Glastonbury 2025 stats: From cows to toilets, pints, and tunes

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    This week, the celebrated Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is set to welcome thousands of music enthusiasts from the UK and beyond to a farm nestled in the southwest of England. This gathering, known for its vibrant atmosphere and eclectic performances, becomes a hub of excitement as scores of attendees converge for an eventful weekend.

    The festival now operates with an official license that accommodates up to 210,000 people, encompassing fans, staff, and performers. However, to maintain a comfortable atmosphere, the organizers have chosen to sell fewer tickets this year. The quaint village of Pilton, usually home to about 1,000 residents, is temporarily transformed into the UK’s seventh-largest city during this time, dwarfing nearby Bath’s population of nearly 94,000.

    Hydration is key at Glastonbury, with over 1.2 million pints of beer ready to be enjoyed across more than 100 bars. Since 2023, Brooklyn Brewery’s pilsner has been the event’s official beer, catering to the crowd’s thirst. In a unique twist for British music festivals, attendees can bring their stockpile of alcohol. It’s common to witness festivalgoers maneuvering wheelbarrows and trailers loaded with their weekend supplies.

    The festival’s iconic Pyramid Stage typically draws huge numbers, with Elton John’s 2023 farewell generating a historic crowd of over 120,000. The previous year, Paul McCartney assembled over 100,000 fans for his headlining performance. The festival also houses over 4,000 toilets, offering various types including the “long drops” and “compost loos.” Although limited facilities are available for showers, festival attendees are encouraged to make do with strip washes.

    A staggering 3,972 performers will grace the 120 stages at this year’s festival. Headlining acts include The 1975, Neil Young, and Olivia Rodrigo on separate nights. With such a broad array of talent, attendees are spoiled for choice. Ticket sales for 2025 were brisk, reflecting the festival’s immense popularity; they were snapped up in just 35 minutes last November, with subsequent resale tickets going even faster.

    Since its inception in 1970, Glastonbury has taken periodic breaks, known as fallow years, to allow the agricultural land to recuperate. Despite the pandemic-related cancellations in 2020 and 2021, these breaks are a recurring tradition, and 2026 will see another pause. The festival is staged across an impressive 1,000 acres, equivalent to 500 soccer fields, and stands as the world’s largest greenfield music and arts event.

    Beyond music and arts, the festival’s site usually hosts about 1,000 cows when it isn’t teeming with festivalgoers. During the festival, these occupants are temporarily relocated to what’s humorously termed the “Moo-tel” or allowed to graze elsewhere. To complement the festivities, more than 400 food stalls offering global cuisines are available, with meal deals to keep nourishment affordable.

    While Glastonbury recorded 30 arrests last year, 21 of which were related to drugs, the event generally maintains a low crime profile. To prevent unauthorized entry, a robust perimeter fence extends for 8 kilometers, a reactionary measure against past experiences of gate-crashing. From the start of the festival on Wednesday morning until its closure on the following Monday afternoon, attendees immerse themselves in entertainment, bagging optimal tent spots while the main performances kick off on Friday.

    Coldplay enjoys the distinction of headlining the Pyramid Stage a record five times, reflecting its iconic reputation. Other notable bands like Arctic Monkeys, Muse, and Radiohead have headlined multiple times, contributing to the festival’s rich history. Surprisingly, items such as Chinese lanterns, body glitter, and gazebos are banned due to environmental and logistical concerns. The festival hasn’t sold plastic bottles since 2019, encouraging attendees to use reusable containers with readily available water refill stations.