Glastonbury is not any stranger to a political debate, having hosted its justifiable share of MPs and different public figures over the many years.
This yr, nonetheless, could possibly be notably eventful because the competition is going down lower than every week earlier than the UK snap normal election on 4 July. Prime minister Rishi Sunak introduced final month that the election would happen, throughout a rain-soaked speech outdoors 10 Downing Avenue.
After Glastonbury organisers introduced the complete set instances on Tuesday (4 June), it emerged that, as with annually, a lot of debates will probably be held, together with on its Left Area stage.
One such discuss is “Election 2024: A Change is Gonna Come” on Saturday 29 June, that includes Labour MP Angela Rayner and the Inexperienced Celebration’s Caroline Lucas, together with NEF CEO Danny Sriskandarajah, and journalists Stephen Bush and John Harris.
The day earlier than, Harris will even participate in a debate on “Israel and Palestine: Hope and Solidarity in Motion” with Palestinian journalist Ahmed Alnaouq.
They are going to be joined by representatives from Na’amod, a motion of British Jews in search of to finish their neighborhood’s help for the Israeli occupation of the West Financial institution, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip; journalist and creator Rachel Shabi, and journalist, politician and slapstick comedian Shaista Aziz.
Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis has lengthy been a staunch campaigner for peace, and in 1981 famously donated competition proceeds to the Marketing campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), in a partnership that lasted till the early Nineties. The CND has continued to take care of a presence on the competition as a part of its battle in opposition to nuclear weapons.
In 1984, Eavis launched the Inexperienced Fields to lift consciousness of environmental points; 20 years later, Glastonbury started a profitable scheme to encourage extra recycling and fewer waste.
Different notable campaigns included the 2005 Make Poverty Historical past marketing campaign, which noticed Eavis seem alongside musician and activist Bob Geldof on the Pyramid Stage. In 2009, the competition supported the White Ribbon Alliance’s Million Mums marketing campaign, gathering 1000’s of signatures supporting an finish to the pointless deaths of girls in childbirth.
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Then there was the EU Referendum in 2016, the place 1000’s of music followers and artists woke as much as the information that the UK had voted to go away the European Union, a shock that reverberated round Worthy Farm and prompted Blur frontman Damon Albarn to announce that “democracy had failed”.
Elsewhere through the day, Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis wore a t-shirt onstage that mentioned: “Abuse of energy comes of no shock.”
Dan Smith, frontman of pop band Bastille, modified the lyrics to their hit music “Pompeii” from “And the partitions saved tumbling down/ Within the metropolis that we love” to “And the pound saved tumbling down/On the weekend that we love”.
The group had been vocal supporters of Stay, taking part in an EU referendum gig in favour of Stronger In earlier than the vote.
A yr later, then-Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn appeared on the Pyramid Stage amid chants of “oh, Jeremy Corbyn” within the model of the opening riff of “Seven Nation Military” by the White Stripes.
There, accompanied by Eavis, he delivered a rousing speech that condemned nationwide poverty and paid tribute to the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which had taken place simply two days earlier.
“Is it proper that so many individuals in our nation haven’t any residence to reside in and solely the road to sleep on?” he requested. “Is it proper that so many individuals are fearful of the place they reside in the mean time, having seen the horrors of what occurred at Grenfell Tower?
“Is it proper that so many individuals reside in such poverty, in a society surrounded by such riches? No it clearly isn’t.
“And is it proper that European nationals residing on this nation, making their contribution to our society, working in our hospitals, faculties and universities, don’t know if they will be allowed to stay right here.”
He continued: “I say, all of them should keep, they usually all have to be a part of our world, and be a part of our neighborhood. As a result of what festivals, what this competition is about, are about coming collectively. This competition was envisaged as being for music sure, but in addition for the surroundings, and for peace.”
Stormzy, who backed Corbyn and Labour within the December 2019 normal election, used his headline set earlier this yr to focus on racism within the prison justice system together with the UK’s excessive fee of knife-related homicides (whereas carrying a Union Jack stab vest designed by Banksy).
Within the thrilling efficiency, he additionally bought the 1000’s of followers in attendance on the Pyramid Stage to chant “F*** the federal government, f*** Boris [Johnson]” throughout his rendition of hit single “Vossi Bop”.
The 2022 version of Glastonbury Competition was one other politically rife occasion, partly as a consequence of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which was addressed in a strong video message to revellers from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
It additionally passed off within the wake of the US Supreme Court docket’s determination to rule in favour of a Mississippi legislation that outlaws abortion at 15 weeks of being pregnant, whereas additionally overturning key precedents established by the 1973 determination in Roe v Wade.
The choice by the Republican-controlled Supreme Court docket prompted artists comparable to Lorde, Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo, Idles and headliner Billie Eilish to talk out, with Eilish calling it a “actually darkish day for girls within the US”.
This yr’s Glastonbury Competition takes place between 26 to 30 June.
