the biggest bands in the world set for Glastonbury Festival 2011

Glastonbury Festival organiser Michael Eavis confirmed to eFestivals that next year's Festival will be headlined by "The three biggest bands in the world. You won't believe who we've got." The farmer made the statement exclusively to eFestivals at Friday's Pilton Party 2010.

His daughter Emily, who also organises the event, clarified to eFestivals that the third headliner is not yet a signed and sealed deal but everything is now expected to slot into place. Because Eavis made this new comment so soon after he revealed he hoped to book U2, it looks likely that the third headliner will be the Irish act.

The Pilton Party was headlined by Paolo Nutini supported by a line-up that included this year's Emerging Talent Competition winners Ellen and the Escapades, and previous entrants Stornoway, is put on by the Glastonbury organisers to thank local residents for their help with the Festival. Funds raised from the Party go to local community projects.

Farmer Eavis also revealed to eFestivals that work is nearly complete on the Worthy Farm's solar electricity system (the UK's largest private) with 1,500 square metres of solar panels, which will generate the same amount of power annually as used by around 30 homes. The completed solar panel system is due to be unveiled at the farm next month.

Over a thousand solar panels sit atop the farm's huge barns which are home to the Worthy Farm herd while the Festival is on. On a sunny day the panels are expected to generate some 200kW of power enough to meet the power demands of the farm. Any power which isn't used by the farm will be exported to the National Grid.

Because solar panels create clean electricity, the Worthy system will save around 100 tonnes of CO2 a year (equivalent to the total annual footprint of 10 people in the UK).

Michael Eavis said of the project back in February, "It's a very exciting project for us. We first had renewable energy at the Festival in 1979 and we've been trying to increase it ever since. We want the Festival, and the farm, to be as green as they can be. The solar panels will make a huge contribution towards that."

Tickets

Tickets for next year's Glastonbury Festival will go on sale at 9am on Sunday 3rd October priced at £195 + £5 booking fee (plus £4.95 postage). All tickets must be reserved using the deposit scheme at a price of £50 per person. Everyone who plans to the come the Festival next year must be registered.

Registration does not reserve or guarantee you a ticket when they go on sale, but if you don't register you will not be able to buy a weekend ticket for Glastonbury Festival 2011. If you opt to save this information you will be able to use your registration number again in future years. Make sure the e-mail address you provide is one to which you will have long term access.

For more detailed registration and ticket information click here.

Next year's Glastonbury runs for five full days from Wednesday 22nd until Sunday 26th June 2011 across a 1,000 acres of beautiful countryside at Worthy Farm, Somerset. Expect something like 2,000 performances at 50 or so venues including music, cabaret, theatre, circus, a fantastic Kidz area, poetry, green crafts and information and loads, loads more ... much more than just the music, so make sure you check it all out!

No acts are confirmed as yet, but as usual eFestivals will bring you the very best-sourced rumours, allowing festival-goers to see who is playing long before the bands are formally announced - keep your eyes on the Glastonbury 2011 rumours, updated as we receive information.

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