behind it could do elsewhere because it's not the same location. The farm is the canvas, not the painting.

It's all about the ley lines though man, I need to connect with the mystical energy of the Vale of Avalon. I can feel it in the air (I might have been camped too close to a pylon mind! )