Glastonbury Festival reveals Circus and Theatre line-ups

a wealth of entertainment confirmed over three fields

By Scott Williams | Published: Fri 22nd May 2009

Glastonbury Festival 2009 - around the site (7)
Photo credit: Karen Williams

Glastonbury Festival 2009

Wednesday 24th to Sunday 28th June 2009
Worthy Farm, Pilton, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 4AZ, England MAP
£175 - SOLD OUT
Daily capacity: 150,000

Before the line-up for the music stages is unveiled on 10pm on Monday night, Glastonbury Festival has revealed some of the entertainment away from the main stages in the Theatre and Circus fields.

around the site (7)
The fields which are situated south of the Green Fields, beyond Jazz World and to the north of William's Green cover three fields, and has seven venues, plus countless walkabouts, installations and ground shows.

The Circus Field is home to the Circus Big Top, The Outside Circus Stage, and the little outside stage The Topless Circus!

Glebeland house The Astrolabe, a venue presenting international theatre, dance and music and the Blazing Saddles stage, showcasing dance and theatre companies, and then, after dark – Glebeland's Fire Corner blazes into life.

Bellas Field
Bella's Field hosts the Cabaret Tent, the Sensation Seekers Stage, The Poetry and Words Tent which transforms into Mavericks at 8pm each night. Plus, two smaller stages offering on-going entertainment - A Little More Sensation and And Yet More.

New this year is The Pavement Stage, a small stage running shows throughout the day, and culminating in the Festival Fire Swingers after dark.
The announced line-ups so far include:

Circus Big Top:
The Black Eagles, from Tanzania, perform an acrobatic and dance routine to African music. Fire Tusk bring fire, straitjackets, motorbikes, chainsaws, whips, knives and flying usherettes in their show, 'The Fire Tusk Pain Proof Circus'. Bongo Bolero perform on a Chinese pole, Incandescence deliver their production called 'Fire in The Sky' which is a n art from fusion of Middle Eastern techniques and contemporary circus, high energy acrobatics, dramatic fire performance, aerial acts and dance. Other acts include Rod Laver daredevil performer, Leo and Yam performing 'Knockout' a playful duel in the air, and Cirque du Soleil present 'Fulcrum' an acrobatic adagio and static trapeze show.

Outside Circus Stage:
Has acts including Fraser, Bill Ferguson's interactive show, The Cloghoppers Banjo Circus, Richard Handley heads due east with Show-Master 'Fu-Ling Yu', and Shirlee Sunflower who is a physical comedienne in search of love with her glasses and fluffy yellow shorts.
The Topless Circus:
Acts will include Rumplestiltskin, Linsday Benner, AJ James, Moses, Aileen, Andy Zap, Strictly Dumb Prancing, Liqueur Flambe, Bill Ferguson, Beautiful Stu, and Byron Bertram.

Ground Shows:
On the field you will find Ground Shows throughout the day: – check them out including Banjo Circus, Inner Spin Hula workshops, Sheffield Jugglers, Laughter Workshops, Dynamix, Mystic Swing and Cabaret Fatalia.

around the site (6)
The Cabaret Tent:
Highlights in the Cabaret Tent include Early Edition, a one hour special with Marcus Brigstocke, Andre Vincent, Phill Jupitus, and Carrie Quinlan, There's also physical comedy with Spymonkey, plus Four Poofs and a Piano, Arthur Smith, Jeremy Hardy, Mark Thomas, Ed Byrne, and Robert Llewellyn Red Dwarf's Kryten, in the guise of Professor Vivien Alice.

Sensation Seekers Stage:
Offering a seriously eclectic selection of outrageous entertainment, ranging from cult Bingo, to frilly-knickered knife throwers, men in giant balloons and the world's strongest lady. Featured over the weekend will be Bruce Airhead,Jon Hicks, Trevor Organ's Cracking Crockery, Sheelanagig, Siyaya, Betty Brawn, who will attempt 'The Human Carousel' and The Herbie Treehead Band.

Poetry And Words Tent:
The line-up of international performance poets including John Hegley, Porky The Poet aka Phill Jupitus, Attila the Stockbroker, Aisle16, Joolz Denby, Murray Lachlan-Young, along with the Sunday afternoon slam session (from 16.00) hosted by Dreadlockalien, Andy Craven-Griffiths, where up and coming poets can entertain the crowd and win a spot on next year's bill.

Among others you can see are The Splotts, Streetlights, Glam Stan and his One Man Band, The Lady and the Tramp, Bartholomew Rakehell Ne'er Do Well, Cockney Awkestra, Bang On, Jaipur Kawa Brass Band, Capoiera Angola, and the Biker Urban Morris Side.

Plus Ground Shows including Fairly Famous playing tennis, Carpet Board and Confessional, Daemon or Doppleganger, craft yourself in clay, the stunning Chinese Lion, festival artist in residence Rose Popay, Malcolm Jephcott's traditional flea circus and marionettes, Cheese On A Stick's boxing ring, Intents Theatre and the 100% wind-powered spirals of lights Firewinders, Not for All the Tea In China, Shakespeare from 1623 Theatre Company, and hang your art in an outside gallery.

The Astrolabe:
This year's line-up includes Jonathan Kay, SharpWire who present 'Johnny's Midnight Goggles', aBlackSKYwhite perform 'USSR Was Here', Scary Little Girls present 'The Riot Showgrrrls Club, and the Frost Impro Allstars with Stephen Frost, Andy Smart, Steve Steen, Richard Vranch, Jim Sweeney, Dave Johns, and Phill Jupitus.

Blazing Saddles:
Acts appearing here include Les Ooh La Las, Mundo Jazz, Pronghorn, Taiko Meantime, Zambula, as well as dance from Cscape, The Inko Dance Company, Elictricat, and Stewart Pemberton.

Fire Corner:
Over the weekend, Emergency Exit Arts bring the fire-breathing Garuda Bird, The Elephant andHuman Catherine Wheels, plus performances from pyromancers Eddie Egal And Henry Hot, the Flaming Gyroscope of Joseph Peace, External Combustion's fireworks and AD Treepirate's fire adorned sculptures plus performances from The Festival Fire Swingers, and Elemental Entertainments.

In the field during the day will be Ground Shows including Biker Urban Morris Side, Bramble FM, Carnival Collective, Bin There, Drummed That, Bang On, Bootworks Theatre, Sheelanagig, and Dodgy Totty.

around the site (7)
Plus Walkabout Theatre from Magic Singh, Fair Play, Sparky, Big Rory, Seagulls, Flying Buttresses, Artemis, Ambling Band, Circomedia, Curious Eyebrows, Futter’s Child, Glowbros, Ollie Mealing, Original Mixture, Pleasurettes, Sav, The Dream, The 2 Men, Thoroughbreds, Richard Handley, Carpet Man and Lino Boy, Stickleback Plasticus, Swank, Department of Correction, Rimski's Piano, Pickled Image, Area 51, Flamborough Trols, Heart of Diamond, Dug Orton, Zoid Productions, Royal Male, Joe Rankin, Lynn, Ladies on Tour, Fantastiko, Natural Theatre Company, Oyster, Farquhar, Worlds Root Voice, Pickled Tink, Dapper Chaps, Simon Parker, Ear Dentist for the Mind, Ash the Poet, Lucky 7, Vertigo Stilts, High Rise Rubber, Miss Smith, The Ugs, Nina Kane, Tsubi, and Pirate Fairies.

The only officially confirmed acts are Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band as Saturday night headliner, with Blur and Neil Young as the other headliners, plus Kasabian, Doves, White Lies, Echo and the Bunnymen, Fleet Foxes, The Wombats, Jason Mraz, Maximo Park, Emiliana Torrini, Florence & The Machine, Lily Allen, The Ting Tings, and Franz Ferdinand.

This year's full Glastonbury line-up won't be announced until 10pm Monday night, and eFestivals will be publishing it then. To see who has been confirmed, and who might be playing, take a look at the eFestivals' Glastonbury 2009 rumours >>.

This year's Glastonbury Festival runs throughout the five full days from Wednesday 24th until Sunday 28th June 2009 at Worthy Farm, Somerset.

A full weekend ticket is priced at £175 (plus a booking fee of £5), and you must have a registration number to be able to purchase them.

To buy Glastonbury Festival tickets, there are a few still available, click here.

Each purchase must be matched with valid registration numbers.

Online registration is also available and can be carried out by clicking here.

The ticket price includes includes a FREE programme, a useful cloth bag, and small around the neck guide. Car parking tickets can be bought at the same time and are priced at £10 per vehicle, and campervan tickets are priced at £65 per van.

For detailed information on all aspects of the festival, click here.




Latest Updates

Glastonbury Festival 2025
line-ups & rumours
last updated: Yesterday, 09:55am
Glastonbury Festival 2025
festival details
last updated: Yesterday, 09:50am
Glastonbury Festival
festival home page
last updated: Yesterday, 09:48am