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A GLAST FROM THE PAST

Since Glastonbury, the U.K.'s premiere music fest, has been postponed until 2021, we thought we'd take a look at some of its 50-year history.

The concert was first held in September 1970, on the day after Jimi Hendrix died, at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, England. Performers included Marc Bolan, Al Stewart and The Kinks. Attendance was 1,500 and admission was £1.

In 1971 the festival moved to June, the time of the summer solstice. The fest was also captured, similar to Woodstock in 1969, by a film crew, and the resulting documentary was called Glastonbury Fayre. Performers included Traffic, David Bowie and Joan Baez. Attendance was 12k.

After a seven-year hiatus, Glasto returned in 1979, now as a three-day event. Performers included Peter Gabriel; attendance was again 12k.

1982's lineup featured classic rock veterans such as Van Morrison and Jackson Browne, alongside new-wave upstarts like Thompson Twins and U2. Attendance was 25k.

1985's lineup included Echo and the Bunnymen and the Boomtown Rats, whose frontman Bob Geldof would organize Live Aid just three weeks later. Attendance was 40k.

In 1994, the main Pyramid stage caught fire two weeks before the fest, but a replacement was provided by a local company who built the festival's other two stages. Performers included Bjork and Elvis Costello; attendance grew to 80k.

1995 was the festival's 25th anniversary, and featured mainstay The Cure in their third appearance, as well as Oasis, The Black Crowes and Simple Minds.

1997, a.k.a. the "year of the mud," featured Prodigy, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Chemical Brothers and Beck.

2000 saw the return of David Bowie, along with NIN and Muse.

2003 was the return of Radiohead, along with R.E.M. and Moby. Attendance grew to a whopping 150k.

In 2008 Jay-Z joined The Verve, Kings of Leon and a returning Joan Baez.

In 2009 Founder Michael Eavis claimed this year was one of the "best ever," with Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Blur, Crosby Stills & Nash, Spinal Tap, Bon Iver and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

2015, the fest's 45th year, saw headliners Foo Fighters, Kanye West and The Who.

2016's lineup featured Adele, Coldplay, Muse, Tame Impala, Beck and Ellie Goulding.

2017 attendance was a massive 203k, and saw headliners Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry and Chic.

2019 attendance was again 203k, and performers included The Killers, The Cure, Vampire Weekend and Miley Cyrus.

2020's 50th anniversary festival would have featured a lineup of Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and many more...but throngs of would-be concert-goers will have to wait til next year to celebrate.

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